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.
Qurʾān Bukhārī Muslim Nasāʾī Abū Dāwūd Tirmidhī Ibn Mājah Mālik Aḥmad Dārimī Ḥākim Ibn Ḥibbān Ṭabarānī Nasāʾī's Kubrá Bayhaqī al-Adab al-Mufrad al-Luʾluʾ wa-al-Marjān Ibn Rajab's Fifty Riyāḍ al-Ṣāliḥīn Aḥmad's Zuhd Suyūṭī Misc
tabarani:14744 – ʿAbdullāh b. Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal > ʿUbaydullāh b. ʿUmar al-Qawārīrī > ʿAbd al-Wārith > Muḥammad b. ʿUbādah > Ismāʿīl b. Rajāʾ > Aws b. Ḍamʿaj > ʿUqbah b. ʿAmr

[Machine] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "The person who leads the people in prayer is the one who made the earliest migration. If their migration was equal, then it is the one who is older. If they are equal in age, then it is the one who knows the Quran the best."  

الطبراني:١٤٧٤٤ – حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ حَنْبَلٍ ثَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللهِ بْنُ عُمَرَ الْقَوَارِيرِيُّ ثَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَارِثِ ثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عُبَادَةَ عَنْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ رَجَاءٍ عَنْ أَوْسِ بْنِ ضَمْعَجٍ عَنْ عُقْبَةَ بْنِ عَمْرٍو قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ «يَؤُمُّ الْقَوْمَ أَقْدَمُهُمْ هِجْرَةً فَإِنْ كَانَتْ هِجْرَتُهُمْ سَوَاءً فَأَقْدَمُهُمْ سِنًّا فَإِنْ كَانُوا فِي السِّنِّ سَوَاءً فَأَقْرَؤُهُمْ»  

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Collected by Abū Dāwūd, Aḥmad, Ḥākim, Ibn Ḥibbān
abudawud:584 – al-Ḥasan b. ʿAlī > ʿAbdullāh b. Numayr > al-Aʿmash > Ismāʿīl b. Rajāʾ > Aws b. Ḍamʿaj al-Ḥaḍramī > Abū Masʿūd

Hajjaj b. Artata reported from Isma’il: Do not sit in the place of honour of anyone except with his permission.  

أبو داود:٥٨٤ – حَدَّثَنَا الْحَسَنُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ نُمَيْرٍ عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ عَنْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ رَجَاءٍ عَنْ أَوْسِ بْنِ ضَمْعَجٍ الْحَضْرَمِيِّ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا مَسْعُودٍ

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ بِهَذَا الْحَدِيثِ قَالَ فَإِنْ كَانُوا فِي الْقِرَاءَةِ سَوَاءً فَأَعْلَمُهُمْ بِالسُّنَّةِ فَإِنْ كَانُوا فِي السُّنَّةِ سَوَاءً فَأَقْدَمُهُمْ هِجْرَةً وَلَمْ يَقُلْ فَأَقْدَمُهُمْ قِرَاءَةً  

قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ رَوَاهُ حَجَّاجُ بْنُ أَرْطَاةَ عَنْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ قَالَ وَلاَ تَقْعُدْ عَلَى تَكْرِمَةِ أَحَدٍ إِلاَّ بِإِذْنِهِ
ahmad:22340 – Abū Muʿāwiyah > al-Aʿmash > Ismāʿīl b. Rajāʾ > Aws b. Ḍamʿaj > Abū Masʿūd al-Anṣārī

"The Messenger of Allah ﷺsaid: 'Let the one who has most knowledge of the Book of Allah lead the people in prayer. If they are equal in terms of knowledge of the Qur'h, let the one who emigrated first (lead them). If they are equal in terms of emigration, let the one who has more knowledge of the Sunnah, (lead them). If they are equal in terms of knowledge of the Sunnah, let the one who is oldest (lead them). Do not lead a man in prayer in his place of authority, and do not sit in his place of honor, unless he gives you permission."' (Using translation from Nasāʾī 780)   

أحمد:٢٢٣٤٠ – حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ حَدَّثَنَا الْأَعْمَشُ عَنْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ رَجَاءٍ عَنْ أَوْسِ بْنِ ضَمْعَجٍ عَنْ أَبِي مَسْعُودٍ الْأَنْصَارِيِّ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ يَؤُمُّ الْقَوْمَ أَقْرَؤُهُمْ لِكِتَابِ اللهِ فَإِنْ كَانُوا فِي الْقِرَاءَةِ سَوَاءً فَأَعْلَمُهُمْ بِالسُّنَّةِ فَإِنْ كَانُوا فِي السُّنَّةِ سَوَاءً فَأَقْدَمُهُمْ هِجْرَةً فَإِنْ كَانُوا فِي الْهِجْرَةِ سَوَاءً فَأَكْبَرُهُمْ سِنًّا وَلَا تَؤُمَّنَّ رَجُلًا فِي سُلْطَانِهِ وَلَا تَجْلِسْ عَلَى تَكْرِمَتِهِ فِي بَيْتِهِ حَتَّى يَأْذَنَ لَكَ  

hakim:887 – Abū Aḥmad al-Ḥusayn b. ʿAlī al-Tamīmī ؒ > Abū Ḥāmid Muḥammad b. Hārūn al-Ḥaḍramī > al-Mundhir b. al-Walīd al-a neighborūdī > Yaḥyá b. Zakariyyā b. Dīnār al-Anṣārī > al-Ḥajjāj > Ismāʿīl b. Rajāʾ > Aws b. Ḍamʿaj > ʿUqbah b. ʿAmr

[Machine] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "The one with the most seniority in migration should lead the people. If they are equal in migration, then the one with the most knowledge in religion should lead them. If they are equal in religion, then the one who recites the Qur'an best should lead them. A man should not lead others in his dominion, nor should he sit on his honored seat without permission."  

