Abd al-Aziz bin Rufay' says: Amir bin Mas'ud al-Qurashi narrated a hadith to me. He met me in Makkah in the time of Sayyiduna Abdullah bin al-Zubayr (may Allah be pleased with them both); the meeting took place beside the Maqam of Ibrahim, in the first row. The narrator says: I asked him: "Is it said that the first row is better?" He replied: "Yes! By Allah, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'If people knew what reward lies in the first row, they would only get into it by drawing lots.'" (The narrator is unsure about one word here, but this is its meaning.)
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir, and its narrators are thiqat (trustworthy), except that the case of Amir bin Mas'ud is different: there is disagreement about whether he was a Companion.
Hadith Referenceمجمع الزوائد ومنبع الفوائد / كتاب الصلاة / 2516
Hadith Gradingمحدثین:إسنادہ مرسل ورجالہ ثقات۔
Hadith Takhrij«أخرجه المعجم الكبير للطبراني برقم: 7727»