Aslam

forty years 'will enter into Paradise without account. The Prophet, Hazrats Abu Bakr and Omar used to fix salary for an Imam. The Prophet said. One day of a just ruler is better than divine service for seventy years. The Prophet said : Your Imams are your intercessors. He said : Your Imam are representatives of God on your behalf. If you wish to purify your prayer, place in front the best man among you. Some earlier sages said : There is no better man after the Prophet than the learned except the praying Imams, as they stand between God and His servants, some with Prophethood, some with learning and some with prayer, the pillar of religion. By this proof, the companions elected Abu Bakr as their Imam. They then said : We have considered that prayer is a pillar of religion on whom the Prophet was pleased for this pillar. They did not select Bilal as the Prophet selected him for Azan. It is reported that a man asked the Prophet:
Give me clue to such an action which will lead me to Paradise. He said : Be Muazzen. He said : I can't do it. he said : Then be Imam. He said : I can'tdo it He said : Then pray behind an Imam.

(3) The Imam shall observe the times of prayers and shall pray for pleasure of God in their earliest times. The Prophet said : The Imam who prays at the last time of a prayer, does not miss it, but what he misses in its earliest time is better than the world and its treasures. It is not good to delay prayer in expectation of a greater number of men. One day, there was some delay for the morning prayer on the part of the Prophet when he was in a journey. The companions did not wait for the Prophet when he made delay in making ablution. The Prophet then said : You have done better. Do it always.

(4) Act as an Imam for the sake of God and fulfill with good manners the trust of God in the other conditions of prayer and act as an Imam with sincere intention and don't take for it remuneration. The Prophet said Osman-b-Affan : Appoint such a Muazzen who will not take remuneration for his Azan.
Azan guides to the path of prayer and it is better not to receive its remuneration. Hazrat Sufiyan said : Pray behind a religious or irreligious man except behind habitual drunkard, or cursed man, or one disobedient to parents, or an invocator or a fugitive slave.

(5) Don't utter Takbir till row is arranged straight and look to right and left. The Prophet said : A Muazzen should wait

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between Azan and Aqamat for so long as an eater eats or a man passes calls of nature. So he prohibited to retain urine and stool.
He ordered to finish dinners for peace of mind before Isha prayer.