أَخْبَرَنَا عَفَّانُ ، حَدَّثَنَا هَمَّامٌ ، عَنْ قَتَادَةُ ، عَنْ أَبِي نَضْرَةَ ، عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ ، قَالَ : قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ :" إِذَا اجْتَمَعَ ثَلَاثَةٌ، فَلْيَؤُمَّهُمْ أَحَدُهُمْ، وَأَحَقُّهُمْ بِالْإِمَامَةِ أَقْرَؤُهُمْ "

Affan told us, Hammam told us, on the authority of Qatada, on the authority of Abu Nadra, on the authority of Abu Sa`id al-Khudri, he said: The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said He said: “If three gather together, let one of them lead them, and the one most worthy of the Imamate is the one closest to them.”