Hazrat Laith and Hazrat Shahr state that there is no harm in the leadership (imamat) of a slave, provided that he is the most knowledgeable among them.

Ziyad, the freed slave of Umm al-Hasan, says that I was a slave, but Salim bin Abdullah prayed behind me.

Hazrat Abu Majliz considered the leadership of prayer by a slave to be disliked, while Hasan saw no harm in it.

Hazrat Abdullah bin Ubaidullah bin Abi Mulaykah narrates that my father, Hazrat Ubaid bin Umair, Hazrat Miswar bin Makhramah, and many other people used to visit Hazrat Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her). Hazrat Aisha’s (may Allah be pleased with her) freed slave, Abu Amr, used to lead them in prayer. At that time, Abu Amr was still a slave and had not yet been freed.

Hazrat Hakam states that a slave led prayers in this mosque for forty years, and Hazrat Shurayh also used to pray in this mosque.

Hazrat Amr bin Maisarah says that Hazrat Hasan bin Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) performed prayer with his family behind his servant in a room of his house.

Hazrat Dhahhak says that if there is a free man among the worshippers, then a slave should not lead the prayer, and if there is a pilgrim among them, then a non-pilgrim should not lead the prayer.

Hazrat Abu Sufyan narrates that I went towards the place of Yanbu with Hazrat Abdullah bin Ja'far, Hazrat Hussain bin Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), and Hazrat Ibn Abi Ahmad. When the time for prayer arrived, they put me forward and I led them in prayer.