وَعَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ
قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «إِذَا كَانُوا ثَلَاثَةً فليؤمهم أحدهم وأحقهم بِالْإِمَامِ أَقْرَؤُهُمْ»
Abu Said reported God’s Messenger as saying, “When there are three people one of them should lead them. The one among them most worthy to act as imam is the one who is most versed in the Qur’an.” Muslim transmitted it. The tradition of Malik b. al-Huwairith has been mentioned in a chapter following that on the excellence of the adhan (Ch. 7a).
Mishkat al-Masabih 1057, Book 5, Prayer, Hadith 535. 1 min read