during that period, he remained constantly in the company of the Prophet ﷺ, reciting the Quran to him and having it recited back. He thus memorised a considerable portion of the Revelation and became the most learned among them in the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger. When the Prophet ﷺ observed his eagerness for what is good and his sound character, he appointed him governor over his people and over the town of Taʾif.

2. He asked the Prophet ﷺ to be the imam of his people in prayer, so the Prophet granted his request, saying, “You are their imam; accommodate the weakest among them.”

3. This request does not belong to the blameworthy pursuit of office that seeks domination, prestige, or position. Rather, he sought this leadership in order to attain its reward and merit; for that reason the request is considered proper and praiseworthy.

4. When a person knows that he is competent and capable of carrying out a task, and that no one else can perform it as well or fill the gap, it becomes incumbent upon him to seek the post, for in his case it is a personal obligation. An example is Joseph (peace be upon him) who said: “Put me in charge of the storehouses of the land; indeed, I am a responsible and knowledgeable guardian.” (55) [Surah Yusuf]. He noticed that Egypt’s economy was deteriorating and realised he had the strength and ability to reform and safeguard it, so he sought the position for that noble purpose.

5. The imam is recommended to take into account the condition of the weak, the elderly and the infirm: he should not burden them with excessively long prayers or long waits for the prayer to begin, but rather consider the state of those who are frail and unable to endure hardship.

6. A trustworthy mu’adhdhin should be chosen—someone who calls the adhān seeking the Face of Allah and His reward, not a man who does so only for some worldly gain. This is a noble act of worship whose reward should not be squandered for the sake of the world. If, however, he receives a stipend or salary from the public treasury or from charitable endowments earmarked for religious work, there is no objection, because anyone who undertakes this duty may be unable to perform it without that allowance to cover his own and his dependants’ needs. This is the view of the majority of scholars.