Islamic Fiqh > Prayer > Group prayer and the rules of the imam > The imam: capacity, special cases and precedence
Updated on 06 October 2026 at 10:50 PM
A continuation of the fiqh study on congregational prayer and the imam: after discussing the sinful imam, this chapter reviews the other personal qualities required of the imam, namely sound reason, maturity, being male, the ability to recite and the ability to perform the pillars of prayer. It then deals with the cases in which the imam leads the prayer while in a state of ritual impurity, praying behind a sick imam who sits, the ranking of those entitled to lead, and the question of taking payment for leading the prayer. The positions of the 4 schools are given with their classical references and the hadiths on which each view rests.