Hadith 88

Sahih Bukhari

Book 10: Call to Prayers (Adhaan)

Chapter 54

A slave or a manumitted slave can lead the Salat (prayer)

باب إِمَامَةِ الْعَبْدِ وَالْمَوْلَى

'Aishah رضي الله عنها was led in the Salat (prayer) by her slave Dhakwan who used to recite from the Mushaf [the written Qur'an (not from memory)]. Can an illegitimate boy, a bedouin, or a boy who has not reached the age of puberty lead the Salat? (It is permissible according to) the statement of the Prophet ﷺ that the Imam should be a person who knows the Qur'an more than the others.
وَكَانَتْ عَائِشَةُ يَؤُمُّهَا عَبْدُهَا ذَكْوَانُ مِنَ الْمُصْحَفِ. وَوَلَدِ الْبَغِيِّ وَالأَعْرَابِيِّ وَالْغُلاَمِ الَّذِي لَمْ يَحْتَلِمْ، لِقَوْلِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «يَؤُمُّهُمْ أَقْرَؤُهُمْ لِكِتَابِ اللَّهِ».
Sahih al-Bukhari 693
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ، حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو التَّيَّاحِ، عَنْ أَنَسٍ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ ‏‏.‏
"‏ اسْمَعُوا وَأَطِيعُوا، وَإِنِ اسْتُعْمِلَ حَبَشِيٌّ كَأَنَّ رَأْسَهُ زَبِيبَةٌ ‏"
Anas:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Listen and obey (your chief) even if an Ethiopian whose head is like a raisin were made your chief."