Narrated Anas ibn Malik: The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Complete the front row, then the one that comes next, and if there is any incompleteness, let it be in the last row
Narrated AbdulHamid ibn Mahmud: I offered the Friday prayer along with Anas ibn Malik. We were pushed to the pillars (due to the crowd of people). We, therefore, stopped forward and backward. Anas then said: We used to avoid it (setting a row between the pillars) during the time of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)
Hadith 674 — Sunan Abu Dawud 2:284
SahihSahihSahihSahih Muslim (432)
حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ كَثِيرٍ، أَخْبَرَنِي سُفْيَانُ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ عُمَارَةَ بْنِ عُمَيْرٍ، عَنْ أَبِي مَعْمَرٍ، عَنْ أَبِي مَسْعُودٍ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " لِيَلِنِي مِنْكُمْ أُولُو الأَحْلاَمِ وَالنُّهَى ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ " .
Abu Ma’sud reported the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying:let those of your who are sedate and prudent be near me, then those who are next to them, then those who are next to them
Hadith 675 — Sunan Abu Dawud 2:285
SahihSahihSahihSahih Muslim (432)
حَدَّثَنَا مُسَدَّدٌ، حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيدُ بْنُ زُرَيْعٍ، حَدَّثَنَا خَالِدٌ، عَنْ أَبِي مَعْشَرٍ، عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، عَنْ عَلْقَمَةَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم مِثْلَهُ . وَزَادَ " وَلاَ تَخْتَلِفُوا فَتَخْتَلِفَ قُلُوبُكُمْ وَإِيَّاكُمْ وَهَيْشَاتِ الأَسْوَاقِ " .
This tradition has also been transmitted by ‘Abd Allah (b. Mas’ud) through a different chain of narrators. This version adds:“Do not be irregular, so have your hearts irregular, and beware of tumult such as found in market”
Narrated AbuMalik al-Ash'ari: Should I not tell you how the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) led the prayer? He said: He had the iqamah announced, drew the men up in line and drew up the youths behind them, then led them in prayer. He then mentioned how he conducted it. and said: Thus is the prayer of......AbdulA'la said: I think he must have said: My people
Abu Hurairah reported the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying:the best of the men’s row is the first and the worst of them is the last, but the best of the women’s rows is the last and the worst of them is the first
‘A’ishah reported the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying the people will continue to keep themselves away from the front row until Allah will keep them away (from the front) in the Hell-fire
Abu Sa’Id al-Khudri said; The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) 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 Allah would put them at the back