عن أَبي مسعودٍ عُقبةَ بنِ عَمرٍو البدريِّ الأنصاريِّ رضي اللهُ عنه قال: قالَ رسولُ اللهِ صَلّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وسَلَّمَ: «يَؤُمُّ الْقَوْمَ أَقْرَؤُهُمْ لِكتَابِ اللهِ، فَإِنْ كَانُوا في الْقِراءَةِ سَواءً فَأَعْلَمُهُمْ بِالسُّنَّةِ، فَإِنْ كَانُوا في السُّنَّةِ سَوَاءً فَأَقْدَمُهُمْ هِجْرَةً، فَإِنْ كانُوا في الهِجْرَةِ سَوَاءً فَأَقْدَمُهُمْ سِنًّا، وَلا يَؤُمَّنَّ الرَّجُلُ الرَّجُلَ في سُلْطَانِهِ، وَلا يَقْعُدُ في بيْتِهِ على تَكْرِمَتِهِ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِ» رواه مسلم. وفي روايةٍ لَهُ: «فَأَقْدَمُهُمْ سِلْمًا» بَدل «سِنًّا»: أَيْ إِسْلامًا. وفي رواية: يَؤُمُّ الْقَوْمَ أَقْرَؤُهُمْ لِكتَابِ اللهِ، وأَقْدَمُهُمْ قِراءَةً، فَإِنْ كَانَتْ قِراءَتُهمْ سَواءً فَيَؤُمُّهُم أَقْدَمُهُمْ هِجْرَةً، فَإِنْ كَانوا في الهِجْرَةِ سوَاءً فَلْيَؤُمَّهُمْ أَكْبَرُهُمُ سِنًّا».
Abu Mas'ud Uqbah ibn Amr al-Badri al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The one who leads the people in prayer should be the one most versed in the Book of Allah. If they are equal in recitation, then the one most knowledgeable of the Sunnah. If they are equal in knowledge of the Sunnah, then the one who emigrated earliest. If they are equal in emigration, then the eldest in age. No man should lead another in prayer within his domain of authority, nor sit in his house upon his seat of honor except with his permission." [Reported by Muslim] In another narration of his: "then the foremost of them in Islam (silman)" instead of "in age (sinnan)": that is, in accepting Islam. In another narration: "The one who leads the people in prayer should be the one most versed in the Book of Allah and the one who recited it earliest. If their recitation is equal, then the one who emigrated earliest should lead them. If they are equal in emigration, then let the eldest of them in age lead them."
الشرح · explanation
سُلْطَانه: محلُّ ولايتِهِ، أَوْ الموْضعُ الذي يخْتَصُّ به. تَكْرِمته: هِي ما يَنْفَرِدُ بِهِ مِنْ فِراشٍ وسرِيرٍ ونحْوِهِمَا. سلمًا: أي إسلامًا فيُقدَّم الشابّ القديم المدة في الإسلام على الشيخ الحديث فيه.
His domain of authority (sultanihi): the place of his jurisdiction, or the place that is specifically his. His seat of honor (takrimatihi): that which is reserved exclusively for him, such as a bed, a couch, and the like. Islam (silman): that is, accepting Islam; so the youth who has been Muslim for a longer period is given precedence over the elder who became Muslim more recently.
الدروس · lessons
فضيلة قارئ القرآن والعالم بالسنة وأمور الشريعة. أنَّ الأحقَّ بإمامة الصلاة هو الأقرأ لكتاب الله، فإن استوَوا في القراءة فالأعلم بالسُّنة، فإن استووا فالأقدم هجرة، فإن استووا فالأكبر سِنًّا. أنَّ السلطان وصاحب البيت والمجلس وإمام المسجد أحقّ بالإمامة من غيرهم ما لم يأذن أحدهم بإمامة أحد المصلين. ضرورة التِزام الأدب والإذن في استعمال حقوق الآخرين. فضيلة الهجرة، وفضيلة السبق إلى الإسلام. في قوله صلى الله عليه وسلم يؤم القوم حجة لمنع إمامة المرأة للرجال، لأن لفظ القوم خاص بالرجال، لكنّها تؤمّ النساء. الإمامة أمانة ومسؤولية لا يُندَب إليها إلَّا الأَكْفَاء لها وليست مجرد وظيفة ومنفعة شخصية.
The merit of the reciter of the Qur'an and the one knowledgeable of the Sunnah and the affairs of the Sacred Law. That the one most entitled to lead the prayer is the one most versed in the Book of Allah; if they are equal in recitation, then the one most knowledgeable of the Sunnah; if they are equal, then the one who emigrated earliest; if they are equal, then the eldest in age. That the ruler, the owner of the house and the gathering, and the imam of the mosque are more entitled to lead than others, unless one of them grants permission to one of the worshippers to lead. The necessity of observing etiquette and seeking permission when making use of the rights of others. The merit of emigration, and the merit of being foremost in accepting Islam. In his saying (peace and blessings be upon him) "the one who leads the people" there is proof for prohibiting a woman from leading men, because the word "people" (al-qawm) is specific to men; however, she may lead women. Leadership of prayer is a trust and a responsibility to which only those qualified for it should be appointed; it is not merely a position and a personal benefit.