Mishkat al-Masabih
Mishkat al-Masabih 1091
وَعَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ سَمُرَةَ قَالَ: خَرَجَ عَلَيْنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَرَآنَا حلقا فَقَالَ: «مَالِي أَرَاكُمْ عِزِينَ؟» ثُمَّ خَرَجَ عَلَيْنَا فَقَالَ: «أَلَا تَصُفُّونَ كَمَا تَصُفُّ الْمَلَائِكَةُ عِنْدَ رَبِّهَا؟» فَقُلْنَا: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَكَيْفَ تَصُفُّ الْمَلَائِكَةُ عِنْدَ رَبِّهَا؟ قَالَ: «يُتِمُّونَ الصُّفُوفَ الْأُولَى وَيَتَرَاصُّونَ فِي الصَّفّ» . رَوَاهُ مُسلم
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Jabir ibn Samurah reported: “The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came out to us and saw us sitting in separate groups. He said, ‘Why do I see you in separate groups?’ Then he came out to us again and said, ‘Will you not line up as the angels line up before their Lord?’ We asked, ‘Messenger of Allah, how do the angels line up before their Lord?’ He replied, ‘They complete the front rows and stand close together in each row.’” Muslim transmitted it.
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The Arabic first describes the people as sitting in circles or separate groups, then quotes the Prophet asking why they are in separate groups.