Question Summary:
Who should lead the salah? the one who has the correct tajweed and has ijaaza . or the one who is most knowledgeable even though he does not have correct tajweed .

Question Detail:

Who should lead the salah? Sometimes me and my friends would go on a trip (e.g. go-karting) and the question arises who should lead the salah. I think the ulama of deoband have said that the most knowledgeable should lead. However i think you should understand that some of my friends may appear to be knowledgeable and a few amongst us have correct tajweed. There is no Aalim amongst us.

So should we appoint the leader: .
the one who has the correct tajweed and has ijaaza .
the one who is most knowledgeable even though he does not have correct tajweed .

should a Haafiz lead if he is amongst us or the one has ijaaza (in recitation) . should the haafiz lead even if he is a faasiq . should the amir of the group lead ( we elect a leader but this is based on age or the one who has organised the trip and so is better suited) {This is an important issue as sometimes those who lead salah make mistakes} Also what makes a person a faasiq (no beard, clothes below the ankle, those who mix with the opposite gender).

Please make dua for me. Assalamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh Syed Nahid Uddin

Answer :

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Assalāmu `alaikum Warahmatullāhi Wabrakatuh,

The one who is most knowledgeable about the rules of salah in terms of distinguishing what practices validate and invalidate the salah, what are the Sunnah and Makrooh acts of salah, etc. and is at the same time proficient in reciting the required Qirat correctly without committing major Tajweed mistakes should lead the salah.^[1]
Furthermore, it is not necessary that the aforementioned Imam be an expert in his style of recitation, that he has a prolific memory and memorized a major portion of the Quran, or that he be acquainted with the other various fields of Deen.^[2]
(Hashiyatut Tahtawi Ala Maraqil Falah, Pg. 299, Qadeemi Kutub Khana; Imdaadul Fattah Sharhu Nurul Iedaah Wanajatil Arwaah Pg.340, Beirut)
In the terminology of the Shariah, Fisq signifies ‘going beyond the circle of obedience to Allah, or transgressing the commandments of Allah’. According to the Fuqaha, a Faasiq refers to one who commits a major sin and does not repent, or persists on committing minor sins and makes it a habit. On the other hand, one who commits such sins publicly and openly without being ashamed of it is called a Fajir.
(Ma’ariful Quran English, Pg. 152, Vol. 1, Maktaba e Darul Uloom - Karachi)
If a person is best suited to lead the salah based on him being the most knowledgeable, but has signs of Fisq on him; for example, he shaves his beard, etc. then he will be disqualified from leading the salah. To avoid any confusion and dispute as to who is most qualified to lead the salah, the responsibility of appointing an Imam should be left with the Ameer. The Ameer is bound to appoint an Imam based on the above mentioned criteria.
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Maulana Zeyad Danka
Student, Darul Iftaa
South Africa
Checked and Approved by,
Muftī Ebrahim Desai.
www.daruliftaa.net