Guidance for the imams of mosques regarding the dissemination of knowledge and what they should read for the general public

Question:
Honorable Shaykh, this questioner says: I hope you will provide guidance to students of knowledge who are imams of mosques, and how they can benefit from this position in spreading beneficial knowledge. I also hope that you will clarify the books that are good to read and teach to the general public, such as those on tawhid (the oneness of Allah), tafsir (Qur'anic exegesis), fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence), hadith, and the like.

Answer:
The imams of mosques, there is no doubt that their position is a great one. They have a reward with Allah (Mighty and Majestic) if they do well and carry out the imamah properly; they have a great reward if they do well. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “They pray for you ” The imam who leads the prayer without making it difficult for the ma'mum and who leads it in the required manner has a great reward. This is the position of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), who used to lead the people in prayer (peace and blessings be upon him). However, imams differ; some are scholars, and some have no knowledge, only the recitation of the Qur'an and the basics. The scholar overflows with his knowledge to the ma'mum, explaining it to them, holding lessons for them, and benefiting them by spreading his knowledge. As for the imam who has no knowledge, he reads to the ma'mum, he reads to the believers from reliable books. He reads to them from Ibn Kathir's Tafsir, from the book al-Targhib wa al-Tarhib, from Riyad al-Salihin, he reads to them from beneficial books, and that is sufficient, because this is a benefit, and he is rewarded for it. He does not enter into explanation or issuing fatwas when he has no insight.

The presenter:
May Allah reward you