and the sultan. It has been narrated from Ibn Umar that he came to some land of his, and near it was a mosque where a freed slave of Ibn Umar would lead the prayer. He prayed with them, and they asked him to lead them, but he refused and said, "The owner of the mosque is more entitled." And because he is included in the statement of the Prophet: "Whoever visits a people, let him not lead them."

Section: If the person entitled among these individuals permits a man to lead the prayer, it is permissible, and he becomes in the position of one who has been granted permission regarding the entitlement of precedence, because of the statement of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "...except with his permission." And because the imamate is a right that belongs to him, he may transfer it to whomever he wishes. Ahmad said: "The statement of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): 'A man should not be led in his place of authority, and no one should sit in his seat of honor in his house except with his permission,' I hope that the permission applies to all of it," and he saw no harm if he permitted him to lead the prayer.

Section: If the Sultan enters a town in which he has a deputy, he is more entitled than his deputy, because his authority extends over his deputy and others. If a slave and his master gather in the slave's house, the master is more entitled, because he is the true owner and his authority extends over the slave. But if his master is not with them, the slave is more entitled, because he is the owner of the house. For this reason, when Ibn Mas'ud, Hudhayfah, and Abu Dharr gathered in the house of Abu Sa'id, the freed slave of Abu Usayd—and he was a slave—Abu Dharr stepped forward to lead them in prayer, but they said to him, "Behind you!" So he looked at his companions and asked, "Is that so?" They replied, "Yes." So he stepped back, and they put Abu Sa'id forward, and he led them in prayer. If a lessor and a lessee gather in a leased house, the lessee is more entitled, because he is more entitled to the residence and the usufruct.

Section: The resident is more entitled than the traveler; because if he is an imam, he completes all his prayer in congregation, whereas if the traveler leads him, he (the resident) would need to complete the prayer individually. If he follows the traveler, it is permissible, and he completes the prayer after the salutation of his imam. If the traveler completes the prayer, their prayer is valid. Another version has been narrated from Ahmad regarding the prayer of the resident, that it is not permissible; because