Who is more entitled to lead the prayer in the mosque: one who has memorized 25 parts but does not recite well, or one who has memorized 5 parts and recites well?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
The one most deserving of leading the prayer (Imamah) is he who has memorized the most Qur’an, even if he does not recite with Tajwid, as long as he does not make errors in recitation. If someone with less memorization but better Tajwid leads them, there is no harm. The sayings of scholars have varied regarding the meaning of the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) statement, "The one who is most knowledgeable of the Book of Allah should lead the people in prayer." Some of them went to the opinion that it refers to the one who has memorized the most, while others said it refers to the one who recites best.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
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- 129511
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