Mishkat al-Masabih
Mishkat al-Masabih 1093
وَعَنْ أَنَسٍ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «رُصُّوا صُفُوفَكُمْ وَقَارِبُوا بَيْنَهَا وَحَاذُوا بِالْأَعْنَاقِ فَوَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ إِنِّي لَأَرَى الشَّيْطَانَ يَدْخُلُ مِنْ خَلَلِ الصَّفِّ كَأَنَّهَا الْحَذَفُ» . رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُد
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Anas reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “Draw your rows close together, bring them near one another, and align your necks. By the One in whose hand is my soul, I see Satan entering through the gaps in the row as though they were small sheep.” Abu Dawud transmitted it.
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The Arabic compares the gaps in the row to al-hadhaf; the English witness identifies these as small sheep, an interpretation retained here.