حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عَلِيِّ بْنِ سُوَيْدِ بْنِ مَنْجُوفٍ السَّدُوسِيُّ حَدَّثَنَا عَوْنُ بْنُ کَهْمَسٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ کَهْمَسٍ قَالَ قُمْنَا إِلَی الصَّلَاةِ بِمِنًی وَالْإِمَامُ لَمْ يَخْرُجْ فَقَعَدَ بَعْضُنَا فَقَالَ لِي شَيْخٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْکُوفَةِ مَا يُقْعِدُکَ قُلْتُ ابْنُ بُرَيْدَةَ قَالَ هَذَا السُّمُودُ فَقَالَ لِي الشَّيْخُ حَدَّثَنِي عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ عَوْسَجَةَ عَنْ الْبَرَائِ بْنِ عَازِبٍ قَالَ کُنَّا نَقُومُ فِي الصُّفُوفِ عَلَی عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ طَوِيلًا قَبْلَ أَنْ يُکَبِّرَ قَالَ وَقَالَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلَائِکَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَی الَّذِينَ يَلُونَ الصُّفُوفَ الْأُوَلَ وَمَا مِنْ خُطْوَةٍ أَحَبُّ إِلَی اللَّهِ مِنْ خُطْوَةٍ يَمْشِيهَا يَصِلُ بِهَا صَفًّا
سنن ابودوٗد · Hadith 543
Awn bin Kahmas reported on the authority of his father Kahmas: we stood for praying at Mina when the Imam had not come out. Some of us sat down (and I too). An old man from Kufah said to me: Why did you down? I said: Ibn Buraidah, this is Sumud (i. e., waiting for the Imam in the standing condition). The old man then narrated a tradition from Abdur-Rahman bin ‘Awaajah on the authority of al-Bara bin Azib: We would stand in rows during the time of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ for a long time before he pronounced Takbir. He further said; Allah, the Exalted and Mighty, sends blessings and the angles invoke blessings for those who are nearer to the front rows. No step is more liking to Allah than a step which one takes to join the row (of the prayer).
Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020