{"_id":"668da04f0b76658b4c2333c7","title":"Is puberty a requirement for the imam during salah?","question":"What is the criteria for someone to be the Imam of Salat. Specifically in matter of age/puberty? I’ve been getting conflicting answers.","answer":"There are two opinions on this issue. The Hanafis, Hanbalis, and Malikis say that the imam must be an adult, meaning someone who has reached the age of puberty. Thus, according to the majority view, a child is not permitted to lead adults in obligatory prayers, but may do so in supererogatory prayers like taraweeh. \nOn the other hand, the Shafi school says that the imam can be a child, provided they have reached the age of discernment, typically around seven years old, regardless of the type of prayer. The Shafi school bases their stance on a hadith in Bukhari where Amr Ibn Salamah led his people in prayer during the time of the Prophet ﷺ when he was either six or seven years old. However, the Shafis do express a preference for an adult imam.","tags":[{"_id":"668d9fe60b76658b4c232875","tag":"Salah: Congregational","count":92}],"createdOn":"2024-07-09T20:40:47.465Z"}