1140 - ما يَلزَمُ مُراعاتُهُ لِلإمامِ‏

1140. DUTIES THAT THE LEADER OF THE CONGREGATION MUST OBSERVE

3649.الإمامُ عليٌّ عليه السلام - في وصيّتِهِ لِمحمّدِ بنِ أبي‏بكرٍ حينَ وَلّاهُ مِصرَ - : وَانظُرْ إلى‏ صلاتِكَ كيفَ هِي فإنّكَ إمامٌ لِقَومِكَ (يَنبَغِي لكَ) أن تُتِمَّها ولا تُخَفِّفَها ، فَلَيسَ مِن إمامٍ يُصَلِّي بِقَومٍ يَكونُ في صلاتِهِم نُقصانٌ إلّا كانَ علَيهِ ، لايَنقُصُ مِن صلاتِهِم شَي‏ءٌ، وتَمِّمْها وتَحَفَّظْ فيها يَكُن لكَ مِثلَ اُجُورِهِم ولا يَنقُصُ ذلكَ مِن أجرِهِم شَيئاً .¹

3649.Imam Ali (AS) said in his advice to Muhammad b. Abi Bakr when he appointed him governor of Egypt, ‘Look carefully at what your prayer is like, for verily as the leader of the community, you must pray it perfectly and not be careless in its performance. Every leader who leads the prayer for a people is responsible for any defect in their prayer, so perfect it and be mindful with regards to it and you will have the same reward as them without there being any reduction in their reward thereof.’²

3650.الإمامُ عليٌّ عليه السلام - مِن كتابِهِ إلى اُمَراءِ البِلادِ - : صَلُّوا بِهِم صلاةَ أضعَفِهِم، ولا تَكُونُوا فَتّانِينَ .³

3650. Imam Ali (AS) wrote in a letter to the governors of the cities, saying, ‘Lead them in prayer, praying as the weak ones among them do [in consideration towards them], and do not torment them [by performing lengthy prayers].’⁴

3651.الإمامُ الصّادقُ عليه السلام - لَمّا سُئلَ عَمَّن أحَقُّ أن يَؤمَّ - : إنَّ رسولَ اللَّهِ صلى اللَّه عليه وآله قالَ : يَتَقَدَّمُ القَومَ أقرَؤهُم لِلقرآنِ، فإن كانُوا في القِراءَةِ سَواءً فَأقدَمُهُم هِجرَةً ، فإن كانُوا في الهِجرَةِ سَواءً فَأكبَرُهُم سِنّاً، فإن كانوا فِي السِّنِّ سَواءً فَليَؤمَّهُم أعلَمُهُم بِالسُّنَّةِ وأفقَهُهُم فِي الدِّينِ، ولا يَتَقَدَّمَنَّ أحَدُكُمُ الرَّجُلَ في مَنزِلِهِ، ولا صاحِبَ ( ال ) سُلطانِ في سُلطانِهِ .⁵

3651. Imam al-Sadiq (AS) was asked how to determine the most rightful person to lead the congregation, to which he replied, ‘Verily the Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘The person who recites the Qur’an the best [i.e. with correct pronunciation] should lead them, and if they all recite similarly, then the one who migrated [from Makkah to Medina] the earliest, and if they all migrated around the same time, then the oldest from among them, and if they are all the same age, then the most knowledgeable from among them with regards to the prophetic practice and the laws of jurisprudence. No one from among you should lead a man in prayer in his own home, nor a man of authority within the sphere of his authority.’⁶