5/47. Chapter:
Sunan Ibn Majah 982 — Finding an Imam for Prayer
What is incumbent upon the Imam
Finding an Imam Hadith: A Warning About Prayer Leadership
Sunan Ibn Majah : 982
Sunan Ibn MajahHadith Number 982
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ، عَنْ أُمِّ غُرَابٍ، عَنِ امْرَأَةٍ، يُقَالُ لَهَا عَقِيلَةُ عَنْ سَلاَمَةَ بِنْتِ الْحُرِّ، أُخْتِ خَرَشَةَ قَالَتْ سَمِعْتُ النَّبِيَّ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ يَقُولُ " يَأْتِي عَلَى النَّاسِ زَمَانٌ يَقُومُونَ سَاعَةً، لاَ يَجِدُونَ إِمَامًا يُصَلِّي بِهِمْ " .
Salamah bint Hurr Narrated from:
I heard the Prophet (ﷺ) say: ‘A time will come when the people will stand for a long time and will not be able to find any Imam to lead them in prayer.”
Reference : Sunan Ibn Majah 982In-book reference : Book 5, Hadith 180English translation : Vol. 1, Book 5, Hadith 982
Summary of Sunan Ibn Majah Hadith 982
This finding an imam hadith points to a serious problem in community prayer: people may gather and stand for a long time, yet not find anyone to lead them. The narration does not give extra details about why this happens, so the safest reading is to stay with the text. It shows the value of having people ready to lead prayer correctly. Congregational prayer depends on order, and the imam has a key place in that order. The hadith about no imam available can remind communities to value prayer leadership, help qualified people prepare, and not treat the role as a small matter. It also shows that a lack of leadership can delay people in worship.
What we learn from this hadith
- Communities need people who can lead prayer when needed.
- The role of imam should not be taken lightly.
- A lack of prayer leadership can make worship harder for people.
- The hadith warns about a time of difficulty in finding an imam.
