Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi from Abdullah ibn AbiBakr ibn Hazm from whoever related it to him that Abu Hurayra used tosay, "It is better for a man to pray on the surface of al Harra (arocky area in Madina) than for him to wait until the imam stands togive the khutba and then come and step over people's necks."Malik said, "The sunna with us is that the people face the imam on theday of jumua when he intends to give the khutba, whether they are nearthe qibla or elsewhere."
USC-MSA web (English) reference: Book 5, Hadith 20
Arabic reference: Book 5, Hadith 243