What is the criterion for early attendance on Friday, and does arriving a few minutes before the Imam ascends the pulpit fulfill the reward mentioned in the Hadith? Is it better to go to a distant mosque by car or to a nearby mosque on foot, given that its preacher is subpar?

Coming early for Friday prayer begins at sunrise or dawn. It appears that arriving at the mosque two minutes before the Imam ascends the pulpit achieves the reward of early arrival, because this reward ceases once the Imam arrives for the sermon. At that point, the angels' scrolls, in which they record the names of those attending Friday prayer, are rolled up, and no more reward for early arrival is recorded thereafter. It is better to go to a mosque where one benefits more from its preacher, because preserving the virtue related to the essence of the worship itself takes precedence over preserving the virtue related to its location.