Caution: Translations of Quran and Ḥadīth may lead to possible misapplications and misinterpretations. This site is intended for students of sacred knowledge that are proficient in comprehending classical Arabic and have a strong foundation in Islamic sciences. Also note that religious injunctions rely on several aspects beyond what one may glean through reading individual aḥādīth.
ahmad:11454Shujāʿ b. al-Walīd > Saʿīd b. Abū ʿArūbah > Qatādah > Abū Naḍrah > Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī > Nabī Allāh ﷺ

When there are three persons, one of them should lead them. The one among them most worthy to act as Imam is one who is best versed in the Qur'an. (Using translation from Muslim 672a)  

أحمد:١١٤٥٤حَدَّثَنَا شُجَاعُ بْنُ الْوَلِيدِ عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ أَبِي عَرُوبَةَ عَنْقَتَادَةَ عَنْ أَبِي نَضْرَةَ عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ

أَنَّ نَبِيَّ اللهِ ﷺ قَالَ إِذَا كَانُوا ثَلَاثَةً فَلْيَؤُمَّهُمْ أَحَدُهُمْ وَأَحَقُّهُمْ بِالْإِمَامَةِ أَقْرَؤُهُمْ  


See similar narrations below:

Collected by Muslim, Nasāʾī, Aḥmad, Dārimī, Ibn Ḥibbān, Nasāʾī's Kubrá, Bayhaqī, Suyūṭī
muslim:672aQutaybah b. Saʿīd > Abū ʿAwānah > Qatādah > Abū Naḍrah > Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī

When there are three persons, one of them should lead them. The one among them most worthy to act as Imam is one who is best versed in the Qur'an.  

مسلم:٦٧٢aحَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَوَانَةَ عَنْ قَتَادَةَ عَنْ أَبِي نَضْرَةَ عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِذَا كَانُوا ثَلاَثَةً فَلْيَؤُمَّهُمْ أَحَدُهُمْ وَأَحَقُّهُمْ بِالإِمَامَةِ أَقْرَؤُهُمْ  

nasai:840Qutaybah > Abū ʿAwānah > Qatādah > Abū Naḍrah > Abū Saʿīd

"The Messenger of Allah ﷺsaid: 'If there are three people, let one of them lead the others in prayer, and the one who has the most right to lead the prayer is the one who recites (knows) the most (Qur'an)."'  

النسائي:٨٤٠أَخْبَرَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَوَانَةَ عَنْ قَتَادَةَ عَنْ أَبِي نَضْرَةَ عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِذَا كَانُوا ثَلاَثَةً فَلْيَؤُمَّهُمْ أَحَدُهُمْ وَأَحَقُّهُمْ بِالإِمَامَةِ أَقْرَؤُهُمْ  

nasai:782ʿUbaydullāh b. Saʿīd > Yaḥyá > Hishām > Qatādah > Abū Naḍrah > Abū Saʿīd

"when there are three people let one of them lead the prayer, and the one who is most entitled to lead the prayer is the one who has most knowledge of the Qur'an."  

النسائي:٧٨٢أَخْبَرَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ عَنْ يَحْيَى عَنْ هِشَامٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا قَتَادَةُ عَنْ أَبِي نَضْرَةَ عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ إِذَا كَانُوا ثَلاَثَةً فَلْيَؤُمَّهُمْ أَحَدُهُمْ وَأَحَقُّهُمْ بِالإِمَامَةِ أَقْرَؤُهُمْ  

ahmad:11795Yazīd > Hammām b. Yaḥyá > Abū And ʾAbū Badr > Saʿīd > Qatādah > Abū Naḍrah > Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī

"when there are three people let one of them lead the prayer, and the one who is most entitled to lead the prayer is the one who has most knowledge of the Qur'an." (Using translation from Nasāʾī 782)  

