The regular imam has the right to lead the prayer
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Fatwa number ( 17348 )
Q: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said in a long hadith:Sunan Ibn Majah 980Sahih (Darussalam) ... and so on of the hadith. If there is a regular imam who leads the people in the Friday prayer and the congregational prayers, and someone is found who is more proficient in recitation than he is, is the more proficient one given precedence, and likewise, whenever we find someone more proficient, we give him precedence, or what is the criterion for this issue?
A : If the imam is appointed by official authority, or has been chosen by the congregation, and the leadership is carried out in accordance with the Shari'ah, then it is not permissible to challenge his leadership on the grounds that there is someone more knowledgeable than him, for example; based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) at the end of the hadith you mentioned:
, and the regular imam is the one in authority. Even if someone is found who is more proficient in recitation, [it is not permissible to take over] the right of leadership from the one officially appointed, due to the chaos and disagreement that would result, unless this imam steps down in favor of another who meets the conditions for leading the prayer. You should strive to understand the Sunnah without excess or deficiency, and refer to reliable, trustworthy scholars before proceeding with matters about which you have no knowledge. And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Q: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said in a long hadith:
The people should be lead by the one who is most well-Versed in recitation of the Book of Allah
يؤم القوم أقرؤهم لكتاب الله تعالىA : If the imam is appointed by official authority, or has been chosen by the congregation, and the leadership is carried out in accordance with the Shari'ah, then it is not permissible to challenge his leadership on the grounds that there is someone more knowledgeable than him, for example; based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) at the end of the hadith you mentioned:
And a man does not believe in his authority
ولا يؤمن الرجل في سلطانه, and the regular imam is the one in authority. Even if someone is found who is more proficient in recitation, [it is not permissible to take over] the right of leadership from the one officially appointed, due to the chaos and disagreement that would result, unless this imam steps down in favor of another who meets the conditions for leading the prayer. You should strive to understand the Sunnah without excess or deficiency, and refer to reliable, trustworthy scholars before proceeding with matters about which you have no knowledge. And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.