I say, with the help of Allah:
Firstly, there are several Ḥadīths that encourage aligning the rows in prayer, including what Al-Bukhāriy and Muslim narrated, as follows: “Align your rows, for aligning the rows is part of perfecting the prayer” or “of establishing the prayer” as narrated by Al-Bukhāriy. The Prophet, peace be upon him, himself used to personally ensure that the rows as aligned, as mentioned in the Ḥadīth of Nuʽmān ibn Bashīr: “The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, used to align our rows as if he was straightening arrows” [Agreed upon]. A misalignment in the rows can lead to differences in hearts and intentions, as mentioned in the Ḥadīths of Al-Bukhāriy and Muslim narrated by Nuʽmān ibn Bashīr: “You should straighten your rows, or Allah will cause dissension amongst you”.
Secondly, it was reported in the Sunnah that the Prophet, peace be upon him, used to instruct the companions on the method of straightening the rows. He said: “Straighten your rows, stand shoulder to shoulder, close the gaps, and do not leave openings for the devil.” Nuʽmān ibn Bashīr said: “So, one of us used to stick his foot to the foot of his fellow.” However, this act of sticking the feet together is not intended for its own sake, but rather to ensure that the rows are straightened. Any method that achieves the goal of straightening the rows is permissible.
There is no worship called (sticking the feet together) that one should adhere to strictly. You see some people may feel discomfort from the person next to them in their attempt to stick their foot to the foot of their fellow. In addition, mosques have markings on their floors to help worshippers align their rows, and we should consider the statement of Nuʽmān ibn Bashīr: “[we did so] until we understood it.” We should not elevate the means to the level of the purposes.
Thirdly, the principle in aligning the rows is that it should be based on the heels, since people’s feet differ in length. Aligning the shoulders is achieved by aligning the heels.
Fourthly, the ruling on a person who sits in the row during prayer depends on two things:
1- If the person sits for the entire prayer, then his seat is aligned with their position in the row, regardless of whether his chair is slightly forward or backward. His seat takes the ruling of his feet.
2- If the person prays some parts of the prayer while sitting and some parts while standing, then he aligns the row while standing and takes the ruling of a standing person.
The problem with this second situation is that the chair will be behind the row, and therefore it is better for these individuals to have a special place in the mosque at the back of the rows or on the sides.
There is no definitive text from the Sunnah for such rulings, rather the Fatwa applies through extrapolation, analogy, public interest, and understanding the wisdom behind the rulings while taking into account people’s circumstances, as mentioned in the purposes of the Sharia.
Fatwa by Dr. Khālid Naṣr