أحمد:١١٧٩٥حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيدُ حَدَّثَنَا هَمَّامُ بْنُ يَحْيَى قَالَ أَبِي وَأَبُو بَدْرٍ عَنْ سَعِيدٍ عَنْ قَتَادَةَ عَنْ أَبِي نَضْرَةَ عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ إِذَا اجْتَمَعَ ثَلَاثَةٌ فَلْيَؤُمَّهُمْ أَحَدُهُمْ وَأَحَقُّهُمْ بِالْإِمَامَةِ أَقْرَؤُهُمْ  

ahmad:11481Muḥammad b. Bakr > Saʿīd > Qatādah > Abū Wḥaddathanā ʿAffān > Hammām > Qatādah > Abū Naḍrah > Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī

"when there are three people let one of them lead the prayer, and the one who is most entitled to lead the prayer is the one who has most knowledge of the Qur'an." (Using translation from Nasāʾī 782)   

أحمد:١١٤٨١حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَكْرٍ أَخْبَرَنَا سَعِيدٌ عَنْ قَتَادَةَ قَالَ أَبِي وحَدَّثَنَا عَفَّانُ حَدَّثَنَا هَمَّامٌ حَدَّثَنَا قَتَادَةُ عَنْ أَبِي نَضْرَةَ عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ قَالَ إِذَا اجْتَمَعَ ثَلَاثَةٌ فَلْيَؤُمَّهُمْ أَحَدُهُمْ وَأَحَقُّهُمْ بِالْإِمَامَةِ أَقْرَؤُهُمْ  

ahmad:11190Yaḥyá > Hishām And Shuʿbah > Qatādah > Abū Naḍrah > Abū Saʿīd

"when there are three people let one of them lead the prayer, and the one who is most entitled to lead the prayer is the one who has most knowledge of the Qur'an." (Using translation from Nasāʾī 782)  

أحمد:١١١٩٠حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى حَدَّثَنَا هِشَامٌ وَشُعْبَةُ قَالَا حَدَّثَنَا قَتَادَةُ عَنْ أَبِي نَضْرَةَ عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ إِذَا كَانُوا ثَلَاثَةً فَلْيَؤُمَّهُمْ أَحَدُهُمْ وَأَحَقُّهُمْ بِالْإِمَامَةِ أَقْرَؤُهُمْ  

ahmad:11298Muḥammad b. Jaʿfar And Suʾil > al-Thalāthah Yajtamiʿūn Fataḥḍuruhum al-Ṣalāh > Saʿīd > Qatādah > Abū Naḍrah > Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī

"when there are three people let one of them lead the prayer, and the one who is most entitled to lead the prayer is the one who has most knowledge of the Qur'an." (Using translation from Nasāʾī 782)   

أحمد:١١٢٩٨حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ وَسُئِلَ عَنِ الثَّلَاثَةِ يَجْتَمِعُونَ فَتَحْضُرُهُمُ الصَّلَاةُ؟ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا سَعِيدٌ عَنْ قَتَادَةَ عَنْ أَبِي نَضْرَةَ عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ قَالَ إِذَا اجْتَمَعَ ثَلَاثَةٌ فَلْيَؤُمَّهُمْ أَحَدُهُمْ وَأَحَقُّهُمْ بِالْإِمَامَةِ أَقْرَؤُهُمْ  

ahmad:11314Abū ʿĀmir > Hishām > Qatādah > Abū Naḍrah > Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī

"when there are three people let one of them lead the prayer, and the one who is most entitled to lead the prayer is the one who has most knowledge of the Qur'an." (Using translation from Nasāʾī 782)   

أحمد:١١٣١٤حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَامِرٍ حَدَّثَنَا هِشَامٌ عَنْ قَتَادَةَ عَنْ أَبِي نَضْرَةَ عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ

أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ قَالَ إِذَا اجْتَمَعَ ثَلَاثَةٌ فَلْيَؤُمَّهُمْ أَحَدُهُمْ وَأَحَقُّهُمْ بِالْإِمَامَةِ أَقْرَؤُهُمْ  

darimi:1289ʿAffān > Hammām > Qatādah > Abū Naḍrah > Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī

"The Messenger of Allah ﷺsaid: 'If there are three people, let one of them lead the others in prayer, and the one who has the most right to lead the prayer is the one who recites (knows) the most (Qur'an)."' (Using translation from Nasāʾī 840)  

