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.
bayhaqi:5299Abū Bakr b. al-Ḥasan al-Qāḍī > Abū ʿAlī al-Ḥasan b. ʿAlī b. Yazīd al-Ḥāfiẓ > Saʾaltuh

[Machine] On the authority of the Prophet ﷺ , he said: When there are three people, let the one who is most knowledgeable in the Book of Allah lead them in prayer. If they are equal in recitation, then let the one who is older lead them. If they are equal in age, then let the one who has the best appearance lead them.  

البيهقي:٥٢٩٩أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ الْقَاضِي أنبأ أَبُو عَلِيٍّ الْحَسَنُ بْنُ عَلِيِّ بْنِ يَزِيدَ الْحَافِظُ وَأَنَا سَأَلْتُهُ أنبأ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ قُتَيْبَةَ الْعَسْقَلَانِيُّ وَكَانَ مِنْ أَمَاثِلِ الشَّامِ ثنا عَبْدُ الْعَزِيزِ بْنُ مُعَاوِيَةَ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ أَبُو خَالِدٍ الْقَاضِي مِنْ وَلَدِ عَتَّابِ بْنِ أَسِيدٍ أنبأ أَبُو عَاصِمٍ أنبأ عَزْرَةُ بْنُ ثَابِتٍ عَنْ عِلْبَاءَ بْنِ أَحْمَرَ عَنْ أَبِي زَيْدٍ الْأَنْصَارِيِّ وَهُوَ عَمْرُو بْنُ أَخْطَبَ

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ إِذَا كَانُوا ثَلَاثَةً فَلْيَؤُمَّهُمْ أَقْرَؤُهُمْ لِكِتَابِ اللهِ ﷻ فَإِنْ كَانُوا فِي الْقِرَاءَةِ سَوَاءً فَأَكْبَرُهُمْ سِنًّا فَإِنْ كَانُوا فِي السِّنِّ سَوَاءً فَأَحْسَنُهُمْ وَجْهًا  


See similar narrations below:

Collected by Ṭabarānī, Suyūṭī
tabarani:14732Bishr b. Mūsá > al-Ḥumaydī > Sufyān > Ḥafiẓnāh > al-Aʿmash > Ismāʿīl b. Rajāʾ > Aws b. Ḍamʿaj > Abū Masʿūd

[Machine] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "The one who has the most knowledge of the Book of Allah should lead the people in prayer. If they are equal in recitation, then the one who has more knowledge of the Sunnah should teach them. If they are equal in knowledge of the Sunnah, then the one who is older should lead them in prayer. He should not be led in prayer in his own authority, and no one should sit on his pulpit except with his permission."  

الطبراني:١٤٧٣٢حَدَّثَنَا بِشْرُ بْنُ مُوسَى ثَنَا الْحُمَيْدِيُّ ثَنَا سُفْيَانُ قَالَ حَفِظْنَاهُ عَنِ الْأَعْمَشِ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنَ رَجَاءٍ يُحَدِّثُ عَنْ أَوْسِ بْنِ ضَمْعَجٍ عَنْ أَبِي مَسْعُودٍ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ «يَؤُمُّ الْقَوْمَ أَقْرَؤُهُمْ لِكِتَابِ اللهِ فَإِنْ كَانُوا فِي الْقِرَاءَةِ سَوَاءً فَأَعْلِمْهُمْ بِالسُّنَّةِ فَإِنْ كَانُوا فِي السُّنَّةِِ سَوَاءً فَأَكْبَرُهُمْ سِنًّا وَلَا يُؤَمُّ فِي سُلْطَانِهِ وَلَا يُجْلَسُ عَلَى تَكْرِمَتِهِ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِ»  

suyuti:2547a
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السيوطي:٢٥٤٧a

"إذَا كانُوا ثلاثةً فليؤُمَّهم أقْرَؤُهم لكتابِ الله، فإِنْ كانُوا في السِّن سَواءً فأحْسنُهم وجهًا".  

[ق] البيهقى في السنن عن أبي زيد الأنْصَارى