The prayer of one who stays away from the first row leaving a gap

Question:
He says: Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success. He says: I am the imam of a mosque, and one of the congregation prays at the end of the first row, leaving a space between him and the rest of the row that is ten men wide. Sometimes we pray one or two rak'ahs and the row is not connected between us and him. I have advised him repeatedly, but he does not respond. Is his prayer valid? And what should be done with him?

Answer:
His prayer is valid as long as he is aligned with the row. His prayer is valid, but with dislike, or with prohibition if the gap is wide, because it is forbidden to leave gaps in the rows. However, this man may have an excuse for staying away from the row, such as a bad smell, and he has an excuse for that. We do not know about him. But in any case, his prayer is valid because he has not left the row; he is aligned with the row. The most that can be said is that there is a gap between him and the other worshippers. Yes.