Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: Hold to the first row, and within it hold to the right side, and beware of forming a row between the pillars.
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat and al-Mu'jam al-Kabir. Its chain contains a narrator, Isma'il bin Muslim al-Makki, who is da'if (weak).
Hadith Referenceمجمع الزوائد ومنبع الفوائد / كتاب الصلاة / 2513
Sayyiduna Abu Burdah al-Aslami (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "If you are able, stand behind the imam; otherwise, stand on his right."
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat. Its chain contains a narrator of whom I have found no mention.
Hadith Referenceمجمع الزوائد ومنبع الفوائد / كتاب الصلاة / 2514
Sayyiduna al-Hakam bin Umayr (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The first row has excellence over the other rows."
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir. Its chain contains a narrator, Yahya bin Ya'la al-Aslami, who is da'if (weak).
Hadith Referenceمجمع الزوائد ومنبع الفوائد / كتاب الصلاة / 2515
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»
Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Indeed, Allah Almighty and His angels send mercy upon those in the front rows. The narrator says: What is meant is the first row.
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir as a mawquf report (a Companion's own statement), and its chain contains a narrator who has not been named.
Hadith Referenceمجمع الزوائد ومنبع الفوائد / كتاب الصلاة / 2517