Prayer Alone Behind Row: Valid or Invalid?

Ruling on Standing Alone Behind the Row in Jama’at

Question: Is the prayer of a person standing alone behind the row during a congregational prayer (Jama’at) invalid? And if the preceding row is full, what should a person who arrives later do?

Answer..!

Alhamdulillah…!!

The prayer of a person who prays alone behind the congregation is not valid. If a person, despite there being space in the row, stands alone behind it and prays, he must repeat his prayer. However, if he has to stand alone behind the row due to a valid excuse, his prayer is correct.

Please observe the evidence:

عَنْ وَابِصَةَ بْنِ مَعْبَدٍ أَنَّ رَجُلًا صَلَّى خَلْفَ الصَّفِّ وَحْدَهُ، فَأَمَرَهُ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنْ يُعِيدَ الصَّلَاةَ. سَمِعْتُ الْجَارُودَ يَقُولُ : سَمِعْتُ وَكِيعًا يَقُولُ : إِذَا صَلَّى الرَّجُلُ خَلْفَ الصَّفِّ وَحْدَهُ فَإِنَّهُ يُعِيدُ.

It is narrated from Wabisah ibn Ma’bad that a man prayed alone behind the row, and the Prophet ﷺ commanded him to repeat the prayer.

Imam Tirmidhi says: Wakee’ says that when a man prays alone behind the row, he should repeat the prayer (his prayer is not valid).

(Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Hadith No. 231)

(Sunan Abu Dawood, Hadith No. 682)

(Sunan al-Kubra lil-Bayhaqi, Hadith No. 2507)

(Sahih Ibn Hibban, Hadith No. 2198)

عَنْ حُصَيْنٍ ، عَنْ هِلَالِ بْنِ يَسَافٍ ، قَالَ : أَخَذَ بِيَدِي زِيَادُ بْنُ أَبِي الْجَعْدِ، فَأَوْقَفَنِي عَلَى شَيْخٍ بِالرَّقَّةِ يُقَالُ لَهُ : وَابِصَةُ بْنُ مَعْبَدٍ ، فَقَالَ : صَلَّى رَجُلٌ خَلْفَ الصَّفِّ وَحْدَهُ، فَأَمَرَهُ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنْ يُعِيدَ.

Hilal ibn Yasaf says that Ziyad ibn Abi al-Ja’d took my hand and brought me to a sheikh in Raqqah, who was called Wabisah ibn Ma’bad (may Allah be pleased with him). He said: A man prayed alone behind the row, so the Prophet ﷺ ordered him to repeat the prayer.

(Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadith No. 1004)

حَدَّثَنِي عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ عَلِيِّ بْنِ شَيْبَانَ ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ شَيْبَانَ – وَكَانَ مِنَ الْوَفْدِ – قَالَ : خَرَجْنَا حَتَّى قَدِمْنَا عَلَى النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، فَبَايَعْنَاهُ وَصَلَّيْنَا خَلْفَهُ، ثُمَّ صَلَّيْنَا وَرَاءَهُ صَلَاةً أُخْرَى، فَقَضَى الصَّلَاةَ، فَرَأَى رَجُلًا فَرْدًا يُصَلِّي خَلْفَ الصَّفِّ، قَالَ : فَوَقَفَ عَلَيْهِ نَبِيُّ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ حِينَ انْصَرَفَ، قَالَ : ” اسْتَقْبِلْ صَلَاتَكَ، لَا صَلَاةَ لِلَّذِي خَلْفَ الصَّفِّ “.

Ali ibn Shayban (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that we traveled to the Prophet ﷺ, gave him our allegiance, and prayed behind him. Then we offered another prayer behind him. After completing the prayer, he saw a man praying individually behind the row.

The Prophet of Allah ﷺ stood over him when he had finished and said:

“Repeat your prayer; there is no prayer for the one who is alone behind the row.”

(Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadith No. 1003)

(Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah, Hadith No. 1569)

(Sahih Ibn Hibban, Hadith No. 2202)

(Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah, Hadith No. 36081)

The Prayer of a Person Alone Behind the Row in the View of the Imams of the Deen

Imam al-A’immah Ibn Khuzaymah (may Allah have mercy on him) (d. 311 H) titled the chapter for this hadith as:

“Chapter on the Prohibition of the Follower Praying Alone Behind the Row.”

He also states:

“Indeed, his prayer alone behind the row is not permissible; it is obligatory for him to repeat it.”

[Sahih Ibn Khuzaymah: 3/30]

Hammad bin Abi Sulayman, the Tabi’i (d. 120 H), says:

“Such a person should repeat the prayer.”

[Also: 113, and its chain is authentic]

The madhhab (school of thought) of Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (d. 241 H) and Imam Ishaq ibn Rahwayh (d. 238 H) (may Allah have mercy on them) is also that the prayer of a person alone behind the row is not valid; rather, he must repeat the prayer.

[Jami’ al-Tirmidhi, under Hadith: 230, and its chain is Sahih]

Imam Wakee’ bin al-Jarrah (may Allah have mercy on him) (d. 197 H) states:

“When a man prays alone behind the row, he must repeat it.”

