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 <i>imam</i> 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 <i>adhan</i> (Ch. 7a).

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»