Sunan Abi Dawud

jabir b. Samurah reported the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying:Why do you stand in rows as the angels do in the presence of their Lord? We asked: how do the angles stand in rows in the presence of their Lord? He replied: they make the first row complete and keep close together in…

Al-Nu’man b. Bashir said:the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) paid attention to the people and said three times; straighten your rows (in prayer); by Allah, you must straighten your rows, or Allah will certainly put your faces in contrary directions. I then saw that every person stood in p…

Al-Nu’man b. Bashir said:the prophet (ﷺ) used to straighten us in the rows of prayer as the arrow is straightened, until he thought that we had learned it from him and understood it. One day he turned towards us, and shoulders in order, and say; Do not be irregular. And he would…

Narrated Al-Bara' ibn Azib: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to pass through the row from one side to the other; he used to set out chests and shoulders in order, and say: Do not be irregular. And he would say: Allah and His angels bless those who are near the first rows

Narrated An-Nu'man ibn Bashir: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to straighten our rows when we stood up to pray, and when we were straight, he said: Allah is most great (takbir)

Narrated Abdullah ibn Umar: The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Set the rows in order, stand shoulder to shoulder, close the gaps, be pliant in the hands of your brethren, and do not leave openings for the devil. If anyone joins up a row, Allah will join him up, but if anyone breaks a row, All…

Narrated Anas ibn Malik: The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Stand close together in your rows, bring them near one another, and stand neck to neck, for by Him in Whose hand my soul is, I see the devil coming in through openings in the row just like a small black sheep

Anas reported the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying :Straighten your rows for the straightening of the rows is part of perfecting the prayer

Muhammad b. Muslim b. al-Sa’ib said:one day I prayed by the side of Anas b. Malik. He said ; Do you know why this stick is placed here ? I said : No, by Allah. He said; The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to put his hand upon it and say: Keep straight and straighten your rows

This tradition has also ben transmitted by Anas through a different chain of transmitters. This version goes:when the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) stood for prayer, he took it (the stick) in his right hand and turning (to the right side) said; keep straight and straighten your rows. He…

Narrated Anas ibn Malik: The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Complete the front row, then the one that comes next, and if there is any incompleteness, let it be in the last row

Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas: The Prophet (ﷺ) said: The best of you are those whose shoulders are soft in prayer

Narrated AbdulHamid ibn Mahmud: I offered the Friday prayer along with Anas ibn Malik. We were pushed to the pillars (due to the crowd of people). We, therefore, stopped forward and backward. Anas then said: We used to avoid it (setting a row between the pillars) during the time…

Abu Ma’sud reported the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying:let those of your who are sedate and prudent be near me, then those who are next to them, then those who are next to them

This tradition has also been transmitted by ‘Abd Allah (b. Mas’ud) through a different chain of narrators. This version adds:“Do not be irregular, so have your hearts irregular, and beware of tumult such as found in market”

Narrated Aisha, Ummul Mu'minin: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Allah and His angels bless those who are on the right flanks of the rows

Narrated AbuMalik al-Ash'ari: Should I not tell you how the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) led the prayer? He said: He had the iqamah announced, drew the men up in line and drew up the youths behind them, then led them in prayer. He then mentioned how he conducted it. and said: Thus is t…

Abu Hurairah reported the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying:the best of the men’s row is the first and the worst of them is the last, but the best of the women’s rows is the last and the worst of them is the first

‘A’ishah reported the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying the people will continue to keep themselves away from the front row until Allah will keep them away (from the front) in the Hell-fire

Abu Sa’Id al-Khudri said; The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saw a tendency among his companions to go to the back. He said to them; come forward and follow my lead, and let those who come after you follow your lead people will continue to keep to the back till Allah would put them at th…