Malik bin al-Huwairith said that the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم told him or some of his companions: When the time of prayer comes, call the Adhan, then call the iqamah, then the one who is oldest of you should act as your imam. The version narrated by Maslamah goes: He said: On that day we were almost equal in knowledge. The version narrated by Ismail says: Khalid said: I said to Abu Qilabah: where is the Quran (i. e. why did the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم not say: The one who knows the Quran most should act as imam)? He replied: Both of them were equal in the knowledge of the Quran.