Jamaat Salaah and Imaamat

Fear of performing salaah with jamaat in a musjid

Q: I have researched about it deeply and I can conclude that there are cases in which it is recommended by our religion to pray alone instead of attending congregational prayers such as when you feel that your life or assets are in danger, in state of fear of your death, etc. Hence my situation is that I love to pray in the masjid with all the people together but whenever I enter the masjid, I suspect everyone as a suicide bomber. During whole prayer I am not able to concentrate in my Salah, this happened more intense when I bring my kids with me at Juma or even daily prayers. During prayer I start to imagine blood and body parts on the carpet and during whole prayers my mind is busy in thinking that if it really happens, how I will save my kids? From where will we escape, etc. I feel much better praying alone in my house or more better in an empty masjid. My question is that in that case what should be the right thing to do?

Foregoing one's place in the first saff for a senior

Q: It has been observed in madaaris, khanqaas, marakis and masaajid in general that students, mureeds, mamoors and general musallies at the time of iqaamat forego their place of the front saff by stepping backward into the second saff to give preference to the ustaad, shaikh, ameer or another Muslim in general, to take their place in the front saff. At times these individuals are in the saff well before hand. On the other hand the one given preference comes much later or even a short while before salaah. Can Mufti Sahib please explain if it is correct to do this? Can one forgo one's reward for another? Please shed any other information you have on this subject.