Sunan Abi Dawud 664
سنن أبي داود#664Sahihحَدَّثَنَا هَنَّادُ بْنُ السَّرِيِّ، وَأَبُو عَاصِمِ بْنِ جَوَّاسٍ الْحَنَفِيُّ عَنْ أَبِي الأَحْوَصِ، عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ، عَنْ طَلْحَةَ الْيَامِيِّ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ عَوْسَجَةَ، عَنِ الْبَرَاءِ بْنِ عَازِبٍ، قَالَ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَتَخَلَّلُ الصَّفَّ مِنْ نَاحِيَةٍ إِلَى نَاحِيَةٍ يَمْسَحُ صُدُورَنَا وَمَنَاكِبَنَا وَيَقُولُ " لاَ تَخْتَلِفُوا فَتَخْتَلِفَ قُلُوبُكُمْ " . وَكَانَ يَقُولُ " إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلاَئِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى الصُّفُوفِ الأُوَلِ " .
Narrated Al-Bara' ibn Azib: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to pass through the row from one side to the other; he used to set out chests and shoulders in order, and say: Do not be irregular. And he would say: Allah and His angels bless those who are near the first rows
Scholarly Authentication
The label above is the grade most of these scholars gave — one dissenting opinion no longer speaks for all of them. If any scholar calls a narration fabricated, that verdict is shown instead, whatever the others say. Each scholar's own wording:
In-book reference: 2:274