The one who most deserves to lead the solāt is the one who has most knowledge of the rulings on solāt and has memorized the most al-Qurān.
Ibn Salih
Could you tell me who has most right to lead solāt and could you back it up with the Qurān and hadiths as well?
In the Name of Allāh, Most Gracious, Most Merciful;
Ibn Salih
Could you tell me who has most right to lead solāt and could you back it up with the Qurān and hadiths as well?
In the Name of Allāh, Most Gracious, Most Merciful;
All praise and thanks are due to Allāh, May Allāh blessings and peace be upon His Messenger.
The one who most deserves to lead the solāt is the one who has most knowledge of the rulings on solāt and has memorized the most al-Qurān.
It was narrated that Abu Mas’ūd al-Ansari (radiallāhu`anhu) said: The Messenger of Allāh (sallallāhu 'alaihi wa sallam) said:
“The people should be led in solāt by the one, who has most knowledge of the Book of Allāh; if they are equal in knowledge of the Qurān, then by the one who has most knowledge of the Sunnah.”
[Narrated by Muslim, 1530]
What is meant by “the one who has most knowledge of the Qurān” is not the one who can recite it most beautifully, but rather the one who has memorized more of the Book of Allāh.
This is indicated by the hadith of ‘Amr Ibn Salamah (radiallāhu`anhu) who said:
“I used to memorize those words –the meaning the Qurān – and it was as if it took root in my heart. When Makkah was conquered, then every tribe hastened to embrace Islam, and my father urged our tribe to hasten to embrace Islam. When my father returned (from the Prophet) to his tribe, he said, ‘By Allah, I have come to you from the true Prophet, (sallallāhu 'alaihi wa sallam)!’ The Prophet (sallallāhu 'alaihi wa sallam) afterwards said to them, ‘Offer such-and-such a solāt at such-and-such a time, and when the time for the solāt becomes due, then one of you should pronounce the Azan (for the solāt), and let the one amongst you who knows most Qurān lead the solāt.’ So they looked for such a person and found none who knew more Qurān than I, because of what I used to learn from the people. So they made me their imam (to lead the solāt) and at that time I was a boy of six or seven years.”
[Narrated by Al-Bukhāri, 4051]
It is essential for the imam to know the rulings on solāt, because he may do something, such as breaking his wudhu’, or missing out a rak’ah, and not know what to do about it, in which case he would make a mistake and cause the solāt of others to be imperfect or invalid altogether.
Based on the hadith quoted above, some of the scholars said that the one who has more knowledge of Fiqh should lead the Solāt.
Al-Nawawi said: Malik, Al-Shafi’e and their companions said that the one who has more knowledge of Fiqh should take precedence over the one who knows more Qurān, because what he needs of recitation is known but what he needs of Fiqh may not be clear. There may arise during the solāt some matter where only a person who has complete knowledge of Fiqh will be able to know the right thing to do. They said that this is the reason why the Prophet (sallallāhu 'alaihi wa sallam), told Abu Bakar As-Siddiq (radiallāhu`anhu), to lead the solāt rather than anyone else, and even though he (sallallāhu 'alaihi wa sallam), had stated that others had more knowledge of Qurān than him. But some refuted this point by quoting the hadith that said that the Sahabah who had most knowledge of Qurān were also those who had most knowledge of Fiqh. But there is another hadith according to which the Prophet (sallallāhu 'alaihi wa sallam), said: “If they are equal in knowledge of Qurān, then the one who has most knowledge of the Sunnah),” which indicates that those who have most knowledge of Qurān should be given precedence in all cases.
[Sharh Muslim, 5/177]
Even though Al-Nawawi differed with his imam Al-Shāfi’e with regard to the interpretation of the hadith, their words illustrate the basic principle that there was no one among the Sahabah who had a good knowledge of the Qurān but was ignorant of the rulings of shari’ah, as is the case among many people nowadays.
Ibn Qudāmah said: If one of them has more knowledge of the rulings on solāt, and the other has more knowledge of matters other than solāt, then the one who has more knowledge about solāt should be given precedence.
