It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: The imam is a guarantor and the muezzin is trustworthy. O Allah! Guide the imams (i.e., grant them the ability to fulfill their responsibility) and forgive the shortcomings of the muezzins.

Abu Ali Hamdani says: I set out on a journey, and with us was Sayyiduna Uqbah bin Amir (may Allah be pleased with him). We said to him, "May Allah have mercy on you, you are among the Companions of the Messenger, so please lead us in prayer." But he said: "No, because I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: Whoever leads the people in prayer, observes the correct time, and performs the prayer completely, then he will receive the reward as will the followers. And whoever falls short in any of these matters, then its sin will be upon that imam, not upon the followers."

Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, narrates that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: They will lead you in prayer; if they perform the prayer correctly, you will receive the reward and so will they, and if they make a mistake, you will still receive the reward but the sin will be upon them.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Perhaps you will encounter people who will delay the prayer from its prescribed time; if you do encounter them, then perform the prayer at its proper time in your homes according to your knowledge, then also perform it with them and consider it as a voluntary (nafl) prayer.

It is also narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Surely, soon there will be rulers over your affairs who will erase the Sunnah, revive innovations, and delay the prayer from its appointed time. Abdullah bin Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: O Messenger of Allah! When I encounter them, what should I do? The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: O son of Umm Abd! There is no obedience to a person who disobeys Allah. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said this three times.