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).
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.
Hadiths 675https://sunnah.com/abudawud:675
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.
Narrated Wabisah: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saw a man praying alone behind the row. He ordered him to repeat. Sulayman ibn Harb said: The prayer.
Hadiths 683https://sunnah.com/abudawud:683
حَدَّثَنَا حُمَيْدُ بْنُ مَسْعَدَةَ، أَنَّ يَزِيدَ بْنَ زُرَيْعٍ، حَدَّثَهُمْ حَدَّثَنَا سَعِيدُ بْنُ أَبِي عَرُوبَةَ، عَنْ زِيَادٍ الأَعْلَمِ، حَدَّثَنَا الْحَسَنُ، أَنَّ أَبَا بَكْرَةَ، حَدَّثَ أَنَّهُ، دَخَلَ الْمَسْجِدَ وَنَبِيُّ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم رَاكِعٌ - قَالَ - فَرَكَعْتُ دُونَ الصَّفِّ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم " زَادَكَ اللَّهُ حِرْصًا وَلاَ تَعُدْ " .
Abu Bakrah said that he came to the mosque when the prophet (ﷺ) was bowing. So I bowed outside the row (before joining it). The prophet (ﷺ) said; May Allah increase your eagerness! But do not do it again.
Al-Hasan reported : Abu Bakrah came when the apostle of Allah (ﷺ) was bowing. So he bowed without the row (before joining it). He then went to the row. When the prophet (ﷺ) finished his prayer, he said: which of your bowed without the row, and then went to the row? Abu Bakrah said; it was i. the prophet (ﷺ) said: May Allah increase your eagerness ! but do not do it again.
Talhah b. 'Ubaid Allah reported the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying: When you place in front of you something such as the back of a saddle, then there is no harm if someone passes in front of you (i.e. the other side of it).
Ibn 'Umar said: When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) would go out (for prayer) on the day of 'Id, he ordered to bring a lance, it was then setup in front of him and he would pray in its direction, and the people (stood) behind him. He used to do so during journey ; hence the rulers would take it (lance with them).
Hadiths 688https://sunnah.com/abudawud:688
حَدَّثَنَا حَفْصُ بْنُ عُمَرَ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ عَوْنِ بْنِ أَبِي جُحَيْفَةَ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم صَلَّى بِهِمْ بِالْبَطْحَاءِ وَبَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ عَنَزَةٌ الظُّهْرَ رَكْعَتَيْنِ وَالْعَصْرَ رَكْعَتَيْنِ يَمُرُّ خَلْفَ الْعَنَزَةِ الْمَرْأَةُ وَالْحِمَارُ .
Abu Juhaifah said: The Prophet (ﷺ) led them in prayer at al-Batha', with a staff set up in front of him. (He prayed) two rak'ahs of the Zuhr prayer and two rak'ahs of the 'Asr prayer. The women and the donkeys would pass in front of the staff.
Narrated AbuHurayrah: The Prophet (ﷺ) said: When one of you prays, he should put something in front of his face, and if he can find nothing , he should set up his staff; but if he has no staff, he should draw a line; then what passes in front of him will not harm him.
This tradition has also been reported by Abu Hurairah through a different chain of narrators. Abu Hurairah reported: The Prophet (ﷺ) said: ...... He then narrated the tradition about drawing the line. Sufyan said: We did not find anything by which we could reinforce this tradition, and this has been narrated only through this chain. He ('Ali b. al-Madini, a narrator) said: I said to Sufyan: There is a difference of opinion of the name (Abu Muhammad b. 'Amr). He pondered for a moment and then said: I do not remember except Abu Muhammad b. 'Amr Sufyan said: A man had come to Kufah after the death of Isma'il b. Umayyah ; he was seeking Abu Muhammad until he found him. He asked him (about this tradition) but he became confused. Abu Dawud said: I heard Ahmad b. Hanbal who was questioned many times how the line should be drawn. He replied: In this way. horizontally like crescent. Abu Dawud said: I heard Musaddad say: Ibn Dawud said: The line should be drawn perpendicularly. Abu Dawud said: I heard Ahmad b. Hanbal describing many times how the line should be drawn. He said: In this way horizontally in the round semi-circular form like the crescent, that is (the line should be) a curve.