Huzoor (rh): It is said that a single person cannot make a line, that is saff. And the jamaat prayer cannot be said singly. So, some Fuqaha [Jurists] inferring from this have gone too far. And sometimes very absurd situations arise out of this. They say that somebody walks into the mosque and they are saying the prayer and the mosque is full in every line. So, what we should do? In Qadian I have observed myself, in masjid Aqsa, when somebody would run to the one end and pull a man out of the saff and he would try to keep his face in the direction of Kabah. Yet, walk backwards. So, that was so funny. I remember I couldn’t stop myself laughing while I was standing for prayer and the whole situation was absurd. I can’t agree with such a teaching. It is impossible for Holy Prophet (sa) to have taught us this while he went for the sanctity of concentration of prayer. So much, that if somebody crosses your line he was very angry about it. He said, no, even if we have to wait for days together don’t cross the line of one’s sajda because you are disturbing a man who is saying prayer. So, how is anybody a right to pull a man, someone while he is concentrating and already engaged in prayer from one side and drag him to his position to come to the middle just to make a saff. That is extending it far too far. So, the alternative which I used to invent in those days was to pull the man from the middle. But then again the whole saff was disturbed because you are not permitted to stand while there are gaps between your shoulders. So, everyone in the saff had to get together to fill the gap and I personally don’t like it at all.
I must have it investigated unless it has a very positive, solid authority of Holy Prophet (sa). Just by making inferences from something one must not hit the fundamentals. The fundamental is that your concentration in the prayer must be honoured by others, must be respected by others, must be preserved by others and no interference should be made in your prayer. That according to me is fundamental. The saff is just a secondary thing as compared to this. And why not one man who is standing behind is in fact in the congregation, he is following the imam. As long as someone else comes and joins him, according to Allah, his prayer will be accomplished in fact. And for that I have an authority from Holy Prophet (sa). In one instance, when a man who was a shepherd asked him a question about saying prayers in congregation, it’s a long tradition, but ultimately he said, suppose even if I say Adhan and say Takbeer and still no one comes to join me, still will that prayer be a prayer of congregation? Holy Prophet (sa) said, yes. Allah would send his angels from the heaven who would stand by him and he would not be alone. So if for the sake of Allah someone comes to the mosque and joins the prayer, why should he disturb the servants of Allah? Why can’t angels be sent to him to stand by him and make it a prayer in congregation? That is, I mean, you may not take it so literally, but whatever happens, whatever the phenomena may just be, this is 100% that a man standing alone, single-handed, can be accepted by God as having said his prayer in congregation, not alone.
So with this grand prophet, with that grand God, why should we endure such absurdities and childish play? Actually I don’t approve of it, but further investigation should be made and jot it down and write to, first of all, to Malik Saif ur Rehman Sahib. (inaudible). But now is the time.
Questioner: But only one important, very important, sir. Very important, yes, most important. Up till now we have not succeeded in making the line straight. Oh, but you are standing in the wrong place. Here, this is not the microphone. We have been again and again, 100 times, 1000 times we have reminded that the line should be straight. Like ‘Bunyan Marsoos’, shoulder to shoulder, we see that some people join on this side, some people join on this side, and there is a gap.
Huzoor (rh): Why didn’t you tell me before that important thing? You considered it a matter of such urgency that it had to be set tonight. But what about the previous nights when all these people ignored the injunctions ofHuzoor (sa) and didn’t bring it to my notice?
Questioner: I have been doing myself. All these people should have come to the center. If you go that side wrong, that side wrong, all must come to the center line. Only that will succeed. Is that right, sir?
Huzoor (rh): That’s correct. The point is, if there are gaps, this is a way of filling the gap. If you move in any direction, the gaps can never be filled. The direction of movement has to be from the periphery to the center, from the sides to the center. So, this is a very acceptable and correct way of filling the gaps, and we should keep it in mind. It says that some people start shifting to the next man on the right side, for instance. If they are on the right of the middle and they start shifting to the man next on the right, they will create another gap. Instead of filling the gap, they will be creating another gap at the same time, and if the next man also moves, then up to the middle, another gap will continue to build. So, and some make a different movement altogether on the other side. This is why people have to be careful. I hope you understand our situation now.
