Joining Feet to Feet - Shoulder to Shoulder in Salah - Shaikh Wasiullah Abbas

Many people keep sticking their feet to yours? Is it necessary to join feet to feet in Salah?
Answered by the scholar who teaches in the sacred mosque in Makkah! - Shaikh Wasiullah Abbas (with English subtitles)

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Bismillahir Rahmaan ar-Raheem

Brother is asking is it necessary to join the feet in the congregation ? Brother has written that Sheikh Bakr Abu Zaid (rahimahullah) wrote that it is not necessary to join the ankles, but what is meant by these narrations is standing together.



Answer:

The word ‘necessary’ that you used, we would say that implementing the sunnah be it small or big it is neccessary so that we earn extra rewards. There is no doubt that there are many acts that if you leave in the Salah, your salah wouldn’t become invalid. It is sunnah of the messenger to join shoulder to shoulder and feet to feet. It wouldn’t be said that leaving this sunnah would make your salah invalid. But it would be said that there is something missing in your salah, there is no doubt about it. Why ? People fail to understand that.. Actually, this is an historical issue, most people left studying ahadith of the messenger for several years. And everyone would busy oneself with studying the fiqh books of their own madhab shortening the thick books, then explaining the shortened ones, then shortening the concise ones, and so on.. they lived on this Read the ahadith so you would know .. Anas radiyallahu anh said,”Everyone of us used to put his shoulder with the shoulder of his companion and his foot with the foot of his companion.” Once, at the end of his life time, he went somewhere and performed salah Someone asked, “What do you find has changed in us since the time of the Messenger of Allaah (sallallahu alayhi was allam)?”

He said:

ما أنكرت شيئا إلا أنكم لا تقيمون الصفوف

“I do not find anything except that you do not straighten your rows.” (Bukhaari)

It is narrated in the hadith, “Straighten your rows, for straightening the rows is part of perfecting prayer.” (Bukhari)

Meaning that if one does not implements the method of straightening the line, the salah would not be perfect. “Straighten your rows, for straightening the rows is part of perfecting prayer.” So Anas radiyallahu anh said: “I do not find anything except that you do not straighten your rows.”

وَكَعْبَهُ بِكَعْبِهِ

” Ankles with Ankles”

This is precisely what has been narrated. And ankle is the point upto which the feet is washed in wudhu.

منكبَه بمنكب

“Shoulders with Shoulders”

They used to join the ankles and the shoulders. He sad:

” ولو فعلت ذلك بأحدهم اليوم لنفر كأنه بغل شموس “

“but if you were to practice this today, a person would flee (from you) like a restless mule.” (Ibn Abi Shaybah)

Isn’t it true ? When you try to join, few people run away just due to their madhab.

How should we join ?

Brother has written that Sheikh Bakr Abu Zaid (rahimahullah) wrote that it is not necessary to join the ankles, but what is meant by these narrations is standing together.

The method of the sahaba in standing together was that they would stand in their places in such a way that .. ankles, shoulders and in one narration even the knee would meet. When you would prostrate, the knees would meet as well!

Not that you try to join knee to knee while standing.. But one should not leave gaps in between ..

Because the beloved messenger said, “Straighten your rows …and fill in the gaps for the Satan passes through what is between you like small sheep.” (Ahmad and Tabrani)

Now you reflect, is it necessary or not ?

Sheikh Bakr Abu Zaid had not yet completed his book, “لا جديد في احكام الصلاة”

He used to visit me at my home as well, we would meet often.. He told me at Sheikh Rifaie’s home, “How is this possible ? How can ankles join?!” I replied, “You have been brought up in such a way that your ankles don’t join We, alhamdulillah, were taught this from childhood. I made him stand and do it. So, he said, “Yea, but it causes much difficulty.” I said, “Did the shoulders meet or not ?”

on the contrary, those who purposefully leave excess gaps.. No!

However, he wrote what he wrote and passed away, اللهم اغفر له وارحمه

But a scholar of Sunnah would be forced to say after going through these narrations that this must be the method of Salah. Just like Badiuddin Shah Rashdi (rahimahullah) acknowledged this..

