amongst yourselves lest enmity be cast amongst you. And be- ware of the riots done in markets [never make them in the mosque]’. (1)

This had?th urges those of sound minds and proper knowledge to stand in the row closest to the Im?m for deserve to be honored, and they could lead the prayers if the Im?m needs to appoint someone on his behalf, they could also remind him of the verses he may forget, and they could perceive the manner in which the Im?m does the Sal?t and be a good example for those behind them. (2)

As for the commoners [who lack the religious knowledge], they should be moved away to the rows at the back so they realize their real status, and this is the job of those of sound minds and vast knowledge. This was frequently done by the Sah?bah such as: ’Ubai Ibn Ka‘b ( - رضي الله عنه -).

Qays Ibn ‘Abb?d said: ‘I was once doing Sal?t in the first row in Al-Masjid An-Nabaw? in Mad?nah when unexpectedly a man took hold of me and pulled me to the back and stood in my place. I was so astonished that I couldn’t be fully given to my Sal?t. When this man finished his Sal?t I saw that he was ’Ubai Ibn Ka‘b [the reverend Sah?b? ( - رضي الله عنه -)]. ‘ Ubai then addressed me: ‘O lad! May All?h ( - عز وجل -) cause not evil to touch you. This [i.e. standing right behind the Im?m] is what the prophet ( - صلى الله عليه وسلم -) entrusted us with’.

Then he faced the Ka‘bah and said: ‘By the Rabb of this Ka‘bah, the influential have gone corrupt, (thrice). By All?h ( - عز وجل -) I do not feel sorry for them but for those whom they led astray’.

I wondered: ‘whom do you mean?’

He said: ‘The rulers’. (3)