The Book of Leading the Prayer (Al-Imamah)

Ishaq ibn Ibrahim and Hannad ibn As-Sari narrated to us from Husayn ibn Ali, from Za'idah, from Asim, from Zirr, from Abdullah, who said: When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ passed away, the Ansar said, 'There should be one leader from among us and one from among you.' Umar came to them and said, 'Do you not know that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ ordered Abu Bakr to lead the people in prayer? Who among you would be content to step ahead of Abu Bakr?' They said, 'We seek refuge in Allah from stepping ahead of Abu Bakr.'

Ziyad ibn Ayyub narrated to us: Ismail ibn Ulayyah narrated to us: Ayyub narrated to us from Abu Al-Aliyah Al-Bara, who said: Ziyad delayed the prayer. Ibn Samit came to me, so I put a chair out for him and he sat. I told him what Ziyad had done. He bit his lip and struck my thigh, saying that he had asked Abu Dharr the same question I had asked him, and Abu Dharr had struck his thigh just as he had struck mine. Abu Dharr had said that he asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ the same question, and the Messenger ﷺ struck his thigh just as Abu Dharr had struck his. He said: Pray each prayer at its prescribed time. If you then catch the prayer with them, pray with them, and do not say that you have already prayed and will not pray again.

Ubaydullah ibn Sa‘id narrated to us: Abu Bakr ibn Ayyash narrated to us from Asim, from Zirr, from Abdullah, who said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, 'You may live to encounter people who pray outside the prescribed time. If you encounter them, pray at the prescribed time, then pray with them, and count that second prayer as voluntary.'

Qutaybah narrated to us: Fudayl ibn Iyad informed us from Al-A‘mash, from Ismail ibn Raja, from Aws ibn Damaj, from Abu Masud, who said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, 'The one most versed in the Book of Allah should lead the people in prayer. If they are equal in recitation, then the one who migrated earlier; if they are equal in migration, then the one with greater knowledge of the Sunnah; and if they are equal in knowledge of the Sunnah, then the oldest. Do not lead a man in prayer in his domain of authority, and do not sit in his place of honor unless he gives you permission.'

Hajib ibn Sulayman Al-Manbiji narrated to us from Waki‘, from Sufyan, from Khalid Al-Hadhdha, from Abu Qilabah, from Malik ibn Al-Huwayrith, who said: I came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ with a cousin of mine. In another version he said, with a companion of mine. He said, 'When the two of you travel, give the call to prayer and the iqamah, and let the older of you lead the prayer.'

Ubaydullah ibn Sa‘id narrated to us from Yahya, from Hisham, who said: Qatadah narrated to us from Abu Nadr, from Abu Sa‘id, from the Prophet ﷺ, who said, 'When there are three people, one of them should lead them in prayer, and the one most entitled to lead is the one who recites the Qur'an best.'

Ibrahim ibn Muhammad At-Taymi informed us: Yahya ibn Sa‘id narrated to us from Shu‘bah, from Ismail ibn Raja, from Aws ibn Damaj, from Abu Masud, who said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, 'A man should not be led in prayer in his own domain of authority, and no one should sit in his place of honor without his permission.'

Qutaybah narrated to us: Yaqub, Ibn Abd Ar-Rahman, narrated to us from Abu Hazim, from Sahl ibn Sad, that the Messenger of Allah was told that Banu Amr ibn Awf had a dispute among them. He went with some companions to make peace between them and was delayed there. When the time for the first prayer came, Bilal went to Abu Bakr and said that the Messenger had been delayed and prayer time had come, and asked whether Abu Bakr would lead the people. Abu Bakr agreed. Bilal gave the iqamah, and Abu Bakr stepped forward and began the prayer with the people. The Messenger of Allah came, walking through the rows until he stood in a row. The people began clapping. Abu Bakr did not turn during prayer, but when the clapping grew loud, he looked back and saw the Messenger. The Messenger gestured to him to continue. Abu Bakr raised his hands, praised Allah, Mighty and Sublime, and stepped backward until he joined the row. The Messenger then stepped forward and led the people in prayer. When he finished, he turned to the people and said, 'People, why did you resort to clapping when something happened to you during prayer? Clapping is for women. If something happens to someone during prayer, let him say Subhan Allah; whoever hears him say it will turn toward him.' He then asked Abu Bakr what had prevented him from leading when gestured to do so. Abu Bakr replied that it would not be fitting for the son of Abu Quhafah to lead prayer in the presence of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.

Ali ibn Hujr narrated to us: Ismail narrated to us: Humayd narrated to us from Anas, who said: In the last prayer the Messenger of Allah ﷺ performed with the people, he prayed behind Abu Bakr, wrapped in a single garment.

Muhammad ibn Al-Muthanna narrated to us: Bakr ibn Isa, a Basran, narrated to us: I heard Shu‘bah mention a report from Nu‘aym ibn Abi Hind, from Abu Wa'il, from Masruq, from Aishah, may Allah be pleased with her, that Abu Bakr led the people in prayer while the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was in the row.