Actually, if you see how our legs are.. But in Salah, we should position our toe towards the qiblah. If you and the brother next to you stands in this way, the ankles would surely meet. It would meet atleast in certain positions. But it is not meant that one should stick oneself to the one beside.

They say staying away from each other in the congregation does not matter..

Rather, as Sheikh Ibn Al Uthaimeen said:

له في جميع الصلاة وليس معنى ذلك أن يلازم هذا الإلصاق ويبقى ملازماً

“It does not mean that he should continue this joining and remain so for the whole salah.”

Allah’s messenger said, “تراسوا” (cling together )

Rassu means to cling together as the bricks are layed and cemented together, top and bottom – left and right. Rassu is not possible by leaving gaps!

But because people donot have the understanding of these ahadith, they keep following blindly whatever they were taught.

When I first when to Jama Masjid (Delhi), I found that they have designed the floor in such a way that there would be so much gap that two men could adjust easily in between two men!But they have have purposefully made as such due to their madhab..

وصل اللهم على نبينا محمد

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Additional benefits:




A few more narrations:




Anas relates: "The Prophet would turn his face to us before he began the salah and he would say: 'Be close together and straighten your rows.'" This is related by al-Bukhari and Muslim. He also reported that the Prophet would say: "Make your rows straight for the straightening of the rows is part of the completion of the salah."




An-Nu'man ibn Bashir says: "The Prophet would straighten us in our rows as one straightens an arrow, until he saw that we had learned from him. One day, he saw a person with his chest sticking out and he said: 'You had better straighten your rows or Allah will cause differences among you."' This is related by the five. At-Tirmizhi says it is sahih.




Abu Umamah reports that the Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam said: "Straighten your rows and put your shoulders close to each other and be gentle with each other and fill in the gaps for the Satan passes through what is between you like small sheep [are able to pass through gaps]." This is related by Ahmad and at-Tabarani with a chain that has no fault in it.




Anas reports that the Messenger of Allah said: "Complete the front row, then the ones after it, and if there is any incompletion, it should be in the last row." This is related by Abu Dawud, an-Nasa'i, and al-Baihaqi.




Ibn 'Umar says: "There is no step that carries a greater reward than the step a man takes to an empty gap in a row in order to fill it." This is related by al-Bazar with a hasan chain.




Ibn 'Umar also related that the Messenger of Allah said: "Whoever connects a row, Allah will join him. Whoever cuts off a row, Allah will cut him off." This is related by An-Nasa'i, al-Hakim, and Ibn Khuzaimah.




Jabir ibn Samrah says: "The Prophet sallallahu alehi wasallam came to us and said: 'Why don't you make the rows like the angels make their rows in the presence of their Lord?' We asked: 'O Messenger of Allah, how do the angels make their rows in the presence of their Lord?' He replied: 'They complete the first row and stand closely together, side by side, in the row.'" This is related by the group, save al-Bukhari and at-Tirmizhi.




http://www.iium.edu.my/deed/lawbase/fiqh_us_sunnah/vol2/fsn_vol2b.html

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The word 'Taraassu' or 'Rassu'




Imam Baghawi comments on the word "taraassoow" (translated here as consolidate) saying, "His (peace be upon him) saying taraassoow means to cling together until there are no gaps between you" [Sharh us-sunnah Vol. 3 page 365]







Allaamah Raaghib said: “taraassoow fis-Salaah means to cling together” [Al-Mufradaat (P. 196)]




Allaamah Fitani said: “taraassoow fis-Sufoof means to stand in the row joined together until there is no space between you” [Majma Bahaar al-Anwaar (2/334)]




Fayrozaabaadee said: “to stand compact together and combined with one another” [Al-Qaamoos (P. 557)]




Allaamah Ibn Manzoor al-Afreeqi said: “it means to stand joined together. Al-Kasaa’ee said: combining with each other such that there remains no space or gap in between” [Lisaan al-Arab (7/40)]




Allaamah Zubaidee also narrated the same from al-Kasaa’ee in Taaj al-Uroos (4/398)




http://www.systemoflife.com/fiqh/salah/2000051-joining-feet-in-salah-is-sunnah-deoband-objections?hitcount=0#axzz3xvoaOIv5