It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Umamah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: You must certainly straighten your rows or else the forms of your faces will be changed, and you must certainly lower your eyes or else your eyes will surely be snatched away.

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Straighten your rows, (keep in mind that) you have to form rows like the rows of angels, keep your shoulders aligned, fill the gaps, be gentle in the hands of your brothers, and do not leave any empty space for Satan. (Remember that) whoever joins the row, Allah will join him (with His grace and mercy), and whoever cuts the row, Allah will cut him (off from His mercy).

Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Join your rows, bring them close together, and align your necks (in a straight line). By the One in Whose hand is the soul of Muhammad! Indeed, I see the devils slipping into the gaps between the rows just as if they were black sheep without hair.

Sayyiduna Bara’ bin Azib (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Straighten and align your rows, and do not let the devil slip in among you like the offspring of Hadhaf. Someone asked: O Messenger of Allah! What is meant by the offspring of Hadhaf? He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: These are black sheep, they have no hair, and they are found in the region of Yemen.

Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Surely, I see behind me just as I see in front of me, so keep your rows straight and perform bowing and prostration in a good manner.

Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Noble Prophet said: Keep the rows straight in prayer; the best row for men in prayer is the first one and the worst is the last, and for women, the best row is the last and the worst is the first.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: Straighten your rows and (according to one narration) complete them, for indeed straightening the rows is part of the perfection of prayer.

Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) also narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Straighten your rows, for indeed straightening the row is part of the beauty of prayer.

Mus'ab bin Thabit says: There was a piece of wood near the place of the Imam. We wanted to find out the reality about it, but we could not find anyone who could tell us anything about it. Then Muhammad bin Muslim, who was in the Maqsurah, told me: One day, Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) was sitting with me and said: Do you know why this piece of wood was made? Even though I had not asked him any question about it. I said: No, by Allah! I do not know why it was made. Then Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) used to place his hand on it and, turning towards us, would say: Straighten and align your rows.

Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Complete the first row first, then the one after it; if there is any deficiency, it should be in the last row.