The Imamate of a Mirasi

Question

The imam of our mosque is, by community, a Mirasi (of the community traditionally engaged in singing and music). He does not engage in any singing or music at all, and hijab is also observed in his household. However, he holds four bighas (a local unit of land area) of land granted for service; previously it was with his father, who has passed away, and the right to it has come to him. He used to serve us; besides that, he is also a hafiz. Should he be kept as imam in the mosque or not?

Answer

It is better to make imam the one who is the most excellent of all with regard to knowledge, recitation, God-fearingness, lineage and the like: [ar]الأعلم أحق بالإمامة، ثم الأقرأ، ثم الأورع، ثم الأسن، ثم الأحسن خلقا، ثم الأحسن وجها، ثم الأشرف نسبا[/ar] “The most entitled to the imamate is the most knowledgeable, then the best reciter, then the most scrupulous, then the eldest,…

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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