When praying salat is it necessary for the heels of the congregation as well as the shoulders tobe touching? Also, is it bidah to pray collective dua after fard salat?

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I would prefer to get the evidence concerning this matter. I follow the hanafi madhab and have been practising collective dua and praying salat without touching heels. However a friend of mine quoted hadith contrary to this ....he says what were doing in mosque is wrongi,e collective dua ,saying yanooro blowing on eyes( to improve eyesight, saying ya qayuum and (placing hand on head) to improve memory), coleective dua.He says all this is bidah and theres no evidence indicating the prophet use to practise it

Mufti Ebrahim · Accepted Answer

1) Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) emphasised that there should be no gap between two Musallees, hence, the order of shoulders being in line. There is no ruling on heels touching one another.

2) To make Du'a in any form (loudly, softly, collectively, etc.) and any time (before, after Fardh Salaat, etc.) is permissible. While there are substantiations for the different forms and times of making Du'a, Shari'ah does not restrict the making of Du'a in those forms or times not specifically substantiated in Shari'ah. At most, making Du'a is permissible and an act of great virtue and merit. It is not permissible to project a permissible act as compulsory as this is projecting a wrong view of the Shari'ah, thus, causing distortion of Deen. To regard the collective Du'a after Fardh Salaat or Sunnah Salaat as compulsory will be Bid'ah as that projects the incorrect image of Shari'ah.

and Allah Ta'ala Knows Best

Mufti Ebrahim

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