[Also, under Hadith: 231, and its chain is Sahih]

Imam Ibn al-Mundhir (may Allah have mercy on him) (d. 218 H) states:

“The prayer of an individual behind the row is invalid due to the establishment of the reports from Wabisah and Ali ibn al-Ja’d ibn Shayban.”

[Al-Awsat fi al-Sunan wa al-Ijma’ wa al-Ikhtilaf by Ibn al-Mundhir: 4/184]

Imam Abu Muhammad Abdullah ibn Abd al-Rahman al-Darimi (may Allah have mercy on him) (181-255 H), after mentioning the aforesaid hadith of Sayyiduna Wabisah (may Allah be pleased with him), states: “I give fatwa according to it.”

[Musnad al-Darimi: 2/816, H: 1323]

Imam ‘Ata ibn Abi Rabah says:

“He should not repeat.”

(Musannaf Abd al-Razzaq 2/59 H 2486)

Note: The chain of this narration is weak due to the tadlis (concealed reporting) of Abd al-Razzaq (who was a mudallis).

The blessed ahadith mentioned above and the clarifications from the honorable Imams clearly indicate that the prayer of one who stands alone behind the row during a congregational prayer is not valid. If the prayer were valid, the Prophet ﷺ would not have ordered him to repeat it.

But now the question arises: if the front row is full, what should the person who comes later do?

There is a difference of opinion among scholars on this issue.

First Solution:

Some scholars say that he should go forward and stand with the Imam.

However, this is not correct. There is no evidence for it. And then, how many people would stand with the Imam? Does this mean whoever comes alone should go and stand with the Imam? One comes, then after a while another, then a third..? This is also a troublesome act for the other worshippers, as one would have to break through their row to go forward. Therefore, this view is not correct.

Second Solution:

Some scholars issue a fatwa that he should pull a person from the front row to stand with him and then pray.

Imam Shu’bah ibn al-Hajjaj (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates from Imam Ibrahim al-Nakha’i, the Tabi’i (may Allah have mercy on him) (d. 196 H):

“He (the one who is alone behind the row, if there is space) should enter the row, otherwise he should bring a man out from the row and stand with him (in the back row).”

[Musnad ‘Ali ibn al-Ja‘d: 112, and its chain is Sahih]

However, this is also against the command of the Prophet ﷺ,

Because the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

“Complete the first row, then the one that is next to it, and if there is any incompleteness (deficiency), it should be in the last row.”

(Sunan Abu Dawood, Hadith No. 671)

Now, this hadith clearly commands to complete the first row, and any deficiency should be in the last row. Pulling a person from the front row will create a deficiency in the front row, whereas the hadith states that the deficiency should be in the last row.

Furthermore, pulling a person from the front row is like breaking the row, and the Prophet ﷺ said about the one who breaks a row:

“Whoever connects a row, Allah will connect him (to Himself), and whoever breaks a row, Allah will cut him off (from Himself) (meaning, distance him).”

(Sunan Abu Dawood, Hadith No. 666)

Therefore, pulling a person from the front row is not correct because it creates a deficiency in the front row and disturbs the prayer of the entire row.

Some scholars critique this response by saying that pulling a person does not create a deficiency in the row, as it is a situation of necessity, just as a person leaves the row if his wudu (ablution) breaks.

Brother, I am astonished at this answer. Breaking wudu and leaving the row is a necessity, for which the Shari’ah does not impose a penalty. So, is the person who is alone behind the row not in a state of necessity? He is also compelled. Instead of keeping his necessity to himself, according to their fatwa, should he compel another person and pull him into the back row?

What kind of ruling is this?

One person is compelled, we accept that he should stand behind. But pulling another from the front row? What kind of necessity is this?

Many people come early with the desire to stand in the first row. How can you pull them from the row? How can you waste their reward for the first row? How can you disturb their khushu’ and khudu’ (concentration and humility) in prayer?

Yes, if there is one person with the Imam and another arrives, he can pull the first person back, because the Lawgiver himself has permitted this. But when the row behind the Imam is complete, how can a single person break the first row to start a second one?

Therefore, from this entire discussion, what I understand is this:

1. First of all, the person who arrives later should try to find a space in the front row, because nowadays people often do not stand close together. He should try to enter the row from one side.
2. And if he cannot find space in the row, he should see if perhaps someone else is coming after performing wudu, and then stand with him to form a row.
3. And if he cannot find another companion, he should stand alone behind the row and pray. This is because the man whom the Prophet ﷺ ordered to repeat the prayer was likely in a situation where there was space in the front row, and the latecomer stood alone behind without reason. However, if there is no space in the front row, then he is considered excused (ma’dhur), and the ruling is lifted for the one with an excuse.

The majority of scholars also hold the view that the prayer of a person alone behind the row is valid in a situation of a valid excuse.

(Salat al-Jama’ah, by Salih bin Ghanim al-Sadlan, p. 112)

((( And Allah Almighty knows what is correct )))

Reference: https://alfurqan.info/problems/161