The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophets (sa) – Volume III — Page 68
Seal of the Prophets - Volume III 68 With relevance to the fulfilment of religious obligations, the Holy Prophet sa stated: یَؤُم ُّ الْقَوْم َ اَقْرَؤُھُم ْ لِكِتَاب ِ اللّٰه ِ فَاِن ْ كَانُوْا فِی الْقِرَاءَة ِ سَوَاء ً فَاَعْلَمُھُم ْ بِالسُّنَّة ِ فَاِن ْ كَانُوْا ٍ وَفِی ْ رِوَایَة 1 بِالسُّنَّة ِ سَوَاء ً فَاقْدَمُھُم ْ ھِجْرَة ً فَاِن ْ كَانُوْا فِی الْھِجْرَة ِ سَوَاء ً فَاَكْبَرُھُم ْ سِنًّا. ْ فَلْیَؤُمَّھُم ْ اَحَدُھُم ْ وَاَحَقُّھُم ْ بِالْاِمَامَة ِ اَقْرَؤُھُم “O Ye Muslims! When you gather for the fulfilment of the obligation of Ṣalāt (which is the most significant and respected worship in Islām), when appointing your Imām, the only thing you should take into consideration is who possesses more knowledge of the Holy Qur’ān. Hence, whoever amongst you possesses more Qurānic knowledge should be appointed as your Imām. If a few men among you are equal in their knowledge of the Qur’ān, whoever possesses more knowledge of the Sunnat should be appointed as your Imām. If a few men among you are equal in their knowledge of the Sunnat, whoever migrated in the way of God first should be appointed as your Imām. If they are equal in their migration too, then whoever is eldest among you should be appointed as your Imām. In another narration it is related that any individual from among the Muslims can be their Imām in Ṣalāt and there is no distinction of class. However, the one who is more worthy of being an Imām is he who possesses more knowledge of religion. ” 2 Therefore, the Holy Prophet sa has established true equality in every religious and worldly field and has uprooted every unpleasant tension in society and has reformed both the body and soul. It is this very equality, the like of which, invariably, can be found nowhere else. . 3 ْ اَللّٰھُم َّ صَل ِّ عَلی ٰ مُحَمَّد ٍ وَّبَارِک ْ وَسَلَّم 1 Sunanut-Tirmidhī, Kitābuṣ-Ṣalāt, Bābu Mā Jā’a Man Ahaqqu Bil-Imāmah, Ḥadīth No 235 2 Ṣaḥīḥu Muslim, Kitābul-Masājidi Wa Mawāḍi‘iṣ-Ṣalāti, Bābu Man Aḥaqqu Bil-Imāmah, Ḥadīth No. 1529 3 O Allāh, invoke blessings and salutations on the Holy Prophet. (Publishers)