Were people to know what is in the call and the first row and then they could do nothing but to draw lots for it, they would draw lots
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said:
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Were people to know what is in the call and the first row and then they could do nothing but to draw lots for it, they would draw lots. Were they to know what is in performing the prayer early, they would race to it. Were they to know what is in the darkness and the morning, they would come to them even if they had to crawl."
Attribution: Agreed upon
Grade: Authentic
Explanation
The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informed that if people knew the merit, goodness, and blessing in the Adhān (call to prayer) and the first row, and if they had no other means of giving precedence or priority except through drawing lots to determine who deserves them most, they would do so. If they knew the reward of hastening to prayer at its earliest time, they would race to it. And if they knew the immense reward of coming to the ‘Ishā’ and Fajr prayers, they would find it easy to come to them even if they had to crawl on their knees as a child starts to go.
Benefits
Highlighting the merit of the Adhān.
Highlighting the merit of the first row and being near to the Imam.
Emphasizing the merit of hastening to prayer at its recommended early time due to its great merit and numerous benefits. These include: attaining the first row, joining the prayer from its beginning, performing the supererogatory prayer, reciting the Qur’an, the angels' seeking forgiveness for him, and being regarded as in prayer while waiting for the prayer, among other rewards.
Strongly encouraging the attendance of the congregational prayer of these two prayers, and the abundant reward associated with this due to the hardship they contain on the soul by disturbing both the beginning and end of one's sleep. For this reason, they are the heaviest prayers for the hypocrites.
An-Nawawi said: This proves the validity of drawing lots in rights that are contested or where there is competition over them.
The second row is better than the third, and the third is better than the fourth and so on.
