مشكوة المصابيح
Mishkat al-Masabih
كتاب الصلاة
The Book of Prayer
(كَانَ الصَّحَابَةُ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُمْ يَتَجَنَّبُونَ الوُقُوفَ فِي الصَّفِّ الأَوَّلِ)
(The Companions used to avoid standing in the first row)
Hadith 1090
وَعَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ قَالَ: رَأَى رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي أَصْحَابِهِ تَأَخُّرًا فَقَالَ لَهُمْ: «تَقَدَّمُوا وَأْتَمُّوا بِي وَلْيَأْتَمَّ بِكُمْ مَنْ بَعْدَكُمْ لَا يَزَالُ قَوْمٌ يَتَأَخَّرُونَ حَتَّى يؤخرهم الله» . رَوَاهُ مُسلم
Abu Sa'id al-Khudri told that when God’s Messenger saw a tendency among his companions to go to the back he said to them, “Come forward and follow my lead, and let those who come after you follow your lead. People will continue to keep to the back till God will put them at the back.”* * This has been explained as referring to their being denied God’s grace, or their lacking rank or knowledge. But cf. the tradition from 'A’isha at the end of Section III. Muslim transmitted it.
