مشكوة المصابيح
Mishkat al-Masabih
كتاب الصلاة
The Book of Prayer
(إِذَا كَانُوا ثَلَاثَةً فَلْيُقِيمُوا صَلَاةَ ٱلْجَمَاعَةِ)
(If they are three, they should establish congregational prayer)
Hadith 1118
وَعَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «إِذَا كَانُوا ثَلَاثَةً فليؤمهم أحدهم وأحقهم بِالْإِمَامِ أَقْرَؤُهُمْ» . رَوَاهُ مُسْلِمٌ وَذَكَرَ حَدِيثَ مَالِكِ بْنِ الْحُوَيْرِثِ فِي بَابٍ بَعْدَ بَابِ «فَضْلِ الْأَذَانِ»
Abu Sa'id reported God’s Messenger as saying, “When there are three people one of them should lead them. The one among them most worthy to act as imam is the one who is most versed in the Qur’an.” Muslim transmitted it. The tradition of Malik b. al-Huwairith has been mentioned in a chapter following that on the excellence of the adhan (Ch. 7a).
