Is it better to pray behind the more pious reciter, even if his recitation is weak, or the better reciter?

The questioner : Is it better to pray behind an imam who is a reciter but has some degree of foolishness or a little foolishness, or to pray behind an imam who is not a reciter but is more pious and more scrupulous?

The Shaykh : The more pious and more scrupulous one is better, especially if the second one neglects something related to the prayer, such as not being at rest in it, or moving a lot in it, or something similar. In that case, the other one is more deserving than the one who is more pious and more proficient in his prayer.
As for if it is in a matter not related to the prayer, the closer view is also to prioritize the more pious one.
The reason for this is that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: And the Companions, when they recited the Qur'an, did not move on from it until they knew it and acted upon it. So in their time, the better reciter was usually the more pious one. Yes.