Is the preference for praying in the first row on the right side if the left is closer to the imam?

The questioner : May Allah preserve you, O Shaykh: Is the right side of the first row always preferred, even if the left side is only slightly closer, meaning the left side of the row, even if it is only a little?

The Shaykh : No, the right side of the rows is better than the left when they are close together or equal. However, if the right side is far, being closer to the imam is better. The evidence for this is that in the early days of Islam, when there were three people, the imam would be in the middle, with one of the followers on his right and the other on his left. If the right side were absolutely better, the person on the left would have moved to the right, and the imam would have been on their left. Furthermore, being close to the imam is a sought-after matter. Also, it was reported in a weak hadith: . Thus, the right side is better when they are close together or equal, for example: if there are four people to the left of the imam and four to his right, and a person enters, it is better for him to be with the right side. But if there are ten on the right and three on the left, for example, then it is better to be on the left.