It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "If they knew, or if you knew, the reward that is in the first row, you would obtain a place in it only by drawing lots."
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصلاة / 5192
Sayyiduna Ubayy bin Ka'b (may Allah be pleased with him) says: He (peace and blessings be upon him) led us in the Fajr prayer. When he gave salam, he looked at the faces of the people. He (peace and blessings be upon him) asked: "Is so-and-so present?" They said: Yes. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The Fajr and Isha prayers are very heavy upon the hypocrites. If they knew the reward that is in them, they would surely come to them even if they had to crawl on their knees. The first row is like the row of the angels; if you knew what reward is in it, you would surely hasten to it. A man's prayer together with another man is better than his praying alone, and praying together with two men is better than praying together with one man; and the more there are, the more beloved it is to Allah."
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصلاة / 5193
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Irbad bin Sariyah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to invoke blessings upon the first row three times, and upon the one next to it (the second row) once.
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصلاة / 5194
Sayyiduna Irbad bin Sariyah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) that he (peace and blessings be upon him) "sought forgiveness for the first row three times, and for the second row once."
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصلاة / 5195
Sayyiduna Bara' bin Azib (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) would come to us when we stood up for prayer, and he (peace and blessings be upon him) would touch our shoulders and chests and say: "Do not differ, or your hearts will come to differ. Allah sends down mercy upon those in the first row, and the angels pray for mercy for them," or he said: "for the first rows."
Hadith Referenceالسنن الكبرى للبيهقي / كتاب الصلاة / 5196