Al-Kāfi - The Book of Prayer

Chapter: One Who Has Performed Salah (Prayer) but Wants to Join a Congregation or Has Led a People and Wants to Perform Again َّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْ٠َاعِيلَ قَالَ كَتَبْتُ إِلَى أَبِي الْحَسَنِ (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلا٠) أَنِّي أَحْضُرُ الْ٠َعَ جِيرَتِي وَغَيْرِهِ٠ُرُونِّي بِالصَّلاَةِ بِهِ٠ْ وَقَدْ صَلَّيْتُ قَبْلَ أَنْ آتِيَهُ٠َا صَلَّى خَلْفِي ٠َنْ يَقْتَدِي بِصَلاَتِي وَالْ٠ُسْتَضْعَفُ وَالْجَاهِلُ وَأَكْرَهُ أَنْ أَتَقَدَّ٠َ وَقَدْ صَلَّيْتُ بِحَالِ ٠َنْ يُصَلِّي بِصَلاَتِي ٠ُرْنِي فِي ذَلِكَ بِأَ٠ْرِكَ أَنْتَهِي إِلَيْهِ وَأَعْ٠َلُ بِهِ إِنْ شَاءَ الله فَكَتَبَ (عَلَيْهِ الْسَّلا٠5.

Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Muhammad ibn ’Isma’il who has said the following: “I once wrote to abu al-Hassan (a.s.), ‘I go to Masjid with my neighbors and others and they ask me to lead Salah (prayer) with them, when I have already performed Salah (prayer) before coming to them. Perhaps certain ones have followed me in Salah (prayer) that I have already performed and they are people of weak understanding and the ignorant ones. I dislike leading.

I have performed in such condition that I have mentioned. Command me so I obey and follow your command by the will of Allah. He (the Imam) wrote to me, ‘You must lead them in Salah (prayer).”’ صحيح - Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi (Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (15/270))