الدارمي:١٢٨٩أَخْبَرَنَا عَفَّانُ حَدَّثَنَا هَمَّامٌ حَدَّثَنَا قَتَادَةُ عَنْ أَبِي نَضْرَةَ عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ «إِذَا اجْتَمَعَ ثَلَاثَةٌ فَلْيَؤُمَّهُمْ أَحَدُهُمْ وَأَحَقُّهُمْ بِالْإِمَامَةِ أَقْرَؤُهُمْ»  

ذِكْرُ الْبَيَانِ بِأَنَّ حُكْمَ الثَّلَاثَةِ وَأَكْثَرَ فِي الْإِمَامَةِ حُكْمُ الِاثْنَيْنِ سَوَاءً

ibnhibban:2132al-Ḥasan b. Sufyān > Muḥammad b. al-Minhāl al-Ḍarīr > Yazīd b. Zurayʿ > Shuʿbah And Hishām > Qatādah > Abū Naḍrah > Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī

"The Messenger of Allah ﷺsaid: 'If there are three people, let one of them lead the others in prayer, and the one who has the most right to lead the prayer is the one who recites (knows) the most (Qur'an)."' (Using translation from Nasāʾī 840)   

ابن حبّان:٢١٣٢أَخْبَرَنَا الْحَسَنُ بْنُ سُفْيَانَ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمِنْهَالِ الضَّرِيرُ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيدُ بْنُ زُرَيْعٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ وَهِشَامٌ عَنْ قَتَادَةَ عَنْ أَبِي نَضْرَةَ عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ «إِذَا كُنْتُمْ ثَلَاثَةً فِي سَفَرٍ فَلْيَؤُمَّكُمْ أَحَدُكُمْ وَأَحَقَّكُمْ بِالْإِمَامَةِ أَقْرَؤُكُمْ»  

nasai-kubra:859ʿUbaydullāh b. Saʿīd > Yaḥyá > Hishām > Qatādah > Abū Naḍrah > Abū Saʿīd

When there are three persons, one of them should lead them. The one among them most worthy to act as Imam is one who is best versed in the Qur'an. (Using translation from Muslim 672a)  

الكبرى للنسائي:٨٥٩أَخْبَرَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللهِ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ عَنْ يَحْيَى عَنْ هِشَامٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا قَتَادَةُ عَنْ أَبِي نَضْرَةَ عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ «إِذَا كَانُوا ثَلَاثَةً فَلْيَؤُمَّهُمْ أَحَدُهُمْ وَأَحَقُّهُمْ بِالْإِمَامَةِ أَقْرَؤُهُمْ»  

nasai-kubra:916Qutaybah b. Saʿīd > Abū ʿAwānah > Qatādah > Abū Naḍrah > Abū Saʿīd

When there are three persons, one of them should lead them. The one among them most worthy to act as Imam is one who is best versed in the Qur'an. (Using translation from Muslim 672a)  

الكبرى للنسائي:٩١٦أَخْبَرَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَوَانَةَ عَنْ قَتَادَةَ عَنْ أَبِي نَضْرَةَ عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ «إِذَا كَانُوا ثَلَاثَةً فَلْيَؤُمَّهُمْ أَحَدُهُمْ وَأَحَقُّهُمْ بِالْإِمَامَةِ أَقْرَؤُهُمْ»  

bayhaqi:5126Abū Bakr Muḥammad b. al-Ḥasan b. Fūrak > ʿAbdullāh b. Jaʿfar > Yūnus b. Ḥabīb > Abū Dāwud > Hishām > Qatādah > Abū Naḍrah > Abū Saʿīd

[Machine] The Prophet ﷺ said: "When there are three individuals on a journey, let one of them lead them in prayer, and the one most knowledgeable of the Quran should lead them."  

