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.
tabarani:18255ʿAbdullāh b. Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal > Muḥammad b. ʿAbd al-Raḥīm al-Barqī > Shabābah b. Sawwār > al-Mughīrah b. Muslim > al-Walīd b. Muslim > Saʿīd al-Quṭayʿī > al-Mughīrah b. Shuʿbah

[Machine] I asked the Prophet ﷺ to appoint me as the leader of my people, and he said, "Perform the prayer that is the strongest among the people, and do not appoint a muezzin who takes a wage for his call to prayer."  

الطبراني:١٨٢٥٥حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ حَنْبَلٍ حَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحِيمِ الْبَرْقِيُّ ثَنَا شَبَابَةُ بْنُ سَوَّارٍ ثَنَا الْمُغِيرَةُ بْنُ مُسْلِمٍ عَنِ الْوَلِيدِ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ عَنْ سَعِيدٍ الْقُطَيْعِيِّ عَنِ الْمُغِيرَةِ بْنِ شُعْبَةَ قَالَ

سَأَلْتُ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ أَنْ يَجْعَلَنِي إِمَامَ قَوْمِي فَقَالَ «صَلِّ صَلَاةَ أَضْعَفِ الْقَوْمِ وَلَا تَتَّخِذْ مُؤَذِّنًا يَأْخُذُ عَلَى أَذَانِهِ أَجْرًا»  


See similar narrations below:

Collected by Nasāʾī, Abū Dāwūd, Aḥmad, Bayhaqī, Suyūṭī
nasai:672Aḥmad b. Sulaymān > ʿAffān > Ḥammād b. Salamah > Saʿīd al-Jurayrī > Abū al-ʿAlāʾ > Muṭarrif > ʿUthmān b. Abū al-ʿĀṣ

"I said: 'O Messenger of Allah ﷺ, make me the Imam of my people.' He said: 'You are their Imam, so consider the weakest among them and choose a Mu'adhdhin who does not accept any payment for his Adhan.'"  

النسائي:٦٧٢أَخْبَرَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَفَّانُ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ سَلَمَةَ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا سَعِيدٌ الْجُرَيْرِيُّ عَنْ أَبِي الْعَلاَءِ عَنْ مُطَرِّفٍ عَنْ عُثْمَانَ بْنِ أَبِي الْعَاصِ قَالَ

قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ اجْعَلْنِي إِمَامَ قَوْمِي فَقَالَ أَنْتَ إِمَامُهُمْ وَاقْتَدِ بِأَضْعَفِهِمْ وَاتَّخِذْ مُؤَذِّنًا لاَ يَأْخُذُ عَلَى أَذَانِهِ أَجْرًا  

abudawud:531Mūsá b. Ismāʿīl > Ḥammād > Saʿīd al-Jurayrī > Abū al-ʿAlāʾ > Muṭarrif b. ʿAbdullāh > ʿUthmān b. Abū al-ʿĀṣ

Messenger of Allah, appoint me the leader of the tribe in prayer. He said: You are their leader, but you should follow on who is the weakest of them: and appoint a mu'adhdhin who does not charge for the calling of adhan.  

أبو داود:٥٣١حَدَّثَنَا مُوسَى بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادٌ أَخْبَرَنَا سَعِيدٌ الْجُرَيْرِيُّ عَنْ أَبِي الْعَلاَءِ عَنْ مُطَرِّفِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَنْ عُثْمَانَ بْنِ أَبِي الْعَاصِ قَالَ قُلْتُ وَقَالَ مُوسَى فِي مَوْضِعٍ آخَرَ إِنَّ عُثْمَانَ بْنَ أَبِي الْعَاصِ قَالَ

يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ اجْعَلْنِي إِمَامَ قَوْمِي قَالَ أَنْتَ إِمَامُهُمْ وَاقْتَدِ بِأَضْعَفِهِمْ وَاتَّخِذْ مُؤَذِّنًا لاَ يَأْخُذُ عَلَى أَذَانِهِ أَجْرًا  

ahmad:16270ʿAbd al-Ṣamad > Ḥammād > al-Jurayrī > Abū al-ʿAlāʾ > ʿUthmān b. Abū al-ʿĀṣ

Messenger of Allah, appoint me the leader of the tribe in prayer. He said: You are their leader, but you should follow on who is the weakest of them: and appoint a mu'adhdhin who does not charge for the calling of adhan. (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 531)  

أحمد:١٦٢٧٠حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الصَّمَدِ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادٌ عَنِ الْجُرَيْرِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي الْعَلَاءِ عَنْ عُثْمَانَ بْنِ أَبِي الْعَاصِ قَالَ

قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ اجْعَلْنِي إِمَامَ قَوْمِي فَقَالَ أَنْتَ إِمَامُهُمْ وَاقْتَدِ بِأَضْعَفِهِمْ وَاتَّخِذْ مُؤَذِّنًا لَا يَأْخُذُ عَلَى أَذَانِهِ أَجْرًا  

ahmad:16271ʿAffān > Ḥammād b. Salamah > Saʿīd al-Jurayrī > Abū al-ʿAlāʾ > Muṭarrif > ʿUthmān b. Abū al-ʿĀṣ

Messenger of Allah, appoint me the leader of the tribe in prayer. He said: You are their leader, but you should follow on who is the weakest of them: and appoint a mu'adhdhin who does not charge for the calling of adhan. (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 531)  

أحمد:١٦٢٧١حَدَّثَنَا عَفَّانُ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ سَلَمَةَ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا سَعِيدٌ الْجُرَيْرِيُّ عَنْ أَبِي الْعَلَاءِ عَنْ مُطَرِّفٍ عَنْ عُثْمَانَ بْنِ أَبِي الْعَاصِ قَالَ

قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ اجْعَلْنِي إِمَامَ قَوْمِي قَالَ أَنْتَ إِمَامُهُمْ فَاقْتَدِ بِأَضْعَفِهِمْ وَاتَّخِذْ مُؤَذِّنًا لَا يَأْخُذُ عَلَى أَذَانِهِ أَجْرًا  

bayhaqi:2018Abū ʿAbdullāh al-Ḥāfiẓ > Abū al-ʿAbbās Muḥammad b. Yaʿqūb > Muḥammad b. Isḥāq al-Ṣaghānī > ʿAffān > Ḥammād b. Salamah > al-Jurayrī > Abū al-ʿAlāʾ > Muṭarrif > ʿUthmān b. Abū al-ʿĀṣ

Messenger of Allah, appoint me the leader of the tribe in prayer. He said: You are their leader, but you should follow on who is the weakest of them: and appoint a mu'adhdhin who does not charge for the calling of adhan. (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 531)   

البيهقي:٢٠١٨أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو عَبْدِ اللهِ الْحَافِظُ ثنا أَبُو الْعَبَّاسِ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَعْقُوبَ ثنا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْحَاقَ الصَّغَانِيُّ ثنا عَفَّانُ ثنا حَمَّادُ بْنُ سَلَمَةَ أَخْبَرَنِي الْجُرَيْرِيُّ عَنْ أَبِي الْعَلَاءِ عَنْ مُطَرِّفٍ عَنْ عُثْمَانَ بْنِ أَبِي الْعَاصِ قَالَ

قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ اجْعَلْنِي إِمَامَ قَوْمِي قَالَ أَنْتَ إِمَامُهُمْ فَاقْتَدِ بِأَضْعَفِهِمْ وَاتَّخِذْ مُؤَذِّنًا لَا يَأْخُذُ عَلَى أَذَانِهِ أَجْرًا