The virtue of the front row

It is narrated from Sayyiduna al-Bara' bin Azib (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Allah Almighty and His angels send blessings upon the first row."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna al-Bara' bin Azib (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Allah Almighty and His angels send blessings upon the front rows."

Sayyiduna al-Bara' bin Azib (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Allah Almighty and His angels send blessings upon the first row."

Urwah said: "It used to be said: The best rows of the men are the front rows, and the worst rows of the women are the front rows."

Zadhan said: "If people knew what is in the front row, they would start drawing lots for it."

Urwah said: "It used to be said: Allah Almighty and His angels send blessings upon those who pray in the front rows."

Dawud bin Abi Hind said: "I was told that a man came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: 'O Messenger of Allah, tell me of a deed that I may do.' He said: 'Become the imam of your people.' He said: 'And if I am not able to?' He said: 'Then become their mu'adhdhin.' He said: 'And if I am not able to do that either?' He said: 'Then stand in the first row.'"

Husayn said: "I was with Abdullah bin Shaddad, and I called the iqamah for the prayer. He began saying: 'Move forward, move forward, for it used to be said: Allah Almighty and His angels send blessings upon the front rows.'"

It is narrated from Amir bin Mas'ud al-Qurashi that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "If people knew what is in the first row, they would take their places in it by drawing lots."

Sayyiduna Irbad bin Sariyah (may Allah be pleased with him) (who was one of the People of the Suffah) said: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to invoke mercy upon the front row three times and upon the second row once.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Jabir bin Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The best rows of the men are the front ones and the worst rows are the back ones. The best rows of the women are the back ones and the worst rows are the front ones."

Sa'd bin Ibrahim said: When the prayer was established, Urwah bin al-Zubayr said: "Move forward, move forward."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ubayy bin Ka'b (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The first row is like the row of the angels. If you knew its reality, you would rush towards it."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The best row of the men is the front one and the worst row is the last one. The best row of the women is the back one and the worst row is the first one."

Mujahid said: Once the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) saw an empty space in the first row, so he said: "Allah Almighty and His angels send mercy upon the first rows." Hearing this, the people crowded in to fill that empty space.