Benefits of the Hadith: (Uthman ibn Abi al-As (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “O Messenger of Allah, make me the imam of my people...”)

The Shaykh : This hadith contains several benefits, among which is the permissibility of seeking the position of imam. The permissibility of seeking the position of imam is established by the fact that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) approved of Uthman ibn Abi al-As and agreed to his request, which is the strongest possible proof for this ruling. However, if someone were to ask: Did the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) not say to a man who asked for authority: and say to Abd al-Rahman ibn Samurah: ? We say: Yes, but this hadith can be understood in one of two ways. Either by distinguishing between seeking authority (imarah) and seeking the position of imam (imamah), because imamah is a purely religious duty, whereas imarah involves power, a degree of superiority, and the like. Or it can be said that if a person seeks it while being the most deserving and most trustworthy for the position, his request is considered a notification to the one in authority rather than a pure request. Thus, if a person sees that he is the most deserving and most trustworthy for the position, he may seek it. This is the better view. We might also say that both views are correct, but this one is closer to the truth. This is supported by the fact that the Prophet of Allah, Yusuf (peace be upon him), said: because he saw that the treasury was being lost and that he possessed the ability to preserve it and the knowledge to manage it, so he sought the position because there was no one else to take his place. Another benefit of this hadith is that the appointment of imams is the responsibility of the one in authority, because he requested it from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), who was undoubtedly the one in authority. This also applies to those whom the one in authority appoints, such as the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, and Guidance in our time, as well as other ministries in Islamic countries, where a minister is considered a deputy of the one in authority. If someone were to ask: If the people of a neighborhood choose a man and the ministry chooses a man, who is given priority? The one chosen by the ministry is given priority. However, the ministry must, in this case, look at both the person it chose and the person chosen by the people of the neighborhood with an eye of knowledge and fairness. Another benefit is: If someone were to ask: If we are in a country without an Islamic authority, who is given priority in imamah? We say: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said: Therefore, the people of the neighborhood must choose the one among them who is best at reciting the Book of Allah, then the next best, according to what the Sunnah has prescribed. Another benefit of this hadith is considering the weakest in everything, because if you consider the weakest, you do not harm the strongest, and if you consider the strongest, you burden or harm the weakest. Even in walking, if a group of people are following you, for example, and among them is someone with a weak gait and someone with a strong gait, you should consider the weakest, unless doing so causes harm, for harm is prohibited by the Shari'ah. But without harm, follow the weakest. Another benefit of this hadith is that the appointment of the mu'adhdhin is the responsibility of the imam, based on his saying: This is if we say that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) did not appoint him except for the imamah of prayer. But according to the title that was given, the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) made him the governor of Ta'if, the governor of Ta'if, and in this case, the appointment of the mu'adhdhin is not because he is the imam of the mosque, but because he has authority over the entire town. Another benefit of this hadith is the advice of the imam to the governors under him, such as princes, imams, and judges, regarding what their circumstances require, based on his saying: It was among the guidance of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) Another benefit of this hadith is that it is necessary to turn away from a mu'adhdhin who asks for a wage, meaning money, or more broadly, something from the matters of this world, based on his saying: For this reason, our jurists (may Allah have mercy on them) stated the prohibition of taking a wage for the adhan and iqamah. For example, if you agree with someone and say: “Come, I will hire you to give the adhan. How many times is the adhan a day and night?” He says: “Five.” You say: “Is there any objection?” He says: “Each adhan is ten riyals.” He wants to have a wage, so that if he is absent, it is deducted from him, and if he is deficient in the adhan, it is deducted from him, meaning his wage. This is not permissible. The reason is that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said this, which is evidence, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: The reasoning is that the work of the Hereafter cannot be made a means for this world. The Hereafter is more noble and greater than being a means for the matters of this world. This world is a means to the Hereafter, and the Hereafter is not a means to this world, because Allah says: If someone were to ask: What is our situation regarding the current reality where imams and mu'adhdhins take wages? The answer is that this is not a wage, but rather sustenance from the public treasury for public interests. The adhan and iqamah are among the public interests, just as scholars take wages for their teaching, not for the sake of compensation, but because this is from the public treasury that is spent on public interests. For this reason, the jurists said: It is not forbidden to take sustenance from the public treasury if no volunteer is found. Look, Subhan Allah, the protection of the public treasury by the scholars: it is not forbidden, provided that no volunteer is found. If a volunteer is found who can suffice, it is forbidden to give the mu'adhdhin from the public treasury, why? Because there is no need for it now. And if there is no need, it is not permissible. If we take, for example, ten riyals from the public treasury for this mu'adhdhin, it becomes haram. So, ten riyals benefit the public treasury. Praise be to Allah. If it were a reward (ju'alah) rather than a wage, such as saying: “Whoever gives the adhan in this mosque will have such and such each month,” there is a difference of opinion on this. Some say there is no harm in it, and some say there is harm in it, because this mu'adhdhin came only for the sake of compensation.