Hadith: 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

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضيَ اللهُ عنهُ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ:
«لَوْ يَعْلَمُ النَّاسُ مَا فِي النِّدَاءِ وَالصَّفِّ الْأَوَّلِ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَجِدُوا إِلَّا أَنْ يَسْتَهِمُوا عَلَيْهِ لَاسْتَهَمُوا، وَلَوْ يَعْلَمُونَ مَا فِي التَّهْجِيرِ لَاسْتَبَقُوا إِلَيْهِ، وَلَوْ يَعْلَمُونَ مَا فِي الْعَتَمَةِ وَالصُّبْحِ لَأَتَوْهُمَا وَلَوْ حَبْوًا».
[صحيح] - [متفق عليه] - [صحيح مسلم: 437]

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."
[Authentic hadith] - [Narrated by Bukhari & Muslim] - [Sahih Muslim - 437]

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.