Who Has More Right To Be Imam

Abu Mas’ud al-Badri reported the Messenger of Allah ﷺ as saying:
The one of you who is most versed in the Books of Allah should act as imam for the people; and the one who is the earliest of them in reciting (the Qur’an); if they are equally versed in reciting it, then the earliest of them to emigrate (to Medina); if they emigrated at the same time, then the oldest of them. No man must lead another in prayer in his house (i.e. in the house of a latter) or where the latter has authority, or sit in his place of honor without his permission. Shu’bah said: I asked Isma’il: what is the meaning of his place of honor? He replied: his throne.

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الْوَلِيدِ الطَّيَالِسِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، أَخْبَرَنِي إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ رَجَاءٍ، سَمِعْتُ أَوْسَ بْنَ ضَمْعَجٍ، يُحَدِّثُ عَنْ أَبِي مَسْعُودٍ الْبَدْرِيِّ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ " يَؤُمُّ الْقَوْمَ أَقْرَؤُهُمْ لِكِتَابِ اللَّهِ وَأَقْدَمُهُمْ قِرَاءَةً فَإِنْ كَانُوا فِي الْقِرَاءَةِ سَوَاءً فَلْيَؤُمَّهُمْ أَقْدَمُهُمْ هِجْرَةً فَإِنْ كَانُوا فِي الْهِجْرَةِ سَوَاءً فَلْيَؤُمَّهُمْ أَكْبَرُهُمْ سِنًّا وَلاَ يُؤَمُّ الرَّجُلُ فِي بَيْتِهِ وَلاَ فِي سُلْطَانِهِ وَلاَ يُجْلَسُ عَلَى تَكْرِمَتِهِ إِلاَّ بِإِذْنِهِ " . قَالَ شُعْبَةُ فَقُلْتُ لإِسْمَاعِيلَ مَا تَكْرِمَتُهُ قَالَ فِرَاشُهُ .

The version of this tradition narrated through a different chain by Shu’bah has the words:

“A man should not lead the another man in prayer.

Abu Dawud said: Yahya al-Qattan narrated from Shu’bah in a similar way, i.e. the earliest of them in recitation.

حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ مُعَاذٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، بِهَذَا الْحَدِيثِ قَالَ فِيهِ " وَلاَ يَؤُمُّ الرَّجُلُ الرَّجُلَ فِي سُلْطَانِهِ " . قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ كَذَا قَالَ يَحْيَى الْقَطَّانُ عَنْ شُعْبَةَ " أَقْدَمُهُمْ قِرَاءَةً " .

This tradition has been transmitted through a different chain by Abu Mas’ud This version has words ; “If they are equally versed in recitation, then the one who has most knowledge of the Sunnah ; if they are equal with regard to (the knowledge of) the Sunnah, then the earliest of them to emigrate (to medina)”. He did not narrate the words; “ The earliest of them in recitation”.

Abu Dawud said:

Hajjaj b. Artata reported from Isma’il: Do not sit in the place of honour of anyone except with his permission.

حَدَّثَنَا الْحَسَنُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ نُمَيْرٍ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ رَجَاءٍ، عَنْ أَوْسِ بْنِ ضَمْعَجٍ الْحَضْرَمِيِّ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا مَسْعُودٍ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ بِهَذَا الْحَدِيثِ قَالَ " فَإِنْ كَانُوا فِي الْقِرَاءَةِ سَوَاءً فَأَعْلَمُهُمْ بِالسُّنَّةِ فَإِنْ كَانُوا فِي السُّنَّةِ سَوَاءً فَأَقْدَمُهُمْ هِجْرَةً " . وَلَمْ يَقُلْ " فَأَقْدَمُهُمْ قِرَاءَةً " . قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ رَوَاهُ حَجَّاجُ بْنُ أَرْطَاةَ عَنْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ قَالَ " وَلاَ تَقْعُدْ عَلَى تَكْرِمَةِ أَحَدٍ إِلاَّ بِإِذْنِهِ " .