الحاكم:٨٨٧ – حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو أَحْمَدَ الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ التَّمِيمِيُّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ ثنا أَبُو حَامِدٍ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ هَارُونَ الْحَضْرَمِيُّ ثنا الْمُنْذِرُ بْنُ الْوَلِيدِ الْجَارُودِيُّ ثنا يَحْيَى بْنُ زَكَرِيَّا بْنِ دِينَارٍ الْأَنْصَارِيُّ ثنا الْحَجَّاجُ عَنْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ رَجَاءٍ عَنْ أَوْسِ بْنِ ضَمْعَجٍ عَنْ عُقْبَةَ بْنِ عَمْرٍو قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ «يَؤُمُّ الْقَوْمَ أَقْدَمُهُمْ هِجْرَةً فَإِنْ كَانُوا فِي الْهِجْرَةِ سَوَاءً فَأَفْقَهُهُمْ فِي الدِّينِ فَإِنْ كَانُوا فِي الدِّينِ سَوَاءً فَأَقْرَؤُهُمْ لِلْقُرْآنِ وَلَا يُؤَمُّ الرَّجُلُ فِي سُلْطَانِهِ وَلَا يُقْعَدُ عَلَى تَكْرِمَتِهِ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِ»  

ibnhibban:2127 – Muḥammad b. ʿAbdullāh al-Hāshimī > ʿAbdullāh b. ʿUmar b. Maymūn b. al-Rammāḥ > Abū Muʿāwiyah > al-Aʿmash > Ismāʿīl b. Rajāʾ > Aws b. Ḍamʿaj > Abū Masʿūd al-Anṣārī

“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: ‘The people should be lead by the one who is most well-Versed in recitation of the Book of Allah. If they are equal in recitation, then they should be led by the one who emigrated first. If they are equal in emigration, then they should be led by the eldest. A man should not be led among his family or in his place of authority; no one should be sat in his place of honor in his house without permission, or without his permission.’” (Using translation from Ibn Mājah 980)   

ابن حبّان:٢١٢٧ – أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الْهَاشِمِيُّ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عُمَرَ بْنِ مَيْمُونِ بْنِ الرَّمَّاحِ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ عَنِ الْأَعْمَشِ عَنْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ رَجَاءٍ عَنْ أَوْسِ بْنِ ضَمْعَجٍ عَنْ أَبِي مَسْعُودٍ الْأَنْصَارِيِّ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ «يَؤُمُّ الْقَوْمَ أَقْرَؤُهُمْ لِكِتَابِ اللَّهِ فَإِنْ كَانُوا فِي الْقِرَاءَةِ سَوَاءً فَأَعْلَمُهُمْ بِالسُّنَّةِ فَإِنْ كَانُوا فِي السُّنَّةِ سَوَاءً فَأَقْدَمُهُمْ هِجْرَةً فَإِنْ كَانُوا فِي الْهِجْرَةِ سَوَاءً فَأَكْبَرُهُمْ سِنًّا وَلَا يُؤَمَّ الرَّجُلُ فِي سُلْطَانِهِ وَلَا يُجْلَسَ عَلَى تَكْرِمَتِهِ فِي بَيْتِهِ حَتَّى يَأْذَنَ لَهُ»  

ذِكْرُ الْإِخْبَارِ عَمَّنْ يَسْتَحِقُّ الْإِمَامَةَ لِلنَّاسِ

ibnhibban:2133 – al-Ḥasan b. Sufyān > Abū Bakr b. Abū Shaybah > Abū Khālid al-Aḥmar > al-Aʿmash > Ismāʿīl b. Rajāʾ > Aws b. Ḍamʿaj > Abū Masʿūd

"The Messenger of Allah ﷺsaid: 'Let the one who has most knowledge of the Book of Allah lead the people in prayer. If they are equal in terms of knowledge of the Qur'h, let the one who emigrated first (lead them). If they are equal in terms of emigration, let the one who has more knowledge of the Sunnah, (lead them). If they are equal in terms of knowledge of the Sunnah, let the one who is oldest (lead them). Do not lead a man in prayer in his place of authority, and do not sit in his place of honor, unless he gives you permission."' (Using translation from Nasāʾī 780)  

ابن حبّان:٢١٣٣ – أَخْبَرَنَا الْحَسَنُ بْنُ سُفْيَانَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو خَالِدٍ الْأَحْمَرُ عَنِ الْأَعْمَشِ عَنْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ رَجَاءٍ عَنْ أَوْسِ بْنِ ضَمْعَجٍ عَنْ أَبِي مَسْعُودٍ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ «يَؤُمُّ الْقَوْمَ أَقْرَؤُهُمْ لِكِتَابِ اللَّهِ فَإِنْ كَانُوا فِي الْقِرَاءَةِ سَوَاءً فَأَعْلَمُهُمْ بِالسُّنَّةِ فَإِنْ كَانُوا فِي السُّنَّةِ سَوَاءً فَأَقْدَمُهُمْ هِجْرَةً فَإِنْ كَانُوا فِي الْهِجْرَةِ سَوَاءً فَأَقْدَمُهُمْ سِنًّا وَلَا يَؤُمَّنَّ الرَّجُلُ الرَّجُلَ فِي سُلْطَانِهِ وَلَا يَقْعُدُ عَلَى تَكْرِمَتِهِ إِلَّا بِإِذْنِهِ»