Arabic (Original)
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَامِرٍ عَبْدُ الْمَلِكِ بْنُ عَمْرٍو حَدَّثَنَا زُهَيْرٌ يَعْنِي ابْنَ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَقِيلٍ عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ الْمُسَيَّبِ عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ أَلَا أَدُلُّكُمْ عَلَى مَا يُكَفِّرُ اللَّهُ بِهِ الْخَطَايَا وَيَزِيدُ بِهِ فِي الْحَسَنَاتِ قَالُوا بَلَى يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ إِسْبَاغُ الْوُضُوءِ عَلَى الْمَكَارِهِ وَكَثْرَةُ الْخُطَا إِلَى هَذِهِ الْمَسَاجِدِ وَانْتِظَارُ الصَّلَاةِ بَعْدَ الصَّلَاةِ مَا مِنْكُمْ مِنْ رَجُلٍ يَخْرُجُ مِنْ بَيْتِهِ مُتَطَهِّرًا فَيُصَلِّي مَعَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ الصَّلَاةَ ثُمَّ يَجْلِسُ فِي الْمَجْلِسِ يَنْتَظِرُ الصَّلَاةَ الْأُخْرَى إِنَّ الْمَلَائِكَةَ تَقُولُ اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لَهُ اللَّهُمَّ ارْحَمْهُ فَإِذَا قُمْتُمْ إِلَى الصَّلَاةِ فَاعْدِلُوا صُفُوفَكُمْ وَأَقِيمُوهَا وَسُدُّوا الْفُرَجَ فَإِنِّي أَرَاكُمْ مِنْ وَرَاءِ ظَهْرِي فَإِذَا قَالَ إِمَامُكُمْ اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ فَقُولُوا اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ وَإِذَا رَكَعَ فَارْكَعُوا وَإِذَا قَالَ سَمِعَ اللَّهُ لِمَنْ حَمِدَهُ فَقُولُوا اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّنَا لَكَ الْحَمْدُ وَإِنَّ خَيْرَ الصُّفُوفِ صُفُوفِ الرِّجَالِ الْمُقَدَّمُ وَشَرُّهَا الْمُؤَخَّرُ وَخَيْرُ صُفُوفِ النِّسَاءِ الْمُؤَخَّرُ وَشَرُّهَا الْمُقَدَّمُ يَا مَعْشَرَ النِّسَاءِ إِذَا سَجَدَ الرِّجَالُ فَاغْضُضْنَ أَبْصَارَكُنَّ لَا تَرَيْنَ عَوْرَاتِ الرِّجَالِ مِنْ ضِيقِ الْأُزُرِ.
English Translation
Abu Amir Abd al-Malik ibn Amr told us, Zuhayr - meaning Ibn Muhammad - told us, from Abdullah ibn Muhammad ibn Aqil, from Sa'id ibn al-Musayyab, from Abu Sa'id al-Khudri: that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "Shall I not direct you to that by which Allah erases sins and raises ranks in good deeds?" They said: "Yes indeed, O Messenger of Allah." He said: "Performing ablution thoroughly despite hardship, taking many steps to these mosques, and waiting for one prayer after another. None of you goes out from his house in a state of purity and prays with the Muslims, then sits in the assembly waiting for the next prayer, but the angels say: 'O Allah, forgive him; O Allah, have mercy on him.' When you stand for prayer, straighten your rows, set them up properly, and close the gaps, for indeed I see you from behind my back. When your imam says 'Allahu Akbar,' say 'Allahu Akbar'; when he bows, bow; and when he says 'Allah hears whoever praises Him,' say 'Our Lord, to You is the praise.' The best rows of men are the front ones and the worst are the back ones, while the best rows of women are the back ones and the worst are the front ones. O assembly of women, when the men prostrate, lower your gaze, so that you do not see the private parts of the men because of the narrowness of their lower garments."