‘Amr b. Salamah said ; we lived at a place where the people would pass by us when they came to the prophet ﷺ. When they returned they would again pass by us. And they used to inform us that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said so –and-so. I was a boy with a good memory. From the( process) I memorized a large portion of the Qur’an. Then my father went to the Messenger of Allahﷺ along with a group of his clan. He (the Prophet) taught them prayer. And he said:
The one of you who knows most of the Qur’an should act as your imam. I knew the Qur’an better than most of them because I had memorized it. They, therefore, put me in front of them, and I would lead them in prayer. I wore a small yellow mantle which, when I prostrated myself, went up on me, and a woman of the clan said: Cover the back side of your leader from us. So they bought an ‘Ammani shirt for me, and I have never been so pleased about anything after embracing Islam as I was about that (shirt). I used to lead them in prayer and I was only seven or eight year old.

حَدَّثَنَا مُوسَى بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادٌ، أَخْبَرَنَا أَيُّوبُ، عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ سَلِمَةَ، قَالَ كُنَّا بِحَاضِرٍ يَمُرُّ بِنَا النَّاسُ إِذَا أَتَوُا النَّبِيَّ ﷺ فَكَانُوا إِذَا رَجَعُوا مَرُّوا بِنَا فَأَخْبَرُونَا أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ كَذَا وَكَذَا وَكُنْتُ غُلاَمًا حَافِظًا فَحَفِظْتُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ قُرْآنًا كَثِيرًا فَانْطَلَقَ أَبِي وَافِدًا إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فِي نَفَرٍ مِنْ قَوْمِهِ فَعَلَّمَهُمُ الصَّلاَةَ فَقَالَ " يَؤُمُّكُمْ أَقْرَؤُكُمْ " . وَكُنْتُ أَقْرَأَهُمْ لِمَا كُنْتُ أَحْفَظُ فَقَدَّمُونِي فَكُنْتُ أَؤُمُّهُمْ وَعَلَىَّ بُرْدَةٌ لِي صَغِيرَةٌ صَفْرَاءُ فَكُنْتُ إِذَا سَجَدْتُ تَكَشَّفَتْ عَنِّي فَقَالَتِ امْرَأَةٌ مِنَ النِّسَاءِ وَارُوا عَنَّا عَوْرَةَ قَارِئِكُمْ . فَاشْتَرَوْا لِي قَمِيصًا عُمَانِيًّا فَمَا فَرِحْتُ بِشَىْءٍ بَعْدَ الإِسْلاَمِ فَرَحِي بِهِ فَكُنْتُ أَؤُمُّهُمْ وَأَنَا ابْنُ سَبْعِ سِنِينَ أَوْ ثَمَانِ سِنِينَ .

This tradition has also been transmitted through a different chain by ‘Amr b. Salamah. This version says:
“I used to lead them in prayer with a sheet of cloth on me that was patched and torn. When I prostrated myself, my buttocks were disclosed.

حَدَّثَنَا النُّفَيْلِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا زُهَيْرٌ، حَدَّثَنَا عَاصِمٌ الأَحْوَلُ، عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ سَلِمَةَ، بِهَذَا الْخَبَرِ قَالَ فَكُنْتُ أَؤُمُّهُمْ فِي بُرْدَةٍ مُوصَلَةٍ فِيهَا فَتْقٌ فَكُنْتُ إِذَا سَجَدْتُ خَرَجَتِ اسْتِي .

‘Amr b. Salamah reported on the authority of his father (Salamah) that they visited the Prophet ﷺ. When they intended to return, they said:

Messenger of Allah, who will lead us in prayer? He said: The one of you who knows most of the Qur’an, or memorizes most of the Qur’an, (should act as your imam). There was none in the clan who knew more of the Qur’an than I did. They, therefore, put me in front of them and I was only a boy. And I wore a mantle, Whenever I was present in the gathering of Jarm (name of his clan), I would act as their Imam, and lead them in their funeral prayer until today.

Abu Dawud said: This tradition has been narrated by ‘Amr b. Salamah through a different chain of transmitter. This version has: “When my clan visited the Prophet( may peace be upon him) ....” He did not report it on the authority of his father.

حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ، حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ، عَنْ مِسْعَرِ بْنِ حَبِيبٍ الْجَرْمِيِّ، حَدَّثَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ سَلِمَةَ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، أَنَّهُمْ وَفَدُوا إِلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَلَمَّا أَرَادُوا أَنْ يَنْصَرِفُوا قَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ مَنْ يَؤُمُّنَا قَالَ " أَكْثَرُكُمْ جَمْعًا لِلْقُرْآنِ " . أَوْ " أَخْذًا لِلْقُرْآنِ " . قَالَ فَلَمْ يَكُنْ أَحَدٌ مِنَ الْقَوْمِ جَمَعَ مَا جَمَعْتُهُ - قَالَ - فَقَدَّمُونِي وَأَنَا غُلاَمٌ وَعَلَىَّ شَمْلَةٌ لِي فَمَا شَهِدْتُ مَجْمَعًا مِنْ جَرْمٍ إِلاَّ كُنْتُ إِمَامَهُمْ وَكُنْتُ أُصَلِّي عَلَى جَنَائِزِهِمْ إِلَى يَوْمِي هَذَا . قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ وَرَوَاهُ يَزِيدُ بْنُ هَارُونَ عَنْ مِسْعَرِ بْنِ حَبِيبٍ الْجَرْمِيِّ عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ سَلِمَةَ قَالَ لَمَّا وَفَدَ قَوْمِي إِلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ لَمْ يَقُلْ عَنْ أَبِيهِ .

Ibn ‘Umar said:
when the first emigrants came (to Madina), they stayed at al-‘Asbah (a place near Madina) before the advent of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Salim, the client of Abu Hudhaifah, acted as their imam, as he knew the Qur’an better than all of them, al-Haitham(the narrator) added: and ‘Umar b. al-Khattab and Abu Salamah b. ‘Abd al-Asad were among them.

حَدَّثَنَا الْقَعْنَبِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا أَنَسٌ يَعْنِي ابْنَ عِيَاضٍ، ح وَحَدَّثَنَا الْهَيْثَمُ بْنُ خَالِدٍ الْجُهَنِيُّ، - الْمَعْنَى - قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ نُمَيْرٍ، عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ، عَنْ نَافِعٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، أَنَّهُ قَالَ لَمَّا قَدِمَ الْمُهَاجِرُونَ الأَوَّلُونَ نَزَلُوا الْعَصْبَةَ قَبْلَ مَقْدَمِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَكَانَ يَؤُمُّهُمْ سَالِمٌ مَوْلَى أَبِي حُذَيْفَةَ وَكَانَ أَكْثَرَهُمْ قُرْآنًا . زَادَ الْهَيْثَمُ وَفِيهِمْ عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ وَأَبُو سَلَمَةَ بْنُ عَبْدِ الأَسَدِ .

Malik b. al-Huwairith said that the Prophet( may peace be upon him) told him or some of his companions:

When the time of prayer comes, call the Adhan, then call the iqamah, then the one who is oldest of you should act as your imam.

The version narrated by Maslamah goes : He said: On that day we were almost equal in knowledge.

The version narrated by Isma’il says: Khalid said: I said to Abu Qilabah: where is the Qur’an(i.e. why did the Prophet ﷺ not say: The one who knows the Qur’an most should act as imam)? He replied: Both of them were equal in the knowledge of the Qur’an.

حَدَّثَنَا مُسَدَّدٌ، حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ، ح وَحَدَّثَنَا مُسَدَّدٌ، حَدَّثَنَا مَسْلَمَةُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، - الْمَعْنَى وَاحِدٌ - عَنْ خَالِدٍ، عَنْ أَبِي قِلاَبَةَ، عَنْ مَالِكِ بْنِ الْحُوَيْرِثِ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ قَالَ لَهُ أَوْ لِصَاحِبٍ لَهُ " إِذَا حَضَرَتِ الصَّلاَةُ فَأَذِّنَا ثُمَّ أَقِيمَا ثُمَّ لْيَؤُمَّكُمَا أَكْبَرُكُمَا " . وَفِي حَدِيثِ مَسْلَمَةَ قَالَ وَكُنَّا يَوْمَئِذٍ مُتَقَارِبَيْنِ فِي الْعِلْمِ . وَقَالَ فِي حَدِيثِ إِسْمَاعِيلَ قَالَ خَالِدٌ قُلْتُ لأَبِي قِلاَبَةَ فَأَيْنَ الْقُرْآنُ قَالَ إِنَّهُمَا كَانَا مُتَقَارِبَيْنِ .