Suwayd ibn Nasr informed us: Abdullah informed us from Aban ibn Yazid, who said: Budayl ibn Maysarah narrated to us: Abu Atiyyah, a client of ours, narrated to us from Malik ibn Al-Huwayrith, who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say, 'When one of you visits a people, he should not lead them in prayer.'

Harun ibn Abdullah narrated to us: Ma‘n narrated to us: Malik narrated to us. He also said: Al-Harith ibn Miskin narrated to us, in a reading to him while I listened—the wording is his—from Ibn Al-Qasim, who said: Malik narrated to me from Ibn Shihab, from Mahmud ibn Ar-Rabi, that Itban ibn Malik used to lead his people in prayer despite being blind. He said to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, 'It gets dark, and there is rain and flooding, and I am blind. Messenger of Allah, pray in a place in my house that I can make into a prayer area.' The Messenger of Allah ﷺ came and asked, 'Where would you like me to pray for you?' He pointed to a place in the house, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ prayed there.

Musa ibn Abd Ar-Rahman Al-Masruqi narrated to us: Husayn ibn Ali narrated to us from Za'idah, from Sufyan, from Ayyub, who said: Amr ibn Salamah Al-Jarmi told me: Riders used to pass by us, and we would learn the Qur'an from them. My father went to the Prophet ﷺ, who said, 'Let the one among you who knows the most Qur'an lead you in prayer.' My father returned and told us that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had said this. They looked among themselves and found that I knew the most Qur'an, so I led them in prayer when I was eight years old.

Ali ibn Hujr narrated to us: Hushaym narrated to us from Hisham ibn Abi Abdullah and Hajjaj ibn Abi Uthman, from Yahya ibn Abi Kathir, from Abdullah ibn Abi Qatadah, from his father, who said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, 'When the call to prayer is given, do not stand until you see me.'

Ziyad ibn Ayyub narrated to us: Ismail narrated to us: Abd Al-Aziz narrated to us from Anas, who said: The iqamah for prayer was given while the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was speaking privately with a man. He did not stand for prayer until the people had fallen asleep.

Amr ibn Uthman ibn Sa‘id ibn Kathir narrated to us: Muhammad ibn Harb narrated to us from Az-Zubaydi, from Az-Zuhri; and Al-Walid narrated from Al-Awza‘i, from Az-Zuhri, from Abu Salamah, from Abu Hurayrah, who said: The iqamah was given and the people formed their rows. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ came out and, when he stood in his prayer place, remembered that he had not performed ghusl. He told the people, 'Stay where you are.' Then he returned to his house. He came back with water dripping from his head, having performed ghusl, while we remained standing in our rows.

Ahmad ibn Abdah narrated to us from Hammad ibn Zayd, then he mentioned words to this effect. Abu Hazim narrated to us: Sahl ibn Sad said: There was fighting between Banu Amr ibn Awf, and news of it reached the Prophet. He prayed the noon prayer, then went to them to make peace. He told Bilal that if the time for the afternoon prayer came and he had not returned, Bilal should tell Abu Bakr to lead the people. When its time came, Bilal called the adhan and then the iqamah, and told Abu Bakr to step forward. Abu Bakr did so and began praying. Then the Messenger of Allah came, making his way through the people until he stood behind Abu Bakr. The people began clapping. When Abu Bakr saw that the clapping did not stop, he turned. The Messenger gestured to him with his hand to continue. Abu Bakr praised Allah, Mighty and Sublime, for the Messenger's instruction to continue, then walked backward on his heels and moved back. When the Messenger saw this, he stepped forward and led the people in prayer. After finishing, he said, Abu Bakr, when I gestured to you, what prevented you from continuing? Abu Bakr replied that it was not for the son of Abu Quhafah to lead the Messenger in prayer. He then said to the people, When something happens to you during prayer, men should say Subhan Allah and women should clap.

Hannad ibn As-Sari narrated to us from Ibn Uyaynah, from Az-Zuhri, from Anas, that the Messenger of Allah fell from a horse onto his right side. They came to visit him, and the time for prayer came. When he finished the prayer, he said, The imam is appointed to be followed. When he bows, bow; when he rises, rise; and when he prostrates, prostrate. When he says Allah hears whoever praises Him, say Our Lord, to You is all praise.

Suwayd ibn Nasr informed us: Abdullah ibn Al-Mubarak informed us from Ja‘far ibn Hayyan, from Abu Nadr, from Abu Sa‘id Al-Khudri, that the Prophet ﷺ noticed some of his Companions standing far back. He said, 'Come forward and follow me, and let those behind you follow you. People will continue to lag behind until Allah, Mighty and Sublime, puts them back.'

Suwayd ibn Nasr informed us: Abdullah informed us from Al-Jurayri, from Abu Nadr, with a report similar to the preceding one.