Which is better: being close to the imam or praying in the first row?

Question:
He says: Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success, what is better: the first row, even if it is at the far left, or the second row which is next to the imam and close to him?

Answer:
Being close to the imam is better than being on the right side while far from the imam. This is because they say that the virtue that returns to the essence of the worship takes precedence over the virtue that returns to its location. They gave the example of tawaf (circumambulation of the Ka'bah). Tawaf close to the House is better.
And tawaf at the end of the people, far from the House, is inferior. However, if there is crowding, tawaf far away at the outer edge of the tawaf is better than tawaf close to the House with the crowd, because this is difficult. Likewise, if the right side of the imam’s row is far from the imam, then the left side with closeness to the imam is better. Yes.