Priority in Leading the Prayer
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The fourth question of Fatwa No. ( 3161 )
Q4: I lead the congregational prayer at times. Once, after I finished the prayer, a man who was sitting there and not praying told me: “It is not permissible for you to lead the congregation; because you did not recite.” I have memorized approximately ten chapters of the Qur’an. There are some people who hold high degrees and smoke cigarettes, and among them are those who do not pray, and perhaps they do not even know how to recite al-Fatihah well. Is it permissible for me to lead the congregation or not?
A4: If you are proficient in reciting what you have memorized of the Qur’an, even if it is only a few chapters, the most important of which is al-Fatihah, it is permissible for you to lead the prayer as imam, unless there is among the worshippers someone who is more proficient in recitation than you, and who is not one who shaves his beard or openly displays sins; in that case, he is more deserving of leading. And success is from Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Q4: I lead the congregational prayer at times. Once, after I finished the prayer, a man who was sitting there and not praying told me: “It is not permissible for you to lead the congregation; because you did not recite.” I have memorized approximately ten chapters of the Qur’an. There are some people who hold high degrees and smoke cigarettes, and among them are those who do not pray, and perhaps they do not even know how to recite al-Fatihah well. Is it permissible for me to lead the congregation or not?
A4: If you are proficient in reciting what you have memorized of the Qur’an, even if it is only a few chapters, the most important of which is al-Fatihah, it is permissible for you to lead the prayer as imam, unless there is among the worshippers someone who is more proficient in recitation than you, and who is not one who shaves his beard or openly displays sins; in that case, he is more deserving of leading. 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.