What is the ruling on praying in front of the imam in the Prophet's Mosque?

The questioner: His EminenceThe Shaykh : Regarding the prayer of several hundred or several thousand worshippers in front of the mosque, in front of the Gate of Peace, where most of the prayers are performed in front of the imam from the other side, what is your opinion, may you be honored? Is their prayer valid, or do they have something to answer for?

The Shaykh: Indeed, praise is to Allah; we praise Him, seek His help, and seek His forgiveness. We seek refuge in Allah from the evil of our own souls and from the evil of our deeds. Whomsoever Allah guides, none can misguide, and whomsoever He misguides, none can guide. And I bear witness that there is no deity but Allah alone, with no partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and His Messenger. As for what follows, the best of speech is the speech of Allah, the best of guidance is the guidance of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), and the worst of matters are those that are newly invented. Every newly invented matter is a religious innovation, every religious innovation is misguidance, and every misguidance is in the Fire. It is not permissible, and I do not mean that it is invalid; rather, I mean that those who do it are sinful for advancing in front of the imam and not following the system of men standing behind the imam. However, from the perspective of the legal ruling, as far as we know, there is no text we can use as evidence to declare the prayer of those who advance in front of the imam invalid. This is from one angle. From another angle, if their prayer in front of the imam is due to an excuse, the sin is lifted; but if it is due to negligence, the sin remains. This is what I believe regarding this issue.