One Joining a Row, Alone in One Row or Away From the Prayer Leader More Than One Step

رَأَيْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع وَ دَخَلَ الْمَسْجِدَ الْحَرَامَ فِي صَلَاةِ الْعَصْرِ فَلَمَّا كَانَ دُونَ الصُّفُوفِ رَكَعُوا فَرَكَعَ وَحْدَهُ وَ سَجَدَ سَجْدَتَيْنِ ثُمَّ قَامَ فَمَضَى حَتَّى لَحِقَ الصُّفُوفَ.

“I once saw abu ’Abd Allah (a.s.), entering Masjid al-Haram during al-‘Asr Salah (prayer), when he was near the rows, they performed Ruku‘ (bowing down on one’s knees). He (the Imam) performed Ruku‘ (bowing down on one’s knees) alone and two Sajdah (prostration). He (the Imam) then stood up and walked until he joined t

قُلْتُ لَهُ‌[1] الرَّجُلُ يَتَأَخَّرُ وَ هُوَ فِي الصَّلَاةِ قَالَ لَا[2] قُلْتُ فَيَتَقَدَّمُ قَالَ نَعَمْ مَا شَاءَ إِلَى الْقِبْلَةِ.

“I once asked him (the Imam) (a.s.), ‘Can a man move backward in Salah (prayer)?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘No, he cannot do so.’ I then asked, ‘Can he move forward?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, as much as he wants to al-Qiblah (al-Ka‘bah).’”

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنْ الرَّجُلِ يَأْتِي الصَّلَاةَ فَلَا يَجِدُ فِي الصَّفِّ مَقَاماً أَ يَقُومُ وَحْدَهُ حَتَّى يَفْرُغَ مِنْ صَلَاتِهِ قَالَ نَعَمْ لَا بَأْسَ أَنْ يَقُومَ بِحِذَاءِ الْإِمَامِ.

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about a man who comes to Salah (prayer) and does not find a place in the rows. Can he stand up alone until Salah (prayer) is complete? He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, it is not an offense to stand parallel to the Imam.’”

إِنْ صَلَّى قَوْمٌ وَ بَيْنَهُمْ وَ بَيْنَ الْإِمَامِ مَا لَا يُتَخَطَّى فَلَيْسَ ذَلِكَ الْإِمَامُ لَهُمْ بِإِمَامٍ وَ أَيُّ صَفٍّ كَانَ أَهْلُهُ يُصَلُّونَ بِصَلَاةِ إِمَامٍ وَ بَيْنَهُمْ وَ بَيْنَ الصَّفِّ الَّذِي يَتَقَدَّمُهُمْ قَدْرَ مَا لَا يُتَخَطَّى فَلَيْسَ تِلْكَ لَهُمْ فَإِنْ كَانَ بَيْنَهُمْ سُتْرَةٌ أَوْ جِدَارٌ فَلَيْسَتْ تِلْكَ لَهُمْ بِصَلَاةٍ إِلَّا مَنْ كَانَ مِنْ حِيَالِ الْبَابِ قَالَ وَ قَالَ هَ

“Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), has said, ‘If a people perform Salah (prayer) and there is a space between them and the Imam, which cannot be covered by one step, that Imam is not their Imam. Any row which performs Salah (prayer) following an Imam and the space between this and the row in front is more than can be covered by one s

إِذَا دَخَلْتَ الْمَسْجِدَ وَ الْإِمَامُ رَاكِعٌ فَظَنَنْتَ أَنَّكَ إِنْ مَشَيْتَ إِلَيْهِ يَرْفَعُ رَأْسَهُ مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ تُدْرِكَهُ فَكَبِّرْ وَ ارْكَعْ وَ إِذَا رَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ فَاسْجُدْ مَكَانَكَ فَإِنْ قَامَ فَالْحَقْ بِالصَّفِّ وَ إِنْ جَلَسَ فَاجْلِسْ مَكَانَكَ فَإِذَا قَامَ فَالْحَقْ بِالصَّفِّ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘When you enter a Masjid and the Imam is in Ruku‘ (bowing down on one’s knees) and you think that if you walked all the way to join, he raises his head before you join. Say Takbir (Allah is great beyond description) perform Ruku‘, and if he raised his head, perform Sajdah (prostration)

لَا أَرَى بِالصُّفُوفِ بَيْنَ الْأَسَاطِينِ بَأْساً.

