2/66. Chapter:
Sunan Abi Dawud 585 — Young Imam with Qur'an Knowledge
Who Has More Right To Be Imam
Hadith About a Young Imam Leading Prayer Because of Qur'an Knowledge
Sunan Abi Dawud : 585
Sunan Abi DawudHadith Number 585
حَدَّثَنَا مُوسَى بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادٌ، أَخْبَرَنَا أَيُّوبُ، عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ سَلِمَةَ، قَالَ كُنَّا بِحَاضِرٍ يَمُرُّ بِنَا النَّاسُ إِذَا أَتَوُا النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَكَانُوا إِذَا رَجَعُوا مَرُّوا بِنَا فَأَخْبَرُونَا أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ كَذَا وَكَذَا وَكُنْتُ غُلاَمًا حَافِظًا فَحَفِظْتُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ قُرْآنًا كَثِيرًا فَانْطَلَقَ أَبِي وَافِدًا إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِي نَفَرٍ مِنْ قَوْمِهِ فَعَلَّمَهُمُ الصَّلاَةَ فَقَالَ " يَؤُمُّكُمْ أَقْرَؤُكُمْ " . وَكُنْتُ أَقْرَأَهُمْ لِمَا كُنْتُ أَحْفَظُ فَقَدَّمُونِي فَكُنْتُ أَؤُمُّهُمْ وَعَلَىَّ بُرْدَةٌ لِي صَغِيرَةٌ صَفْرَاءُ فَكُنْتُ إِذَا سَجَدْتُ تَكَشَّفَتْ عَنِّي فَقَالَتِ امْرَأَةٌ مِنَ النِّسَاءِ وَارُوا عَنَّا عَوْرَةَ قَارِئِكُمْ . فَاشْتَرَوْا لِي قَمِيصًا عُمَانِيًّا فَمَا فَرِحْتُ بِشَىْءٍ بَعْدَ الإِسْلاَمِ فَرَحِي بِهِ فَكُنْتُ أَؤُمُّهُمْ وَأَنَا ابْنُ سَبْعِ سِنِينَ أَوْ ثَمَانِ سِنِينَ .
‘Amr b. Salamah Narrated from:
We lived at a place where the people would pass by us when they came to the prophet (ﷺ). When they returned they would again pass by us. And they used to inform us that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said so –and-so. I was a boy with a good memory. From the( process) I memorized a large portion of the Qur’an.Then my father went to the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) along with a group of his clan. He (the Prophet) taught them prayer. And he said: The one of you who knows most of the Qur’an should act as your imam. I knew the Qur’an better than most of them because I had memorized it. They, therefore, put me in front of them, and I would lead them in prayer.I wore a small yellow mantle which, when I prostrated myself, went up on me, and a woman of the clan said: Cover the back side of your leader from us. So they bought an ‘Ammani shirt for me, and I have never been so pleased about anything after embracing Islam as I was about that (shirt). I used to lead them in prayer and I was only seven or eight year old.
Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 585In-book reference : Book 2, Hadith 195English translation : Book 2, Hadith 585
Summary of Sunan Abi Dawud Hadith 585
This Hadith tells the story of Amr b. Salamah, who was a young boy with a strong memory. He memorized much of the Qur'an from people who passed by after meeting the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم). When his father and others learned prayer from the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم), they were told that the one who knew the most Qur'an should lead them. Since Amr had memorized more Qur'an than the others, they placed him in front to lead the prayer, even though he was only seven or eight years old. The Hadith about a young imam shows that Qur'an knowledge had real weight in choosing an imam. It also mentions the need to cover properly during prayer.
What we learn from this hadith
- The one who knows more Qur'an may be chosen to lead prayer.
- Young age did not stop Amr b. Salamah from leading when he had more Qur'an knowledge.
- The community helped him by buying clothing suitable for prayer.
- Proper covering during prayer is treated with care in the narration.
