‘Awn b. 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 ‘Abd al-Rahman b. ‘Awaajah on the authority of al-Bara’ b. ‘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).

حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عَلِيِّ بْنِ سُوَيْدِ بْنِ مَنْجُوفٍ السَّدُوسِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا عَوْنُ بْنُ كَهْمَسٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، كَهْمَسٍ قَالَ قُمْنَا إِلَى الصَّلاَةِ بِمِنًى وَالإِمَامُ 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 عَنِ الْبَرَاءِ بْنِ عَازِبٍ قَالَ كُنَّا نَقُومُ فِي الصُّفُوفِ عَلَى عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ طَوِيلاً قَبْلَ أَنْ يُكَبِّرَ قَالَ وَقَالَ
" إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلاَئِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ يَلُونَ الصُّفُوفَ الأُوَلَ وَمَا مِنْ خَطْوَةٍ أَحَبَّ إِلَى اللَّهِ مِنْ خَطْوَةٍ يَمْشِيهَا يَصِلُ بِهَا صَفًّا " .