Sunan Abu Dawood 544

حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عَلِيِّ بْنِ سُوَيْدِ بْنِ مَنْجُوفٍ السَّدُوسِيُّ، ‏‏‏‏‏‏حَدَّثَنَا عَوْنُ بْنُ كَهْمَسٍ، ‏‏‏‏‏‏عَنْ أَبِيهِ كَهْمَسٍ، ‏‏‏‏‏‏قَالَ:‏‏‏‏ قُمْنَا إِلَى الصَّلَاةِ بِمِنًى وَالْإِمَامُ لَمْ يَخْرُجْ فَقَعَدَ بَعْضُنَا، ‏‏‏‏‏‏فَقَالَ لِي شَيْخٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكُوفَةِ:‏‏‏‏ مَا يُقْعِدُكَ ؟ قُلْتُ:‏‏‏‏ ابْنُ بُرَيْدَةَ، ‏‏‏‏‏‏قَالَ:‏‏‏‏ هَذَا السُّمُودُ ؟ فَقَالَ لِي الشَّيْخُ، ‏‏‏‏‏‏حَدَّثَنِي عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ عَوْسَجَةَ، ‏‏‏‏‏‏عَنْ الْبَرَاءِ بْنِ عَازِبٍ، ‏‏‏‏‏‏قَالَ:‏‏‏‏ كُنَّا نَقُومُ فِي الصُّفُوفِ عَلَى عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ طَوِيلًا قَبْلَ أَنْ يُكَبِّرَ، ‏‏‏‏‏‏قَالَ:‏‏‏‏ وَقَالَ:‏‏‏‏ إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ يَلُونَ الصُّفُوفَ الْأُوَلَ، ‏‏‏‏‏‏وَمَا مِنْ خُطْوَةٍ أَحَبُّ إِلَى اللَّهِ مِنْ خُطْوَةٍ يَمْشِيهَا يَصِلُ بِهَا صَفًّا .

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 صلی ‌اللہ ‌علیہ ‌وسلم 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).