SAFF

This is a theme for muslims. I don't wan't to talk about the magazine SAFF nor about the SAFF in Arabia (Saudi Arabian Football Federation). I want to talk about the saff (rank) in the prayer. I noticed that nowadays we give little attention on their value. With this article I don't want to criticize anyone, but I just want to give a piece of advise to my brothers and sisters in islam.

We don't need words! Let us see what Muhammed s.a.w.s. has said about the saff:

1.      »Would you not straighten your saffs like angels do it in front of their Lord? - How do they do it? - we asked and he s.a.w.s. replied: "They fill up the first saffs and nail them together."   (Muslim)

2.      »When the people would know, what value does the athan and the first saff have and when they could not agree who will stand in it but only with throwing a dice, they would throw a dice."   (Muttefekum alejhi)

3.      Abu Sayd el-Hudar (r.a.) said that he saw the apostoles withdrawing back in the salat and that Muhammed s.a.w.s. said: »Come closer, complete the rank behind me, those who are behind you must complete the next rank. As far some people withdraw, that much will Allah ignore them.«   (Muslim)

4.      Abu Mes'ud (r.a.) said: »The Messenger of Allah s.a.w.s. touched our shoulders before the prayer telling us: Straighten yourselves, do not separate because your hearts will separate. Let there adults and those, who are reasonable stand behind me and then those, who are behind them and then those, who are behind them.   (Muslim)

5.      »Straighten your saffs, because straightening them is a sign of entireness and perfection of the salat.«   (Muttefekum alejhi)

In Buhari we can find: »…because straightening the saffs is truly a component of the prayer.«

6.      Numan ibn Besheer (r.a.) tells us: »I heard The Messenger of Allah s.a.w.s. say: 'If you won't straighten your saffs, Allah will separate you.'«   (Muttefekum alejhi)

7.      »The Messenger of Allah s.a.w.s. straightened our saffs like he was straightening a bow until he didn't see that we have understood. Someday he came and decided to say Allahu ekber, but he saw a man, a beduin, whos chest was jut out of the saff and so he said:  'O, slaves of Allah! If you won't straighten your saffs, Allah will separate you.'« (Muslim)

8.      It has been told from El-Bera'a bin 'Azeeb (r.a.): »The Messenger of Allah s.a.w.s. walked through our saffs from the beginning till the end. He touched our chests and shoulders and talked all the time: 'Do not separate and your hearts won't.' He also said: 'Verily, Allah and His angels give the salawat on the first saffs.'«   (Abu Dawud, Hasen)

9.      'Set up and straighten your saffs, unite your shoulders, fill up the emptiness, thouch the arm of your brother gently and don't leave empty spots for the satan. Whoever unites a saff, Allah will unite him with Himself, whoever cuts a saff, Allah will push him away from Himself.«   (Abu Dawud, Hasen-sahih)

And an example from the sahaba times:

10.  Enes (r.a.) tells us that the sahaba united their shoulders and feet in the salat.   (Buhari)

Dear brother/sister straighten and fill up the saff the next time we see eachother!

Alim Hasanagic