Mishkat al-Masabih
Mishkat al-Masabih 1088
وَعَنْ أَبِي مَسْعُودٍ الْأَنْصَارِيِّ قَالَ: كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَمْسَحُ مَنَاكِبَنَا فِي الصَّلَاةِ وَيَقُولُ: «اسْتَوُوا وَلَا تَخْتَلِفُوا فَتَخْتَلِفَ قُلُوبكُمْ ليليني مِنْكُم أولُوا الْأَحْلَامِ وَالنُّهَى ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ» . قَالَ أَبُو مَسْعُودٍ: فَأَنْتُمُ الْيَوْمَ أَشَدُّ اخْتِلَافا. رَوَاهُ مُسلم
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Abu Masʿud al-Ansari reported: “The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to touch our shoulders during prayer and say: ‘Stand evenly, and do not differ, lest your hearts differ. Let those of sound judgment and understanding stand nearest to me, then those next to them, then those next to them.’” Abu Masʿud said, “Today you differ even more.” Muslim transmitted it.
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
Correction to version 1: the Arabic says the Messenger touched their shoulders (yamṣaḥu manākibanā), not that he straightened the shoulders. The subsequent command is “stand evenly / in order.”