"O my son, may Allah not cause you distress, for I did not come to you out of ignorance, but the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said to us: 'Be in the row that is next to me.' I looked at the faces of the people and recognized them, but not you." The man was Ubayy ibn Ka'b.
Section: The best of the men's rows is the first, and the worst is the last, while the best of the women's rows is the last, and the worst is the first, due to the saying of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "The best of the men's rows is the first, and the worst is the last, and the best of the women's rows is the last, and the worst is the first." Narrated by Muslim (43) and Abu Dawood (44). On the authority of Ubayy ibn Ka'b, he said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "The first row is like the row of the angels, and if you knew its virtue, you would have raced to it." Narrated by Ahmad in "Al-Musnad" (45). On the authority of Anas, that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Complete the front row, and whatever deficiency remains, let it be in the back row." On the authority of Aisha, she said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Indeed, Allah and His angels pray upon the right sides of the rows." Both were narrated by Abu Dawood (46).
(43) Omitted from: the original manuscript and A. (44) Recorded by Muslim, in: "The Chapter on Straightening the Rows," etc., from the Book of Prayer. Sahih Muslim 1/326. And Abu Dawood, in: "The Chapter on the Row of Women and the Dislike of Falling Back from the First Row," from the Book of Prayer. Sunan Abi Dawood 1/156. It was also recorded by al-Tirmidhi, in: "The Chapter on What Has Been Reported Regarding the Virtue of the First Row," from the Chapters on Prayer. 'Aridat al-Ahwadhi 2/23, 24. And al-Nasa'i, in: "The Chapter on Mentioning the Best of Women's Rows and the Worst of Men's Rows," from the Book of Imama. Al-Mujtaba 2/73. And Ibn Majah, in: "The Chapter on Women's Rows," from the Book of Establishing Prayer. Sunan Ibn Majah 1/319. And al-Darimi, in: "The Chapter on Which Women's Rows are Better," from the Book of Prayer. Sunan al-Darimi 1/291. And Imam Ahmad, in: Al-Musnad 2/247, 336, 340, 367; 3/3, 16, 293, 331. (45) Al-Musnad 5/140. It was also recorded by Abu Dawood, in: "The Chapter on the Virtue of Congregational Prayer," from the Book of Prayer. Sunan Abi Dawood 1/131. And al-Nasa'i, in: "The Chapter on the Congregation When They Are Two," from the Book of Imama. Al-Mujtaba 2/81. (46) The first is in: "The Chapter on Straightening the Rows," from the Book of Prayer. Sunan Abi Dawood 1/155. It was also recorded by al-Nasa'i, in: "The Chapter on the Back Row," from the Book of Imama. Al-Mujtaba 2/72. And Imam Ahmad, in: Al-Musnad 3/132, 215, 233.
