Chapter: Who has the best right to lead the prayer (Imamah)?
• I heard Ishaq say: "The most entitled among the people to lead them in prayer is the one who is most well-versed in the Book of Allah, and the most knowledgeable of them in the Sunnah. If they are equal in the Sunnah, then the earliest of them in Hijrah (migration). If they are equal in Hijrah, then the oldest of them in age."
Chapter: Performing voluntary (nafilah) prayers in the same place where the obligatory prayer was performed
• It was said to Ahmad ibn Hanbal: A man performs a voluntary prayer in the place where he performed the obligatory prayer? He said: "As for the Imam, this is disliked for him," and he seemed to permit it for someone other than the Imam.
• I heard Ishaq say: "It is disliked for the Imam to perform a voluntary prayer in the place where he performed the obligatory prayer, until he moves from it."
1154 - 'Amr ibn 'Uthman narrated to us, saying: Al-Walid ibn Muslim narrated to us, from Abu 'Amr al-Awza'i, from 'Ata' ibn Abi Rabah—he was asked about a man who performed the obligatory prayer, should he perform a voluntary prayer in that same place? He said: "No, unless he separates by speaking, or moves forward, or moves backward."
1155 - Al-Walid said: And Abu 'Amr said: "This is only incumbent upon the Imam, that he should move from his prayer spot." I said to Abu 'Amr: What is sufficient for that? He said: "The minimum of that is that he shifts his feet from his prayer spot." I said to Abu 'Amr: What if his space is narrow? He said: "Then he should sit cross-legged after his salutation (taslim), for that is sufficient for him."
باب: مَنْ أَحَقُّ بِالإمَامَة؟
• سمعت إسحاق يقول: «أحَقُّ القَوم أن يَؤمَّهم: أقرَؤهم لِكِتاب الله، وأعلَمُهم بِالسُّنَّة، فإن كانوا في السُّنَّة سَواء؛ فأقدَمُهم هِجرَة، فإن كانوا في الهِجرَة سَواء؛ فأكبَرُهم سِنًّا».
باب: التَّطَوُّع في المكَان الذي تُصَلَّى فِيه الفَريضَة
• قيل لأحمَد بن حَنبل: الرجل يَتَطَوَّع في مَكانِه الذي يُصَلِّي فيه المكتوبَة؟ قال: «أما الإمام؛ فيُكرَه لَه ذلك»، وكأنَّه رَخَّص لِغَير الإمام.
• وسمعت إسحاق يقول: «يُكرَه لِلإمام أن يُصَلِّي في المكان الذي صَلَّى فيه الفَريضَةَ تَطَوُّعًا؛ حتى يَتَحَوَّل مِنه».
١١٥٤ - حدثنا عَمرو بن عُثمان، قال: ثنا الوَليد بن مُسلِم، عن أبي عَمرو الأوزاعي، عن عَطاء بن أبي رَبَاح -وسألَه عن رَجلٍ صَلَّى المكتوبَة، أيُصَلِّي في مَكانه نافِلَة؟ فقال: «لا، إلا أن يَقطَع بِحَديث، أو يَتَقَدَّم، أو يَتأخَّر».
١١٥٥ - قال الوَليد: وقال أبو عَمرو: «إنما يَجِب ذلك على الإمام؛ أن يَتَحَوَّل من مُصَلَّاه». قلت لأبي عَمرو: فما يُجزئ من ذلك؟ قال: «أدنَى ذلك: أن يُزيل قَدَمَيه ⦗٥٣٤⦘ من مُصَلَّاه». قلت لأبي عَمرو: فإن ضاق مَكانُه؟ قال: «فليَتَربَّع بَعدَ سَلامِه؛ فإنه يُجزئه».
