Fatwa ID: 05543

Answered by: Maulana Muhammad Asadullah Anwar Adam

Question:

Is it the responsibility of Imam that before he starts the salaat, he ensures that the first or any incomplete rows have an approximately equal number of people on both the right and left? Sometimes people congregate on the right side of the row more than the left. However, as more people join the congregation after salaat has started the row evens out on both ends.

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Answer:

It is the responsibility of the Imam to ensure the rows are equal as he should place himself in the middle.[1]

To ensure that the rows are equal on both sides, it is sunnah for the imam to stand in the middle.[1]

Only Allah knows best

Written by Maulana Muhammad Asadullah Anwar Adam

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham

[1][Raddul Mukhtar, volume 2, page 310]

قالالشمني: وينبغيأنيأمرهمبأنيتراصواويسدواالخللويسوامناكبهمويقفوسطا

قالفيالمعراجوفِيمبسوطبكر: السنةأنيقومفيالمِحْرابليعتدلالطرفان