“Abu ’Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘I do not see any problem in the rows between the pillars.”

سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ الرَّجُلِ يُدْرِكُ الْإِمَامَ وَ هُوَ قَاعِدٌ يَتَشَهَّدُ وَ لَيْسَ خَلْفَهُ إِلَّا رَجُلٌ وَاحِدٌ عَنْ يَمِينِهِ قَالَ لَا يَتَقَدَّمُ الْإِمَامَ وَ لَا يَتَأَخَّرُ الرَّجُلَ وَ لَكِنْ يَقْعُدُ الَّذِي يَدْخُلُ مَعَهُ خَلْفَ الْإِمَامِ فَإِذَا سَلَّمَ الْإِمَامُ قَامَ الرَّجُلُ فَأَتَمَّ الصَّلَاةَ.

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about a man who finds the Imam in sitting position saying Tashahhud (testimonies of belief) and there is no one behind him except one man on his right side. He (the Imam) said, ‘He does not go ahead of the Imam or behind the man, but sits down behind the Imam; and when the Imam says

رَأَيْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع يُصَلِّي بِقَوْمٍ وَ هُوَ إِلَى زَاوِيَةٍ فِي بَيْتِهِ يَقْرَبُ الْحَائِطَ وَ كُلُّهُمْ عَنْ يَمِينِهِ وَ لَيْسَ عَلَى يَسَارِهِ أَحَدٌ.

“I once saw abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), performing Salah (prayer) while standing in a corner of his house near the wall, all others on his right side and no one on his left.”

سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ الرَّجُلِ يُصَلِّي بِقَوْمٍ وَ هُمْ فِي مَوْضِعٍ أَسْفَلَ مِنْ مَوْضِعِهِ الَّذِي يُصَلِّي فِيهِ فَقَالَ إِنْ كَانَ الْإِمَامُ عَلَى شِبْهِ الدُّكَّانِ أَوْ عَلَى مَوْضِعٍ أَرْفَعَ مِنْ مَوْضِعِهِمْ‌[1] لَمْ يَجُزْ صَلَاتُهُمْ وَ إِنْ كَانَ أَرْفَعَ مِنْهُمْ بِقَدْرِ إِصْبَعٍ أَوْ أَكْثَرَ أَوْ أَقَلَّ إِذَا كَانَ الِارْتِفَاعُ بِبَطْنِ مَسِيلٍ‌[2] فَإِنْ كَانَ أَرْضاً مَبْسُوطَةً أَوْ كَانَ فِي مَوْض

“I once asked him (the Imam) (a.s.), about a man who performs Salah (prayer) with a people who are in a place lower than his place in which he performs Salah (prayer). He (the Imam) said, ‘If the Imam is in a place which is higher than their place like a raised place, a platform, their Salah (prayer) is not permissible

ذَكَرَ الْحُسَيْنُ‌ أَنَّهُ أَمَرَ مَنْ يَسْأَلُهُ عَنْ رَجُلٍ صَلَّى إِلَى جَانِبِ رَجُلٍ فَقَامَ عَنْ يَسَارِهِ وَ هُوَ لَا يَعْلَمُ ثُمَّ عَلِمَ وَ هُوَ فِي صَلَاتِهِ كَيْفَ يَصْنَعُ قَالَ يُحَوِّلُهُ عَنْ يَمِينِهِ‌[2].

Al-Husayn has mentioned that he (the Imam), ’Alayhi al-Salam, commanded a man, who was asking him (the Imam) about a man who was performing Salah (prayer) on the side of a man standing on his left. He did not know (that he is to stand on the right side of the Imam) and then he learned in his Salah (prayer) how he is to

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنِ الصَّلَاةِ فِي الْبِيَعِ وَ الْكَنَائِسِ فَقَالَ رُشَّ وَ صَلِّ قَالَ وَ سَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ بُيُوتِ الْمَجُوسِ فَقَالَ رُشَّهَا وَ صَلِّ.

1. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Yunus from ‘Abd Allah ibn Sinan who has said the following: “I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, about performing Salah (prayer) in al-Biya‘ and churches. He (the Imam) said, ‘Sprinkle, then perform Salah (prayer).’ He (the narrator)