10/54. Chapter:
A slave or a manumitted slave can lead the Salat (prayer)
وَكَانَتْ عَائِشَةُ يَؤُمُّهَا عَبْدُهَا ذَكْوَانُ مِنَ الْمُصْحَفِ. وَوَلَدِ الْبَغِيِّ وَالأَعْرَابِيِّ وَالْغُلاَمِ الَّذِي لَمْ يَحْتَلِمْ، لِقَوْلِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «يَؤُمُّهُمْ أَقْرَؤُهُمْ لِكِتَابِ اللَّهِ».Aishah رضي الله عنها was led in the Salat (prayer) by her slave Dhakwan who used to recite from the Mushaf [the written Qur'an (not from memory)]. Can an illegitimate boy, a bedouin, or a boy who has not reached the age of puberty lead the Salat? (It is permissible according to) the statement of the Prophet ﷺ that the Imam should be a person who knows the Qur'an more than the others.
Sahih Bukhari : 692
Sahih BukhariHadith Number 692
حَدَّثَنَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ الْمُنْذِرِ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَنَسُ بْنُ عِيَاضٍ، عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ، عَنْ نَافِعٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، قَالَ لَمَّا قَدِمَ الْمُهَاجِرُونَ الأَوَّلُونَ الْعُصْبَةَ ـ مَوْضِعٌ بِقُبَاءٍ ـ قَبْلَ مَقْدَمِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم كَانَ يَؤُمُّهُمْ سَالِمٌ مَوْلَى أَبِي حُذَيْفَةَ، وَكَانَ أَكْثَرَهُمْ قُرْآنًا.
Narrated Ibn `Umar: When the earliest emigrants came to Al-`Usba [??] a place in Quba', before the arrival of the Prophet- Salim, the slave of Abu Hudhaifa, who knew the Qur'an more than the others used to lead them in prayer.
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 692In-book reference : Book 10, Hadith 87USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 1, Book 11, Hadith 661