[Al-Mughni, 2/19]
The Standing Committee of Scholars said: If this is understood, then it is not permissible for one who is ignorant to lead the solāt unless he is leading others like him, if there is no one who is better qualified to lead the solāt.
[Fatawa Islamiyyah, 1/264]
And Allāh Almighty knows best.
It was narrated that Abu Mas’ūd al-Ansari (radiallāhu`anhu) said: The Messenger of Allāh (sallallāhu 'alaihi wa sallam) said:
“The people should be led in solāt by the one, who has most knowledge of the Book of Allāh; if they are equal in knowledge of the Qurān, then by the one who has most knowledge of the Sunnah.”
[Narrated by Muslim, 1530]
What is meant by “the one who has most knowledge of the Qurān” is not the one who can recite it most beautifully, but rather the one who has memorized more of the Book of Allāh.
This is indicated by the hadith of ‘Amr Ibn Salamah (radiallāhu`anhu) who said:
“I used to memorize those words –the meaning the Qurān – and it was as if it took root in my heart. When Makkah was conquered, then every tribe hastened to embrace Islam, and my father urged our tribe to hasten to embrace Islam. When my father returned (from the Prophet) to his tribe, he said, ‘By Allah, I have come to you from the true Prophet, (sallallāhu 'alaihi wa sallam)!’ The Prophet (sallallāhu 'alaihi wa sallam) afterwards said to them, ‘Offer such-and-such a solāt at such-and-such a time, and when the time for the solāt becomes due, then one of you should pronounce the Azan (for the solāt), and let the one amongst you who knows most Qurān lead the solāt.’ So they looked for such a person and found none who knew more Qurān than I, because of what I used to learn from the people. So they made me their imam (to lead the solāt) and at that time I was a boy of six or seven years.”
[Narrated by Al-Bukhāri, 4051]
It is essential for the imam to know the rulings on solāt, because he may do something, such as breaking his wudhu’, or missing out a rak’ah, and not know what to do about it, in which case he would make a mistake and cause the solāt of others to be imperfect or invalid altogether.
Based on the hadith quoted above, some of the scholars said that the one who has more knowledge of Fiqh should lead the Solāt.
Al-Nawawi said: Malik, Al-Shafi’e and their companions said that the one who has more knowledge of Fiqh should take precedence over the one who knows more Qurān, because what he needs of recitation is known but what he needs of Fiqh may not be clear. There may arise during the solāt some matter where only a person who has complete knowledge of Fiqh will be able to know the right thing to do. They said that this is the reason why the Prophet (sallallāhu 'alaihi wa sallam), told Abu Bakar As-Siddiq (radiallāhu`anhu), to lead the solāt rather than anyone else, and even though he (sallallāhu 'alaihi wa sallam), had stated that others had more knowledge of Qurān than him. But some refuted this point by quoting the hadith that said that the Sahabah who had most knowledge of Qurān were also those who had most knowledge of Fiqh. But there is another hadith according to which the Prophet (sallallāhu 'alaihi wa sallam), said: “If they are equal in knowledge of Qurān, then the one who has most knowledge of the Sunnah),” which indicates that those who have most knowledge of Qurān should be given precedence in all cases.
[Sharh Muslim, 5/177]
Even though Al-Nawawi differed with his imam Al-Shāfi’e with regard to the interpretation of the hadith, their words illustrate the basic principle that there was no one among the Sahabah who had a good knowledge of the Qurān but was ignorant of the rulings of shari’ah, as is the case among many people nowadays.
Ibn Qudāmah said: If one of them has more knowledge of the rulings on solāt, and the other has more knowledge of matters other than solāt, then the one who has more knowledge about solāt should be given precedence.
[Al-Mughni, 2/19]
The Standing Committee of Scholars said: If this is understood, then it is not permissible for one who is ignorant to lead the solāt unless he is leading others like him, if there is no one who is better qualified to lead the solāt.
[Fatawa Islamiyyah, 1/264]
And Allāh Almighty knows best.
[Excerpted with modification from Fatwa No: 20219 Islam Q&A]
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