Hadith 83

Wud’u and repeat your Salat. If you were behind the prayer leader, do not stand in the second if you find space in the first, for Rasool-Allah-saww said: ‘Complete your rows, for I-saww can see you all from my-saww back just as I-saww can see you all from my-saww front, and do not differ (keep gaps), for Allah-azwj will Cause your hearts to differ! ’
And if you find constriction in the first row, there is no problem if you were to go back to the second row, and if you find a gap in the first row there is no problem if you walk to it and complete it. If you enter the Masjid and find the first row to be complete, there is no problem if you stand in the second row along, or wherever you so desire, and best of that is nearest to the prayer leader. If he has preceded by a Cycle or two Cycles, then recite in the first two Cycles from your Salat, (Surah) Al Hamd and a Surah. If you do not catch the Surah, Al Hamd along would suffice you, and glorify in the last two and say, ‘Glory be to Allah-azwj, and the Praise is for Allah-azwj, and there is no god except Allah-azwj, and Allah-azwj is Greatest! ’
And do not pray behind anyone except behind two men – one of them being someone who you trust with and make it a religion with his religion and his devoutness, and another is someone whom you fear his sword, and his whip, and his evil, and his bad talk, and his brutality. So, pray behind him upon the way of dissimulation and the politeness. And proclaim Azaan and Iqama for yourself, and recite in it because you are not trusting him. If you are free from the recitation before him, hold back a Verse until you recite at the time of his Ruk’u, or else glorify until he performs Ruk’u’’. [164]
(The book) ‘Al Saraair’ – from the book of Abdullah Al Sayyari who said, ‘I said to Abu Ja’far-asws the 2nd, ‘A group of your-asws friends gather and the Salat presents. So, they forward one of them to pray in congregation’. He-asws said: ‘If the one leading them, there isn’t any demand (outstanding right) between him and Allah-azwj, let him do so’. He (the narrator) said, ‘And I said to him another time, ‘The group of your-asws friends gather, and the Salat presents. So, one of them proclaims Azaan and they forward one of them to pray (leading) them’. He-asws said: ‘If their hearts, all of them were one (united), there is no problem’. I said, ‘And who is for them with recognising that? ’
He-asws said: ‘The leave the leadership for its rightful one’’. [165]
Al Ayyashi – from Zurara, ‘From one of the two (5th or 6th Imam-asws) having said: ‘When you were to be behind a prayer leader being led by him, then be silent and glorify within yourself’’. [166]
And from him, from Zurara who said, ‘Abu Ja’far-asws said: ‘And when the Quran is recited, – meaning in the obligatory Salat behind the prayer leader – then listen intently to it and be silent, perhaps you will be Shown Mercy [7: 204]’’. [167]
And from him, from Zurara who said, ‘I heard Abu Abdullah-asws saying: ‘It obligates being silent to the Quran in the Salat, and elsewhere, and whenever the Quran is recited in your presence, being si