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Standing Alone Behind the Jama’ah

Answered as per Hanafi Fiqh by Albalagh.net

Standing Alone Behind the Jama’ah

By Mufti Shafiq Jakhura


Q.Could you please explain whether a single man can stand behind first row during jama’ah or he has to touch the shoulder of one who is in first row to join him in the second row?


A. It is makruh to stand alone behind all the rows if there is place in the rows in front of one. On the other hand, if there are no gaps in front then it is not makruh to stand in the Saff alone. However, the juristic text from Badaai-us-Sanaa’i below mentions that it is more appropriate for one to wait for a person entering the masjid so that one could commence the new row together with that person, rather than standing alone. However, if one fears that one would miss the rak’ah, he could touch a person who has knowledge of this ruling and has good character to indicate to him that he should come back to join the newcomer in the new row.

This conditional stipulation is meant to avoid any problems that might arise due to lack of knowledge or understanding on the part of the person who would be so disturbed. If the newcomer is not aware of any such person in the row in front, then he should stand alone at the back, in line with the Imam.

ثُمَّ الصَّلَاةُ مُنْفَرِدًا خَلْفَ الصَّفِّ إنَّمَا تُكْرَهُ إذَا وَجَدَ فُرْجَةً في الصَّفِّ فَأَمَّا إذَا لم يَجِدْ فَلَا تُكْرَهُ لِأَنَّ الْحَالَ حَالُ الْعُذْرِ وَإِنَّهَا مُسْتَثْنَاةٌ أَلَا تَرَى أنها لو كانت امْرَأَةً يَجِبُ عليها أَنْ تَقُومَ خَلْفَ الصَّفِّ لِأَنَّ مُحَاذَاتَهَا الرَّجُلَ مُفْسِدَةٌ صَلَاةَ الرَّجُلِ فَوَجَبَ الِانْفِرَادُ لِلضَّرُورَةِ وَيَنْبَغِي إذَا لم يَجِدْ فُرْجَةً أَنْ يَنْتَظِرَ من يَدْخُلُ الْمَسْجِدَ لِيَصْطَفَّ معه خَلْفَ الصَّفِّ فَإِنْ لم يَجِدْ أَحَدًا وَخَافَ فَوْتَ الرَّكْعَةِ جَذَبَ من الصَّفِّ إلَى نَفْسِهِ من يَعْرِفُ منه عِلْمًا وَحُسْنَ الْخُلُقِ لكيلا ( ( ( لكي ) ) ) يَغْضَبَ عليه فَإِنْ لم يَجِدْ يَقِفْ حِينَئِذٍ خَلْفَ الصَّفِّ بِحِذَاءِ الْإِمَامِ

And Allah Ta’ala Knows Best

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This answer was collected from Albalagh.net, which is an Islamic site with Q&A and articles authored by many world renowned scholars from the Muslim world. Many of Mufti Taqi Uthmani’s fatawa in English are found exclusively on this site.

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