Sunan Abi Dawud
Sunan Abi Dawud 589
Who Has More Right To Be Imam
Arabic hadith text
حَدَّثَنَا مُسَدَّدٌ، حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ، ح وَحَدَّثَنَا مُسَدَّدٌ، حَدَّثَنَا مَسْلَمَةُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، - الْمَعْنَى وَاحِدٌ - عَنْ خَالِدٍ، عَنْ أَبِي قِلاَبَةَ، عَنْ مَالِكِ بْنِ الْحُوَيْرِثِ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم 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
Translation
Malik b. al-Huwairith said that the Prophet( may peace be upon him) told him or some of his companions
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.