Answered by Shaykh Ilyas Patel
In prayer, can a row be made of only one person? I have been in a situation where I joined a congregation already in progress (of prayer), but I had to start a new row because the other rows were already filled. I had to pray first rakat as the lone person in my row, but by the second rakat someone had joined me in my row. What is the status of my prayer? Also, is it better to fill the rows or to begin a row at the back made up of two people at the cost of not filling the row in front of it, so that the above scenario is avoided? I hope I am making sense to you.
In the Name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful,
Imam Abdal-Hayy al-Lakhnawi, in his very useful collection of legal rulings and useful issues, Naf` al-Mufti waal-Sa’il, explains,
“The most correct opinion is one will wait until ruku (for someone to come). If someone comes (then one starts, standing with them) otherwise one should pull someone from the row (ahead of him). But, in our time it is better if one does not pull one (from the row ahead) due to gross ignorance (of the rulings of shariah). Because, if one is pulled, he might break his salat and get angry on the person. As mentioned in Jami Rumuz.”Fataawa al Lakhnawi known as Naf al Mufti wa al Sa’il)Fataawa al Lakhnawi known as Naf al Mufti wa al Sa’il) Fataawa al Lakhnawi known as Naf al Mufti wa al Sa’il) Fataawa al Lakhnawi known asNaf al Mufti wa al Sa’il)Fataawa al Lakhnawiknown as Naf al Mufti wa al Sa’il) Fataawa al Lakhnawi known as Naf al Mufti wa al Sa’il)Fataawa al Lakhnawi known as Naf al Mufti wa al Sa’il) (al-Lakhnawi, Fataawaal Lakhnawi, known asNafal Mufti waal Sa’il, 306) Fataawa al Lakhnawi known as Naf al Mufti wa al Sa’il)Fataawa al Lakhnawi known as Naf al Mufti wa al Sa’il)Fataawa al Lakhnawi known as Naf al Mufti wa al Sa’il) Fataawa al Lakhnawi known as Naf al Mufti wa al Sa’il) Fataawa al Lakhnawi known asNaf al Mufti wa al Sa’il) Fataawa al Lakhnawiknown as Naf al Mufti wa al Sa’il) Fataawa al Lakhnawi known as Naf al Mufti wa al Sa’il)Fataawa al Lakhnawi known as Naf al Mufti wa al Sa’il) Fataawa al Lakhnawi known as Naf al Mufti wa al Sa’il) Fataawa al Lakhnawi known asNaf al Mufti wa al Sa’il) Fataawa al Lakhnawiknown as Naf al Mufti wa al Sa’il)
And Allah knows best,
Shaykh Ilyas Patel.