The aforementioned narration affirms that those of sound minds and of great knowledge of religion have more right in the first row and have the right to pass through the rows to stand in it. (1)

The commoner is recommended to stand in the right side of the rows provided that one sticks not to a certain spot.

Al-Bar?’ Ibn ‘?zib said: ‘Whenever we joined the prophet ( - صلى الله عليه وسلم -) his Sal?t, we liked to be to his right side in the row’. (2) In another narration, ‘Aishah related that the prophet ( - صلى الله عليه وسلم -) said: ‘Verily, All?h ( - عز وجل -) and his angels send their Sal?t on those standing in the right side of the rows’. (3)

It is unfortunate to see some people stand next to the Im?m -without any need for doing so such as the narrowness of the mosque in the congregational Sal?t -depending on a denied had?th which is traced back Ibn ‘Abb?s ( - رضي الله عنه -) to have said: ‘A man once came to the prophet ( - صلى الله عليه وسلم -) and said: ‘O Messenger of All?h: Teach me a thing which if I observe I will be admitted to Paradise’. The prophet ( - صلى الله عليه وسلم -) said: ‘Be a Mu’aththin’. The man said: ‘I am not able to do so’. The prophet ( - صلى الله عليه وسلم -) said: ‘Be an Im?m’. The man again expressed his disability of doing so. The prophet ( - صلى الله عليه وسلم -) then said: ‘Then stand next to the Im?m in Sal?t’.

This had?th was narrated by: Al-Bukh?r? in “At-T?r?kh Al-Kab?r” (vol. 1 / p. 137), Al-‘Uqail? in “Ad- Du’af?’ul Kab?r” (vol. 4 / p. 22) and At-Tabar?n? in “Al-Awsat” as mentioned in “Majma’Az- Zaw?’id” (vol. 1 / p. 327).

In this had?th’s chain of narrators, there is Ism?‘?l Ad-Dabb? about whom Al-‘Uqail? said: ‘No other narrator shared him his narration’. And Al-Bukh?r? said: ‘His had?th is “Munkar” [denied