The Ruling on Performing Innovations in Leading the Prayer by Order of the Official Authorities
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The questioner:
Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success. This questioner from outside this country says: In our country, the Ministry of Islamic Affairs orders us to perform innovations (bid'ah) after the five daily prayers. They order the imams to do so, and if an imam does not perform these innovations, he is suspended from leading the prayer. He says that some of the imams from among the people of the Sunnah perform these innovations while believing them to be invalid.
The Shaykh:
This is not permissible. If he must perform the innovation, the imam should resign from leading the prayer. It is not obligatory for him, and it is not permissible for him to take on the role of imam and perform the innovation, saying, "I did not intend it" or "I hate it." Do not do it. There is no obedience to a created being in disobedience to the Creator. Yes. And the salary you receive for this imamate where they force you to commit innovations is forbidden (haram). Yes.
The questioner:
Then he says, may Allah preserve you: We imams only perform these innovations in order to continue calling people to the creed of the oneness of Allah (tawhid) and the Sunnah.
The Shaykh:
Call them without the imamate and without the imam's salary. Call them, and no one is paying your salary. Call to Allah. Yes.
Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success. This questioner from outside this country says: In our country, the Ministry of Islamic Affairs orders us to perform innovations (bid'ah) after the five daily prayers. They order the imams to do so, and if an imam does not perform these innovations, he is suspended from leading the prayer. He says that some of the imams from among the people of the Sunnah perform these innovations while believing them to be invalid.
The Shaykh:
This is not permissible. If he must perform the innovation, the imam should resign from leading the prayer. It is not obligatory for him, and it is not permissible for him to take on the role of imam and perform the innovation, saying, "I did not intend it" or "I hate it." Do not do it. There is no obedience to a created being in disobedience to the Creator. Yes. And the salary you receive for this imamate where they force you to commit innovations is forbidden (haram). Yes.
The questioner:
Then he says, may Allah preserve you: We imams only perform these innovations in order to continue calling people to the creed of the oneness of Allah (tawhid) and the Sunnah.
The Shaykh:
Call them without the imamate and without the imam's salary. Call them, and no one is paying your salary. Call to Allah. Yes.
Source
شرح إغاثة اللهفان من مصائد الشيطان لابن القيم، بداية من الوجه العاشر : أن غالب الخالق إنما يريدون قضاء حاجاتهم منك، وإن أضر ذلك بدينك ودنياك — islamhouse.com (1:10:22)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.