Daily Hadith Mon 07-Feb-2011 - 02 Rabbi al-Awwal 1432 حديث اليوم
باب فضلِ الصفِّ الأوَّلِ
والأمرِ بإتمامِ الصفوفِ الأُلِ ، وتسويِتها ، والتراصِّ فيها
وعنهُ أَنَّ رسولَ اللَّهِ صَلّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وسَلَّم قال : « أَتمُّوا الصَّفَّ المقدَّمَ ، ثُمَّ الَّذي يلِيهِ ، فَمَا كَانَ مَنْ نقْصٍ فَلْيَكُنْ في الصَّفِّ المُؤَخَّرِ » رواه أبو داود بإِسناد حسن .
1093/194 - رياض الصالحين
The Excellence of Standing in the First Row (In Salat)
Anas (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "Fill (complete) the first row, then the one next to it; and if there is any deficiency (incompleteness), it should be in the last row."[Abu Dawud].


Commentary:
This Hadith tells us that completion of rows in their sequence is essential, that is to say, first of all the first row should be completed, then the second, then the third, and so on and so forth. The last row may be left incomplete if it is short of a full row.
194/1093 - Riyad Us-Saliheen (Gardens of the Righteous)
Mon 07-Feb-2011 - 02 Rabbi al-Awwal 1432