voluntary is not required. The imam remains a guarantor even when offering a voluntary prayer.
This also includes offering the ‘Ishā’ prayer behind someone leading the Ramadan night prayers: one prays two rak‘ahs behind him, then stands to complete another two. The strongest view is that all of this is permissible. However, one should not lead another group in prayer a second time unless there is a need or benefit—for example, if no one else present is suitable to lead, or if he has the strongest claim to lead because he is the most knowledgeable about the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger. If they are equal in knowledge, he may have been the earliest to abandon what Allah and His Messenger have forbidden, or he may be the oldest. It is authentically reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:
“The people should be led in prayer by the one most proficient in reciting the Book of Allah. If they are equal in recitation, then by the one most knowledgeable about the Sunnah. If they are equal in knowledge of the Sunnah, then by the one who emigrated earliest. If they are equal in emigration, then by the oldest.”
Thus, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, gave precedence to superior knowledge of the Book and the Sunnah. If they are equal in knowledge, precedence is given to the one who was earliest in performing righteous deeds. The one whose precedence resulted from his own choice—the emigrant—is given priority over the one whose precedence resulted from Allah creating him earlier—the older person.
It is also established in the two authentic collections that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:
“The Muslim is the one from whose tongue and hand Muslims are safe, and the emigrant is the one who abandons what Allah has forbidden.”
Whoever was earliest to abandon sins by repenting of them is therefore the earliest of them in emigration and is given precedence in leading the prayer. Thus, if someone with the strongest claim to lead is present and has already offered