What is the ruling if there are two men, one of whom has shaved his beard and is a reciter, and the other has a beard but is inferior to him in recitation, regarding who should be appointed as the imam?
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The questioner : Is the one afflicted with the beard to be given priority if he is the better reciter? If there are two men, one who has shaved his beard and is a reciter, and the other who is inferior to him in recitation, who is to be given priority?
The Shaykh : Here we have a text that we cannot go beyond. The better reciter is to be given priority, based on his saying (peace and blessings be upon him):Jami` at-Tirmidhi 235Sahih (Darussalam) to the end of the hadith. This man who has shaved his beard, as well as the open sinner, as well as the one who deals in usury, and so on, all of these bear their own sins on their shoulders, and their sins and burdens are not upon those who pray behind them.
So if there is a reciter who has shaved his beard and one who has a beard but is not a reciter, the reciter is to be given priority, and there is no sin upon those who pray behind him.
And so it was among the inherited beliefs, passed down from the Salaf, to pray behind every righteous person and every sinner. This is from the beliefs of the Salafis: to pray behind every righteous person and every sinner. And what is being spread today by some people who claim to follow the Sunnah, namely not praying behind the people of innovation in general and those who shave their beards in particular, this is only due to their ignorance.
The Shaykh : Here we have a text that we cannot go beyond. The better reciter is to be given priority, based on his saying (peace and blessings be upon him):
The one who recites most of the Book of Allah is to lead the people (in prayers). If they are equal in recitation, then the most knowledgeable in the Sunnah among them.
يؤم القوم أقرؤهم لكتاب الله فإن كانوا في القراءة سواء فأعلمهم بالسنةSo if there is a reciter who has shaved his beard and one who has a beard but is not a reciter, the reciter is to be given priority, and there is no sin upon those who pray behind him.
And so it was among the inherited beliefs, passed down from the Salaf, to pray behind every righteous person and every sinner. This is from the beliefs of the Salafis: to pray behind every righteous person and every sinner. And what is being spread today by some people who claim to follow the Sunnah, namely not praying behind the people of innovation in general and those who shave their beards in particular, this is only due to their ignorance.