If the imam and the male congregation stand in the same line, is the prayer invalidated?

The Details of the Question
If the imam and the male congregation stand in the same line, is the prayer invalidated?
The Answer

Dear Brother / Sister,

If there is only one person or a boy at the age of tamyiz along with the imam, he should stand at the right side of him but his heel must stand a little behind the imam. According to the majority of scholars, it is makrooh (abominable) for a person who is following the imam to perform a prayer in the same line, on his left side or behind him. For, this act is not in accordance with the sunnah. Such a prayer will be sahih (valid) and not batil (invalid). However, according to Hanbalis, if the person who follows the imam (muqtadi) performs a complete rak'ah in this way, his prayer becomes invalid. (See Zuhayli, Islamic Jurisprudence, 2/352)

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