Should the congregant stand abreast of the Imam or slightly behind him in a congregational prayer consisting of two men?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
It is obligatory to straighten the rows in prayer, and this is indicated by the of An-Nu'man ibn Bashir: "You must straighten your rows, or Allah will cause discord among your faces." If an Imam and one worshipper stand [together], the worshipper should be abreast of the Imam, neither ahead of him nor behind him. The hadith of Ibn Abbas clarifies that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, placed him beside him. The Imam and the worshipper are considered one row, which requires straightening so that no one is ahead of anyone else.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/14005
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- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 14005
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- . This is when the answer was added to El Fatwa, not the fatwa's date.
- Text
- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
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- Read the full answer on Ftawy