about the distance between the first row and the imam?

The Shaykh : Then a questioner asked me, and I did not understand his question, as he said, "Close to the imam or far? What is the question so I can give him the answer? Please, go ahead."

The questioner : ... .

The Shaykh : How do you mean? This is what confused me, and you are still maintaining your expression: "The first row is the imam. The first row, how do you say it is close to the first row? May Allah guide you... If it is clear now."

The questioner : What confused me is that the first row...

The Shaykh : The one behind the imam, this is not my problem, this is my explanation!

The questioner : Yes, if the row behind the imam, is it a condition that the imam be close to it, or is it mentioned in the Sunnah?

The Shaykh : Reverse it. Does the first row have to be close to the imam? Do not say the imam is close to the row, because the imam is the one who is followed. Who follows him? Those behind him. As for him, does he follow those behind him? That is one of the wonders.

The questioner : What made me ask the question, O our Shaykh?

The Shaykh : You are not speaking now. After it was clarified, what is the intention? Did you take the answer to your question or not?

The questioner : I have not taken it yet.

The Shaykh : If so, please listen to the answer—Glory be to Allah—but I wanted, as is my custom, for my brothers to improve their questions. A good question is half of knowledge! All right.
The Shaykh : Now we say that it is not only recommended for the first row to be close to the imam, but all the rows must be close to one another, and the first row is even more so that it should be close to the imam. This is not enough, yes. May Allah guide you.
The Shaykh : The answer comes now. The ruling on the row with the imam, considering that the imam is a barrier (sutrah) for those behind him. Just as the imam should be close to the barrier, the row behind him should be close to him. Do you know the closeness that the imam should be to the barrier or not? The answer is that the imam, and every person praying alone, should have the space of a sheep's passage between the place of his prostration and the barrier. This is how it was reported: "the passage of a sheep," which is an idiom for one and a half or two shibr (cubits), no more. So if this is the wall, the imam does not put his head next to the wall or ram it with his head, but he leaves a space between it and the place of his prostration equal to the passage of a sheep. The same proportion applies to the row behind him, which is behind him. I think you have taken the answer now. All right, and praise be to Allah.