Salat - The Muslim Prayer Book — Page 56
56 S al a t —The Muslim Prayer Book more men are present away from a mosque, they are required to observe the prayer in congregation. When only two males come together for Prayers, one of them should lead the Prayer. They should stand together so that the 2nd person stands on the right side of the Im a m. If a man performs his Prayer at home and a female member of the family like to join him, then, she should stand on his left. In the case where two men are already offering their prayer in congregation, and worshippers arrive, they should arrange themselves in a row so that the Im a m remains in the middle. In normal cases when three or more persons offer their prayer in congregation, the Im a m should stand in front, all facing towards the Ka‘bah. In exceptional cases however, the Im a m can also stand in the middle of the first row along with other worshippers. According to some schools of thought, there should be at least two persons in the last row behind the Im a m. These schools of jurisprudence even permit gently pulling someone from the last row so as to form a new row with two persons instead of one. Other schools discourage this act, as it not only causes disturbance to the person who is gently pulled but also to the others who are already engaged in prayer. 2. SOME OTHER POINTS TO BE REMEMBERED 1. The worshippers in the front row are rewarded more than the worshippers in the back row,