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Sahih al-Bukhari 4302 (Book 64, Hadith 335) #4108
Appointment of a Young Imam

SUMMARY: The hadith is about a young boy who was appointed as an Imam to lead the prayer due to his knowledge of the Quran.

Narrated 'Amr bin Salama: We were at a place which was a thoroughfare for the people, and the caravans used to pass by us and we would ask them, "What is wrong with the people? What is wrong with the people? Who is that man?. They would say, "That man claims that Allah has sent him (as an Apostle), that he has been divinely inspired, that Allah has revealed to him such-and-such". I used to memorize that (Divine) Talk, and feel as if it was inculcated in my chest (ie mind) And the 'Arabs (other than Quraish) delayed their conversion to Islam till the Conquest (of Mecca). They used to say"".Leave him (ie Muhammad) and his people Quraish: if he overpowers them then he is a true Prophet. So, when Mecca was conquered, then every tribe rushed to embrace Islam, and my father hurried to embrace Islam before (the other members of) my tribe. When my father returned (from the Prophet) to his tribe, he said, "By Allah, I have come to you from the Prophet for sure!" The Prophet afterwards said to them, 'Offer such-and-such prayer at such-and-such time, and when the time for the prayer becomes due, then one of you should pronounce the Adhan (for the prayer), and let the one amongst you who knows Qur'an most should, lead the prayer". So they looked for such a person and found none who knew more Qur'an than I because of the Qur'anic material which I used to learn from the caravans. They therefore made me their Imam ((to lead the prayer) and at that time I was a boy of six or seven years, wearing a Burda (ie a black square garment) proved to be very short for me (and my body became partly naked). A lady from the tribe said, "Won't you cover the anus of your reciter for us?" So they bought (a piece of cloth) and made a shirt for me. I had never been so happy with anything before as I was with that shirt.
حَدَّثَنَا سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ، عَنْ أَيُّوبَ، عَنْ أَبِي قِلاَبَةَ، عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ سَلِمَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ لِي أَبُو قِلاَبَةَ أَلاَ تَلْقَاهُ فَتَسْأَلَهُ، قَالَ فَلَقِيتُهُ فَسَأَلْتُهُ فَقَالَ كُنَّا بِمَاءٍ مَمَرَّ النَّاسِ، وَكَانَ يَمُرُّ بِنَا الرُّكْبَانُ فَنَسْأَلُهُمْ مَا لِلنَّاسِ مَا لِلنَّاسِ مَا هَذَا الرَّجُلُ فَيَقُولُونَ يَزْعُمُ أَنَّ اللَّهَ أَرْسَلَهُ أَوْحَى إِلَيْهِ، أَوْ أَوْحَى اللَّهُ بِكَذَا‏.‏ فَكُنْتُ أَحْفَظُ ذَلِكَ الْكَلاَمَ، وَكَأَنَّمَا يُغْرَى فِي صَدْرِي، وَكَانَتِ الْعَرَبُ تَلَوَّمُ بِإِسْلاَمِهِمِ الْفَتْحَ، فَيَقُولُونَ اتْرُكُوهُ وَقَوْمَهُ، فَإِنَّهُ إِنْ ظَهَرَ عَلَيْهِمْ فَهْوَ نَبِيٌّ صَادِقٌ‏.‏ فَلَمَّا كَانَتْ وَقْعَةُ أَهْلِ الْفَتْحِ بَادَرَ كُلُّ قَوْمٍ بِإِسْلاَمِهِمْ، وَبَدَرَ أَبِي قَوْمِي بِإِسْلاَمِهِمْ، فَلَمَّا قَدِمَ قَالَ جِئْتُكُمْ وَاللَّهِ مِنْ عِنْدِ النَّبِيِّ حَقًّا فَقَالَ ‏ "‏ صَلُّوا صَلاَةَ كَذَا فِي حِينِ كَذَا، وَصَلُّوا كَذَا فِي حِينِ كَذَا، فَإِذَا حَضَرَتِ الصَّلاَةُ، فَلْيُؤَذِّنْ أَحَدُكُمْ، وَلْيَؤُمَّكُمْ أَكْثَرُكُمْ قُرْآنًا ‏"‏‏.‏ فَنَظَرُوا فَلَمْ يَكُنْ أَحَدٌ أَكْثَرَ قُرْآنًا مِنِّي، لِمَا كُنْتُ أَتَلَقَّى مِنَ الرُّكْبَانِ، فَقَدَّمُونِي بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ، وَأَنَا ابْنُ سِتٍّ أَوْ سَبْعِ، سِنِينَ وَكَانَتْ عَلَىَّ بُرْدَةٌ، كُنْتُ إِذَا سَجَدْتُ تَقَلَّصَتْ عَنِّي، فَقَالَتِ امْرَأَةٌ مِنَ الْحَىِّ أَلاَ تُغَطُّوا عَنَّا اسْتَ قَارِئِكُمْ‏.‏ فَاشْتَرَوْا فَقَطَعُوا لِي قَمِيصًا، فَمَا فَرِحْتُ بِشَىْءٍ فَرَحِي بِذَلِكَ الْقَمِيصِ‏.‏

TOPICS
prayer  *  tribe  *  quran  *  adhan  *  burda

QUICK LESSONS:
Learn religion from early age, Take responsibility in serving your community by leading them in prayer

EXPLANATIONS:
This hadith is about a young boy, Amr bin Salama, who was appointed as an Imam to lead the prayer due to his knowledge of the Quran. He was only six or seven years old and wearing a black square garment called Burda which proved too short for him and left part of his body exposed. A lady from his tribe noticed this and bought cloth for him so he could make himself a shirt. This story highlights how important it is for children to learn about their religion from an early age, as well as how important it is for people in general to be generous towards one another. It also shows that even at such a young age, Amr bin Salama was able to take on responsibility and serve his community by leading them in prayer.

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