‘A’isha reported God’s Messenger as saying,“People will continue to withdraw to rows behind the first one till God puts them in a back place in hell." Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Wabisa b. Ma'bad said that God’s Messenger saw a man praying alone behind the row and ordered him to repeat the prayer. Ahmad Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud transmitted it, and Tirmidhi said this is a hasan tradition.

Abdallah b. ‘Abbas said:When I was spending a night in the house of my maternal aunt Maimuna God’s Messenger stood up and prayed. I stood at his left side, and he, taking my hand behind his back, directed me thus* behind his back to his right side. *'Abdallah would use a gesture to indicate how it was done. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Jabir said:God’s Messenger stood up to pray and I came and stood at his left side, so he took my hand, turned me round, and set me at his right side. Then Jabbar b. Sakhr came and stood at God’s Messenger's left, so he took us both by the hand, pushed us back, and made us stand behind him. Muslim transmitted it.

Anas said:An orphan and I prayed in our house behind the Prophet, and Umm Sulaim* was behind us. *She was the mother of Anas. Muslim transmitted it.

He said that the Prophet led him and his mother, or his maternal aunt, in prayer, adding,“He set me at his right and set the woman behind us." Muslim transmitted it.

Abu Bakra said that he came to the Prophet when he was bowing, so he bowed before joining the row, after which he went to it. He mentioned that to the Prophet, and he said,“God increase your eagerness! But don’t do it again." Bukhari transmitted it.

Samura b. Jundub said:God’s Messenger commanded that when there were three of us one should stand in front. Tirmidhi transmitted it.

‘Ammar said he was leading the people in al-Mada’in in prayer, and stood on a bench and prayed while the people were lower than he was. Hudhaifa came forward and took him by the hands, and ‘Ammar followed him till he brought him down. When ‘Ammar finished his prayer Hudhaifa said to him:Did you not hear God’s Messenger say,“When a man leads the people in prayer he must not stand in a position higher than theirs,”or words to that effect? ‘Ammar replied,“That is why I followed you when you took me by the hand.”Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Sahl b. Sa‘d as-Sa‘idi said he was asked what the pulpit was made of and replied,“It was from the tamarisks of al-Ghaba, made by so and so, client of such and such a woman, for God’s Messenger. When it was made and placed in position God’s Messenger mounted it, faced the qibla, and said ‘God is most great’, the people standing behind him. He recited some verses and bowed, and the people bowed behind him. He then raised his head, moved backwards and prostrated himself to the ground, then returned to the pulpit, then recited some verses, then bowed, then raised his head, then moved backwards and prostrated himself to the ground.”This is Bukhari’s wording. In a version given both by him and by Muslim there is something similar, at the end of which it is said:Then when he finished he faced the people and said,“O people, I have done this only that you should be guided by me and know how I conduct prayer.”