Sahih Muslim Book 5 – Hadith 362-372
Chapter 53: Who is more entitled to lead the prayer.
Abu Sa'id al-Khudri
reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:
When there are three
persons, one of them should lead them. The one among them most worthy to act as
Imam is one who is best versed in the Qur'an. (Sahih
Muslim Book 5 – Hadith 362)
A hadith like
this has been narrated by Qatida with the same chain of transmitters. (Sahih
Muslim Book 5 – Hadith 363)
This hadith has
been narrated by Abu Sa'id al-Khudri by another chain of transmitters. (Sahih
Muslim Book 5 – Hadith 364)
Abu Mas'ud al-Ansari
reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:
The one who is most versed
in Allah's Book should act as Imam for the people, but If they are equally
versed in reciting it, then the one who has most knowledge regarding Sunnah if
they are equal regarding the Sunnah, then the earliest one to emigrate; it they
emigrated at the same time, then the earliest one to embrace Islam. No man must
lead another in prayer where (the latter) has authority, or sit in his place of
honour in his house, without his permission. Ashajj in his narration used the
word," age" in place of" Islam". (Sahih
Muslim Book 5 – Hadith 365)
A hadith like
this has been narrated by A'mash by the same chain of transmitters. (Sahih
Muslim Book 5 – Hadith 366)
Abu Mas'ud al-Ansari reported:
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)
said to us: The one who is well grounded in Allah's Book and is distinguished
among them in recitation should act as; Imam for the people. and if they are
equally versed in reciting it, then the one who has most knowledge regarding
Sunnah; if they are equal regarding the Sunnah, then the earliest one to
emigrate; If they emigrated at the same time, then the oldest one in age. No
man must lead another in prayer in latter's house or where (the latter) has
authority, or sit in his place of honour in his house, except that he gives you
permission or with his permission. (Sahih
Muslim Book 5 – Hadith 367)
Malik b. Huwairith
reported:
We came to the Messenger of
Allah (ﷺ) and we were all young men of nearly equal age. We stayed with him
(the Holy Prophet) for twenty nights, and as the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was
extremely kind and tender of heart, he therefore, thought that we were eager
(to see) our family (we felt homesick). So he asked us about the members of the
family that we had left behind and when we informed him, he said: Go back to
your family, stay with them, and teach them (beliefs and practices of Islam)
and exhort them to good, and when the time for prayer comes, one amongst you
should announce Adhan and then the oldest among you should lead the prayer. (Sahih
Muslim Book 5 – Hadith 368)
This hadith has
been transmitted by Ayyub with the same chain of narrator. (Sahih
Muslim Book 5 – Hadith 369)
Malik b. Huwairith Abu
Sulaiman reported:
I came to the Messenger of
Allah (ﷺ) along with other persons and we were young men of nearly equal age,
and the rest of the hadith was transmitted like the hadith narrated before. (Sahih
Muslim Book 5 – Hadith 370)
Malik b Huwairith reported:
I came to the Messenger of
Allah (ﷺ) along with a companion of mine, and when we intended to return from
him, he said: When there is time for prayer, announce prayer, pronounce Iqama,
and the oldest amongst you should lead the prayer. (Sahih
Muslim Book 5 – Hadith 371)
This hadith has been
narrated with the same chain of transmitters, but al-Hadra' made this addition:
"They both were equal
in recitation." (Sahih
Muslim Book 5 – Hadith 372)