Answered by Mufti Mohamed Umer Ibrahim
What do you do when someone is pulled back from the middle of the saff? I was taught we all move slightly to cover the space, however the mufti at one of the mosques said to not move because unnecessary movement is not allowed and therefore better not to fill the gap. Is this true and/or is their difference within the hanafi fiqh? also does an angel or shaytan fill the gap if left unfilled? many hadith mention adhkaar after the fard salah, some of these hadith specifically not to move from the spot. what should we do?? as in the hanafi fiqh one should not delay sunnah and if one goes through the adhkaar one may be sitting for 5 minutes or more I have also seen the imams sitting for 5 minutes so is their leeway if you are doing dhikr to pray the sunnah after the adkhaar or not?
Wa alaik as salam
The Answer in the Name of Allah
There is no harm in moving slightly to fill up a space left open by someone pulled back.
There is hadith reported by Imam Abu Dawud that the Prophet salla Allahu alaihi wa sallam said,”…Do not leave open spaces for Shaitan…(hadith #570)
From this it may be deduced that Shaitan enters open spaces in a saff.
Hanafi Scholars differ regarding which is sunnah. To recite the adhkar adjacently after the fardh or after the sunnah prayer. Both are correct and any one may be adopted. Such issues should not become a source of conflict. (see nurul-idhah p 80 Karachi print)
And only Allah Almighty knows best.