What is Sunan Abu Dawud 678 about?

This hadith from Sunan Abu Dawud (Book of Prayer (Kitab Al-Salat)), narrated by Abu Hurairah reported the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying:, states: "the best of the men’s row is the first and the worst of them is the last, but the best of the women’s rows is the last and the worst of them is the first."

Is this hadith authentic?

This hadith is graded Sahih. Sahih hadiths are considered the most authentic grade in hadith classification.

Which collection is this hadith from?

This hadith is from Sunan Abu Dawud, which contains 5,276 hadiths across 43 books. It is hadith number 678 in the Book of Prayer (Kitab Al-Salat).

I searched for a different number — is this the right hadith?

Hadith numbering varies across editions and translations (USC-MSA, Dar as-Salam, Fath al-Bari, and others). If you followed a link citing a different number but landed here, you may have been redirected to the canonical version in our library. If you were looking for a different hadith entirely, use the search bar to find it by text.

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#677

#678

Sunan Abu Dawud

#679

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Sunan Abu Dawud #678

Prayer (Kitab Al-Salat)

Sahih

The Arabic includes the chain of narration (sanad) and the collector's commentary; the English translation shows the Prophet's words only.

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الصَّبَّاحِ الْبَزَّازُ، حَدَّثَنَا خَالِدٌ، وَإِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ زَكَرِيَّا، عَنْ سُهَيْلِ بْنِ أَبِي صَالِحٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ "‏ خَيْرُ صُفُوفِ الرِّجَالِ أَوَّلُهَا وَشَرُّهَا آخِرُهَا وَخَيْرُ صُفُوفِ النِّسَاءِ آخِرُهَا وَشَرُّهَا أَوَّلُهَا ‏"‏ ‏.‏

the best of the men’s row is the first and the worst of them is the last, but the best of the women’s rows is the last and the worst of them is the first.

Narrated by Abu Hurairah reported the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying:

Context

Abu Hurairah narrates this hadith where the Prophet (ﷺ) emphasizes the importance of the arrangement of rows during prayer. He states that the best rows for men are the first ones, while for women, the last rows are preferred. This guidance reflects the significance of unity and organization in communal worship, encouraging believers to strive for the best positions in prayer.

Modern Application

In daily Salah, congregants can be mindful of their positioning in the prayer rows. By arriving early and taking the front positions, men can fulfill this recommendation, while women can aim for the back rows, fostering a sense of community and respect for the worship space.

Topics

This hadith is tagged with Prayer and Community because it addresses the arrangement of rows in prayer, highlighting the communal aspect of worship and the importance of maintaining order during Salah.

Prayer Community