Meaning of Straightening the Rows (Taswiyat al-Ṣufūf)

Question

Is it Sunnah for the followers in prayer to stand in the row with shoulder to shoulder and foot to foot firmly joined, or should they stand separately leaving a distance of four fingers between them? When the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, stood behind the Prophet ﷺ, they would place their shoulder next to the shoulder of their companion and their foot next to the foot of their companion.

Answer

In the hadiths, the command for straightening the rows (Taswiyat al-Sufuf) has been mentioned, which encompasses four matters: Uniformity of the standing level — the place of standing must be the same; it is not permissible for one person to stand on an elevated surface while another stands on a lower one.

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