64/53. Chapter:
Sahih Bukhari 4302 — The One Who Knows Qur’an Leads Prayer
Chapter
Hadith About the One Who Knows Qur’an Leading Prayer
Sahih Bukhari : 4302
Sahih BukhariHadith Number 4302
حَدَّثَنَا سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ، عَنْ أَيُّوبَ، عَنْ أَبِي قِلاَبَةَ، عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ سَلِمَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ لِي أَبُو قِلاَبَةَ أَلاَ تَلْقَاهُ فَتَسْأَلَهُ، قَالَ فَلَقِيتُهُ فَسَأَلْتُهُ فَقَالَ كُنَّا بِمَاءٍ مَمَرَّ النَّاسِ، وَكَانَ يَمُرُّ بِنَا الرُّكْبَانُ فَنَسْأَلُهُمْ مَا لِلنَّاسِ مَا لِلنَّاسِ مَا هَذَا الرَّجُلُ فَيَقُولُونَ يَزْعُمُ أَنَّ اللَّهَ أَرْسَلَهُ أَوْحَى إِلَيْهِ، أَوْ أَوْحَى اللَّهُ بِكَذَا. فَكُنْتُ أَحْفَظُ ذَلِكَ الْكَلاَمَ، وَكَأَنَّمَا يُغْرَى فِي صَدْرِي، وَكَانَتِ الْعَرَبُ تَلَوَّمُ بِإِسْلاَمِهِمِ الْفَتْحَ، فَيَقُولُونَ اتْرُكُوهُ وَقَوْمَهُ، فَإِنَّهُ إِنْ ظَهَرَ عَلَيْهِمْ فَهْوَ نَبِيٌّ صَادِقٌ. فَلَمَّا كَانَتْ وَقْعَةُ أَهْلِ الْفَتْحِ بَادَرَ كُلُّ قَوْمٍ بِإِسْلاَمِهِمْ، وَبَدَرَ أَبِي قَوْمِي بِإِسْلاَمِهِمْ، فَلَمَّا قَدِمَ قَالَ جِئْتُكُمْ وَاللَّهِ مِنْ عِنْدِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم حَقًّا فَقَالَ " صَلُّوا صَلاَةَ كَذَا فِي حِينِ كَذَا، وَصَلُّوا كَذَا فِي حِينِ كَذَا، فَإِذَا حَضَرَتِ الصَّلاَةُ، فَلْيُؤَذِّنْ أَحَدُكُمْ، وَلْيَؤُمَّكُمْ أَكْثَرُكُمْ قُرْآنًا ". فَنَظَرُوا فَلَمْ يَكُنْ أَحَدٌ أَكْثَرَ قُرْآنًا مِنِّي، لِمَا كُنْتُ أَتَلَقَّى مِنَ الرُّكْبَانِ، فَقَدَّمُونِي بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ، وَأَنَا ابْنُ سِتٍّ أَوْ سَبْعِ، سِنِينَ وَكَانَتْ عَلَىَّ بُرْدَةٌ، كُنْتُ إِذَا سَجَدْتُ تَقَلَّصَتْ عَنِّي، فَقَالَتِ امْرَأَةٌ مِنَ الْحَىِّ أَلاَ تُغَطُّوا عَنَّا اسْتَ قَارِئِكُمْ. فَاشْتَرَوْا فَقَطَعُوا لِي قَمِيصًا، فَمَا فَرِحْتُ بِشَىْءٍ فَرَحِي بِذَلِكَ الْقَمِيصِ.
`Amr bin Salama Narrated from:
We were at a place which was a thoroughfare for the people, and the caravans used to pass by us and we would ask them, "What is wrong with the people? What is wrong with the people? Who is that man?. They would say, "That man claims that Allah has sent him (as an Apostle), that he has been divinely inspired, that Allah has revealed to him such-and-such."I used to memorize that (Divine) Talk, and feel as if it was inculcated in my chest (i.e. mind) And the 'Arabs (other than Quraish) delayed their conversion to Islam till the Conquest (of Mecca). They used to say." "Leave him (i.e. Muhammad) and his people Quraish: if he overpowers them then he is a true Prophet. So, when Mecca was conquered, then every tribe rushed to embrace Islam, and my father hurried to embrace Islam before (the other members of) my tribe.When my father returned (from the Prophet) to his tribe, he said, "By Allah, I have come to you from the Prophet (ﷺ) for sure!" The Prophet (ﷺ) afterwards said to them, 'Offer such-and-such prayer at such-and-such time, and when the time for the prayer becomes due, then one of you should pronounce the Adhan (for the prayer), and let the one amongst you who knows Qur'an most should, lead the prayer." So they looked for such a person and found none who knew more Qur'an than I because of the Qur'anic material which I used to learn from the caravans.They therefore made me their Imam ((to lead the prayer) and at that time I was a boy of six or seven years, wearing a Burda (i.e. a black square garment) proved to be very short for me (and my body became partly naked). A lady from the tribe said, "Won't you cover the anus of your reciter for us?" So they bought (a piece of cloth) and made a shirt for me. I had never been so happy with anything before as I was with that shirt.
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 4302In-book reference : Book 64, Hadith 335USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 5, Book 59, Hadith 595
Summary of Sahih Bukhari Hadith 4302
This Hadith gives a clear lesson about prayer leadership and learning Qur’an. Amr bin Salama lived on a route where caravans passed by. He listened, asked questions, and memorized the revealed words he heard from travelers. After the Conquest of Makkah, his people embraced Islam, and his father brought back the Prophet’s صلى الله عليه وسلم instruction: pray at the proper times, let one person call the Adhan, and let the one who knows the most Qur’an lead the prayer. The people found that Amr knew more Qur’an than anyone among them, so they placed him in front as Imam, even though he was only six or seven. The text shows the value of Qur’an knowledge in community prayer.
What we learn from this hadith
- Prayer should be offered at its proper time, as taught in the Hadith.
- When prayer time comes, one person should call the Adhan.
- The person with more Qur’an knowledge may be given leadership in prayer.
- Amr’s effort in memorizing what he heard became useful for his community.
