(Second chain of narration) Sayyiduna Malik bin Huwairith (may Allah be pleased with him) says that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to him and his companion: When the time for prayer comes, then give the adhan, then say the iqamah, and the one who is eldest among you should lead the congregation. Khalid says: I said to Abu Qilabah: Where did the issue of (appointing the imam based on) recitation go? He said: Indeed, both of them (recitation and the rest of knowledge) were nearly equal. In one narration, these words are also present: Pray as you have seen me praying.

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) says: I went to Sayyiduna Abu Musa Ash’ari (may Allah be pleased with him) at his house. Meanwhile, the time for prayer arrived. He said to me: Abu Abdur Rahman! Step forward (and lead the prayer) because you are older and more knowledgeable. But I said: No, rather you should step forward, because we have come to you, to your house, and to your mosque, so you are more deserving. Thus, Sayyiduna Abu Musa (may Allah be pleased with him) stepped forward and he took off his shoes. When he finished the prayer with salam, I said: Why did you take off your shoes? Are you in the sacred valley? I saw the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) praying while wearing socks and shoes.

Abu Atiyyah says: Sayyiduna Malik bin Huwairith (may Allah be pleased with him) used to come to us at our place of prayer and would talk with us. One day, the time for prayer arrived, and we said to him: "Step forward and lead (the prayer)." But he said: "No, let one of your own people step forward." I will explain to you why I am not stepping forward. I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: "When a man comes to visit others, he should not lead them in prayer; rather, one of their own people should lead the congregation."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, appointed Sayyiduna Ibn Umm Maktum, may Allah be pleased with him, as his deputy over Madinah twice. He used to lead the people in prayer, while he was blind.

It is also narrated from Sayyiduna Anas, he says: Sayyiduna ‘Itban bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) had lost his eyesight, so he said: O Messenger of Allah! If you would come and pray in my house, I would make that place a mosque. So the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came and prayed in his house.

Sayyiduna Amr bin Salamah (may Allah be pleased with him) says: We resided in a place where people returning from the presence of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) would pass by. I would go near them and listen to them, until I had memorized a considerable portion of the Qur’an. Meanwhile, people were waiting for the conquest of Makkah to embrace Islam. When Makkah was conquered, people began to come to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). A man would come and say: I am the representative of such-and-such tribe and have come to inform about their acceptance of Islam. My father also went to inform about his tribe’s acceptance of Islam. When he returned to them, he said that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: The one among you who has recited more of the Qur’an should be put forward for leading the prayer. So they looked (to see who should be made the imam), and although there were many people, they could not find anyone who had recited more Qur’an than me, so they put me forward for imamat, and I was still a boy. I led them in prayer, and I had only one sheet; when I would bow or prostrate, the cloth would rise up and my private parts would begin to be exposed. When we finished the prayer, a very elderly woman said: At least cover your reciter’s backside from us. Then they cut a piece of cloth and made a shirt for me, because of which I was very happy.

(Second chain) Their father says: We went to the Noble Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. When we intended to return, we asked: O Messenger of Allah! Who will lead us in prayer? The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: The one among you who has memorized the most Qur'an. Sayyiduna Amr bin Salamah, may Allah be pleased with him, said: There was no one in our tribe who had memorized as much Qur'an as I had. Therefore, they put me forward, even though I was still a boy. I used to lead them in prayer, and I had only a small sheet over me. Whenever I attended any gathering in Jurm (the name of a place), I would be their imam, and to this day, I have continued to lead their funeral prayers.

Sayyida Umm Waraqah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that she had memorized the Holy Qur'an, so the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) instructed her to lead her household in prayer. Thus, she had a muezzin and she used to lead her household in prayer.

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: When any of you leads the people in prayer, he should make it brief, because among them are the weak, the sick, and the elderly. However, when a person prays alone, he may prolong it as much as he wishes. In one narration, instead of "the weak," the word "the young" is used.

(Second chain) This narration is similar, except that it states: Indeed, among them are the weak, the elderly, and those in need.