I've read that its very rewarding to pray in the first row of congregational prayers, but sometimes I give my place to an elderly person who has a white beard. Should I do this or should I stand in the first row?

Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds; and may His blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his Family and Companions.

The scholars have discussed the issue of preferring or letting someone else go first to the first row behind the Imam, or to the rows closer to the Imam.

Some of them said that this is not lawful.  Some others said it is dislikeable as determined by Al Nawawi in Sharh Al Muhadab as he said: 'Preferring someone else to get nearer to the Imam is something disliked or at least not the best thing to do.  It (giving preference to others) is something preferable if it is in relation to personal wishes and worldly matters (but not religious ones).'

In Al Insaf, one of the books of Hambali Madhab, the author stated that preferring someone (to be nearer to the Imam) is disliked and this is the correct opinion according to the Madhab; it is also said that it is permissible.

Al Hamawi, of the Hanafi school of thought stated in the book ‘Ghamz Uyun Al Bassair’ that favoring someone in getting closer to the Imam is allowed according to the saying of Allah:

{…and give them (emigrants) preference over themselves,…}[59:9].

All in all, as mentioned by Al Zarkashi in ‘Al Manthur’: 'Favoring someone to be close to the Imam is Haram or disliked, or differing from the best to do.'

As the matter is so, then a Muslim should not give preference of somebody else over himself even his relative, to be safe from the difference in opinion related to this subject.

Although Ibn Al Qayyim is of the opinion that it is permissible, the correct opinion is what we have clarified.

Allah knows best.