Galandān

Are The Phrases For Straightening Prayer Rows Mandatory In All Cases, And Must They Be Spoken Exclusively As Narrated In Arabic?

❝ Phrases used to straighten the prayer rows, are they prescribed to be read in every situation and in limited to the Arabic words as is?

Here a question arises: Are the phrases used to straighten the prayer rows—or with which people are commanded to straighten the rows—prescribed wording (tawqīfiyyah), or is it the underlying meaning that matters?

In other words, if I say "Istawū, istawū" (Straighten up, straighten up), or "Sawwū ṣufūfakum" (Align your rows), "Aw layukhālifannallāhu bayna wujūhikum" (and let not Allah cause dissension among your faces/hearts)... is this worshipped through the exact wording itself, or can I say: "Brothers, may Allah bless you, straighten up; let no one stand ahead or fall behind; align your rows"—even if no text was reported with those exact words? Is the object of adherence here the meaning, or is it the literal wording?...

It is the meaning... the meaning! That is, I could say: "May Allah bless you, align your rows; step back O Zayd; step forward O ‘Umar" until alignment is achieved. Thus, the phrase "istawū" is not among the words whose specific phrasing is strictly devotional (ta‘abbudī) in this context—it is not like reciting: "Subḥānallāhi wa bi-ḥamdihi, ‘adada khalqihi, wa riḍā nafsihi, wa zinata ‘arshihi, wa midāda kalimātihi" (Glory and praise be to Allah, as many times as the number of His creation, to the extent of His pleasure, equal to the weight of His Throne, and the ink of His words).

Is that clear? I say this because some brothers, if you say: "Istaqīmū, yarḥamukumullāh" (Stand straight, may Allah have mercy on you), claim: "This is an innovation (bid‘ah); the Prophet ﷺ never said it!"

So we say: What is the governing factor here? The intent is to urge people toward alignment; one is not bound to the specific phrasing used to command it, unless a specific wording reached us from the Messenger ﷺ, which we would say in its proper place. (And in this matter such a restriction is not present) So if we say something else carrying the same meaning in that same context, it is permissible.

[A similar matter]

Yesterday, I was at our mosque, and a brother calling the adhān (call to prayer) at prayer time went toward the qiblah, picked up the microphone, and began calling the adhān. (He did it correctly). A visitor from your area (pointing to a student in the meeting) —from Cairo (al-Qāhirah)—came up and asked: "Why don't you call the adhān according to the Sunnah?!" So he drew our attention, and turned out to be criticizing us on two points:

(i) He asked: "Why don't you pause between each 'Allāhu Akbar' in your adhān: 'Allāhu Akbar... Allāhu Akbar... Allāhu Akbar... Allāhu Akbar', instead of (how you have done now) joining them as: 'Allāhu Akbaru-llāhu Akbar, Allāhu Akbaru-llāhu Akbar'?" Is the point clear?

(ii) And the second criticism was: "Why don't you call the adhān from the roof of the mosque? For indeed, Bilāl (may Allah be pleased with him) used to climb up and call the adhān from the roof of the mosque!"

I (Al-ʿAdawī) said to him:

First, regarding the first point: even though pausing between each Takbīr has spread among a number of groups and countries, the more correct position (al-aṣaww) is combining them as pairs (as understood from the ḥadīth of responding to the prayer) —when the mu'adhdhin says "Allāhu Akbaru-llāhu Akbar", you repeat "Allāhu Akbaru-llāhu Akbar", keeping them paired. A number of scholars have noted this, among whom I recall Shaykh Nāṣir [al-Albānī], may Allah have mercy on him, and al-Nawawī, may Allah have mercy on him —and the citation from al-Nawawī should be verified.

As for climbing onto the roof of the mosque, the governing principle (al-‘ibrah) is the range and reach of the voice, not whether one is on the roof or inside the building. The mu'adhdhin used to ascend to the roof solely so that his voice would reach as far as possible. If reaching the furthest distance is already achieved while I am comfortably and safely positioned inside the mosque, there is no harm upon me. The Prophet ﷺ said: "If you are in the desert, raise your voice with the call to prayer, for no jinn or human hears the reach of your voice except that they will testify for you on the Day of Resurrection." Thus, as the scholars have stated, the governing principle is the reach of the voice. ❞

— End of Quote, from

Al-Shaykh Al-Muḥaddith Musṭafā Al-ʿAdawī (video)

A Benefit:

Shaykh ibn ʿUthaymīn stated: “...But if he (the imām) turns around and finds the row straight, compact, and properly aligned in place, should he say “Istawū” (Straighten up) or should he not say it? What appears to me is that he does not say it. That is to say: for example, if there are only two men behind him, and he turns around and finds them aligned, standing shoulder-to-shoulder (straight), and in the required manner, there is no need for him to say “Istawū”; because this word carries a distinct meaning and purpose, and is not merely a passing statement.”

— End of quote, for further reading, (see)