the elder speak." Abu 'Abd Allah ibn Hamid said: The most entitled after recitation and jurisprudence is the most noble among them, then the one who preceded in migration, then the eldest. The correct view is to adopt what the hadith of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) indicated regarding the precedence of the one who preceded in migration, then the eldest; because it provides explicit evidence. There is no evidence in the hadith of Malik ibn al-Huwayrith for the precedence of the eldest, because neither migration nor superiority in nobility was established for them. Precedence in Islam is a criterion for preference, similar to the preference given to precedence in migration, for in some wordings of the hadith of Abu Mas'ud it states: "If they are equal in migration, then the earliest among them in Islam." Furthermore, Islam is more noble than migration, so if precedence is given to the latter, then precedence in the former is more deserving. If they are equal in all of this, the most noble among them is given precedence—meaning the one with the highest lineage, the most excellent in his own character, and the highest in status—due to the statement of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "Give precedence to the Quraysh, and do not precede them" (9).
Section: If they are equal in these qualities, the most pious and the most scrupulous among them is given precedence, because he is more noble in religion, more excellent, and closer to having his prayers answered. It has been reported: "If a man leads a people in prayer and among them is one who is better than him, they will remain in decline." Imam Ahmad mentioned this in his "Risala" (10). This precedence is interpreted as applying to the most noble, because the nobility of religion is better than the nobility of the world, and Allah the Almighty has said: {Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you} (11). If they are equal in all of this, lots are cast between them. Ahmad, may Allah have mercy on him, explicitly stated this. This is because Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas cast lots among them for the adhan, and leading prayer (imama) is more worthy of this, and because they are equal in entitlement and it is impossible to combine them, so lots are cast
= 6/192, 193. And Al-Nasa'i, in: The Chapter on Mentioning the Difference in the Wordings of the Transmitters of the Report of Sahl regarding him, from the Book of Qasama. Al-Mujtaba 8/7-12. And Imam Ahmad, in: Al-Musnad 4/2, 3. (8) In M: "by precedence". (9) The hadith is in Al-Kamil by Ibn 'Adi 5/1810. And in Tartib Musnad al-Shafi'i by Al-Sindi 2/194, hadith no. (691), at the beginning of the Book of Merits. And in Fayd al-Qadir by Al-Munawi 4/512, hadith no. (6109), where he attributes it to Al-Tabarani, and hadith no. (6110), where he attributes it to Al-Bazzar. (10) Al-Risala al-Sunniyya, within Majmu'at al-Hadith al-Najdiyya, 457. (11) Surah Al-Hujurat 13.
