SECTION ON PRAYER · 71 – HOW DOES A CONGREGATION OF THREE PEOPLE STAND IN ROWS?
612 – From Anas ibn Mālik (may Allah be pleased with him): The grandmother of Anas, Mulayka, invited the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) to a meal she had prepared. He ate some of it, then said: “Stand up so that I may lead you in prayer.” Anas says: I immediately stood up. We had a mat that had darkened from long use. I washed it with water. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) stood upon it. An orphan and I formed a row behind him. And an elderly woman stood behind us. The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) led us in two units (rak‘ahs) of prayer. Then the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) left the prayer. [397]
613 – It is narrated from Abdurrahman ibn Aswad, from his father Aswad (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: Alqama and Aswad sought permission to enter upon Abdullah (Ibn Mas‘ūd). We sat at his door for quite a while. A slave girl came out and sought permission from Abdullah for them. Abdullah then gave them permission. Then he stood and prayed with him between himself and me. And he said: I saw the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) do likewise. [398]
EXPLANATION
This noble hadith is the evidence for Ibn Mas‘ūd and Abū Yūsuf, who hold that if the congregation is two people or fewer, the imam does not stand ahead but stands among the congregation. The majority of the scholars, basing themselves on hadith number 634, are of the opinion that if the congregation is two people or more, the imam should stand in front, and the congregation should stand in a row behind.