The Ruling on the Imamate of One Who Smokes Tobacco or Shisha
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
Is it permissible for a man who smokes cigarettes and hookah to lead the people in prayer in the mosque? And what if there is someone with less knowledge, but he does not smoke cigarettes or hookah, or commit another sin?
Answer:
The imam is a role model, and the best of those available should be chosen for the imamate, in his religion, his knowledge, and his conduct and morals; because he is their role model whom they follow.
One who is lax in his religion or displays some of the sins, such as smoking tobacco or shisha, should not be chosen for the imamate. This is not permissible, this is not permissible, and there is someone better than him in his religion and in himself. If the appointment of an imam for the mosque takes place, it is not permissible to appoint an official imam in the mosque except one who meets the conditions of the imamate, and among these is that he be upright in his religion, distant from sins, and a good role model.
As for if we assume that a group came and missed the prayer, or are in the desert, and with them are two people, one who smokes tobacco and the other who does not smoke tobacco, then the one who does not smoke tobacco is given priority; because we choose for our prayer the best of those available. Even if the one who smokes tobacco is better at recitation, as long as the one who does not smoke tobacco establishes the recitation of al-Fatihah, because the obligatory recitation in the prayer is al-Fatihah, if he establishes the recitation of al-Fatihah, this is sufficient, and he is given priority over the one who commits a sin.
And if the one who commits a sin is skilled in reciting al-Fatihah and other things, the upright one is given priority on the condition that he is skilled in al-Fatihah. As for if he is not skilled in reciting al-Fatihah and makes errors in it that change the meaning, then it is not permissible to give him priority in the prayer, and his prayer is not valid except with one who is like him. Because it is necessary to establish the recitation of al-Fatihah and not make errors in it; because its recitation is a pillar of the prayer. Yes.
Is it permissible for a man who smokes cigarettes and hookah to lead the people in prayer in the mosque? And what if there is someone with less knowledge, but he does not smoke cigarettes or hookah, or commit another sin?
Answer:
The imam is a role model, and the best of those available should be chosen for the imamate, in his religion, his knowledge, and his conduct and morals; because he is their role model whom they follow.
One who is lax in his religion or displays some of the sins, such as smoking tobacco or shisha, should not be chosen for the imamate. This is not permissible, this is not permissible, and there is someone better than him in his religion and in himself. If the appointment of an imam for the mosque takes place, it is not permissible to appoint an official imam in the mosque except one who meets the conditions of the imamate, and among these is that he be upright in his religion, distant from sins, and a good role model.
As for if we assume that a group came and missed the prayer, or are in the desert, and with them are two people, one who smokes tobacco and the other who does not smoke tobacco, then the one who does not smoke tobacco is given priority; because we choose for our prayer the best of those available. Even if the one who smokes tobacco is better at recitation, as long as the one who does not smoke tobacco establishes the recitation of al-Fatihah, because the obligatory recitation in the prayer is al-Fatihah, if he establishes the recitation of al-Fatihah, this is sufficient, and he is given priority over the one who commits a sin.
And if the one who commits a sin is skilled in reciting al-Fatihah and other things, the upright one is given priority on the condition that he is skilled in al-Fatihah. As for if he is not skilled in reciting al-Fatihah and makes errors in it that change the meaning, then it is not permissible to give him priority in the prayer, and his prayer is not valid except with one who is like him. Because it is necessary to establish the recitation of al-Fatihah and not make errors in it; because its recitation is a pillar of the prayer. Yes.
Source
الفوزان -أشرطة- أسئلة وأجوبة من دروس التوحيد - الفوزان - أسئلة وأجوبة - 04 — archive.org (3:22)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.