البيهقي:٥١٢٦أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو بَكْرٍ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ فُورَكٍ أنبأ عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ ثنا يُونُسُ بْنُ حَبِيبٍ ثنا أَبُو دَاوُدَ ثنا هِشَامٌ عَنْ قَتَادَةَ عَنْ أَبِي نَضْرَةَ عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ

أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ قَالَ إِذَا كَانُوا ثَلَاثَةً فِي سَفَرٍ فَلْيَؤُمَّهُمْ أَحَدُهُمْ وَأَحَقُّهُمْ بِالْإِمَامَةِ أَقْرَؤُهُمْ  

أَخْرَجَهُ مُسْلِمٌ مِنْ حَدِيثِ هِشَامٍ الدَّسْتُوَائِيِّ وَغَيْرِهِ عَنْ قَتَادَةَ
bayhaqi:5287[Chain 1] Abū Bakr Aḥmad b. al-Ḥasan al-Qāḍī > Ḥājib b. Aḥmad > Muḥammad b. Yaḥyá > Muḥammad b. ʿAbdullāh b. al-Muthanná > Saʿīd [Chain 2] Abū ʿAbdullāh al-Ḥāfiẓ > Abū al-Walīd > al-Ḥasan b. Sufyān > Abū Bakr b. Abū Shaybah > Abū Khālid al-Aḥmar > Saʿīd > Qatādah > Abū Naḍrah > Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī ؓ

[Machine] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "When they are three, one of them should lead them in prayer, and the most knowledgeable of them in recitation should lead them."  

البيهقي:٥٢٨٧أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو بَكْرٍ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ الْقَاضِي أنبأ حَاجِبُ بْنُ أَحْمَدَ ثنا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى ثنا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ الْمُثَنَّى ثنا سَعِيدٌ ح وَأَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو عَبْدِ اللهِ الْحَافِظُ أَخْبَرَنِي أَبُو الْوَلِيدِ ثنا الْحَسَنُ بْنُ سُفْيَانَ ثنا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ أنبأ أَبُو خَالِدٍ الْأَحْمَرُ ثنا سَعِيدٌ عَنْ قَتَادَةَ عَنْ أَبِي نَضْرَةَ عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ ؓ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ إِذَا كَانُوا ثَلَاثَةً فَلْيَؤُمَّهُمْ أَحَدُهُمْ وَأَحَقُّهُمْ بِالْإِمَامَةِ أَقْرَؤُهُمْ لَفْظُهُمَا سَوَاءٌ  

رَوَاهُ مُسْلِمٌ فِي الصَّحِيحِ عَنْ أَبِي بَكْرِ بْنِ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ
bayhaqi:5288Abū Bakr b. Fūrak > ʿAbdullāh b. Jaʿfar > Yūnus b. Ḥabīb > Abū Dāwud > Hishām > Qatādah > Abū Naḍrah > Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī

[Machine] "That the Prophet ﷺ said: When there are three in a journey, let one of them lead the prayer and the most deserving among them for leadership is the one who is most knowledgeable in reciting the Quran."  

البيهقي:٥٢٨٨أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ فُورَكٍ أنبأ عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ ثنا يُونُسُ بْنُ حَبِيبٍ ثنا أَبُو دَاوُدَ ثنا هِشَامٌ عَنْ قَتَادَةَ عَنْ أَبِي نَضْرَةَ عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ

أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ قَالَ إِذَا كَانُوا ثَلَاثَةً فِي سَفَرٍ فَلْيَؤُمَّهُمْ أَحَدُهُمْ وَأَحَقُّهُمْ بِالْإِمَامَةِ أَقْرَؤُهُمْ  

أَخْرَجَهُ مُسْلِمٌ مِنْ حَدِيثِ مُعَاذِ بْنِ هِشَامٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ
suyuti:2546a

When there are three persons, one of them should lead them. The one among them most worthy to act as Imam is one who is best versed in the Qur'an. (Using translation from Muslim 672a)   

السيوطي:٢٥٤٦a

"إذا كانُوا ثلاثةً في سفر فليَؤُمَّهم أَحَدُهُم، وأحقُّهم بالإمامِة أقْرَؤُهُم" .  

[ط] الطيالسي وعبد حميد والدارمي، [ش] ابن أبى شيبة [حم] أحمد [م] مسلم [ك] الحاكم في المستدرك وابن خزيمة [قط] الدارقطنى في السنن [ن] النسائي عن أبي سعيد، الشيرازى في الألقاب عن بَهْز بن حكيم عن أبيه عن جده