The ruling on praying behind a sinner and one who lets his garment hang below the ankles
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The questioner:
He says: I heard a fatwa stating that the prayer is valid and permissible behind a smoker or one who shaves his beard, but it is not valid or permissible behind one who lets his garment hang below the ankles. I have found distress in my heart when I enter a place where there is a person who lets his garment hang below the ankles; I do not pray behind him, even if it is in the mosque, nor do I line up behind him or beside him. The one who issued the fatwa to me cited as evidence a hadith in which the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said that Allah does not accept the prayer of one who lets his garment hang below the ankles. Please advise us; may Allah reward you.
The Shaykh:
The correct position held by the meticulous scholars of knowledge is that the prayer behind a sinner is valid, just as his own prayer is valid, whether the sinner is a smoker, a drinker of intoxicants, one who deals in riba (usury or interest), one who is undutiful to his parents, one who lets his garment hang below the ankles, or otherwise. However, the believer should choose a righteous imam if there are mosques available; he should choose a righteous imam and pray behind a righteous imam, for the prayer behind him is more complete and perfect. As for his prayer behind a sinner, it is valid, but he should not approve of the sinner. He should strive to remove him if he does not accept advice, or a guardian should advise him, direct him to good, and counsel him. If Allah guides him, praise be to Allah; otherwise, he should contact the one in authority so that he is removed and someone better than him is appointed. As for the prayer, it is valid, even if the Muslim prays behind him, according to the correct view. The warning regarding the one who lets his garment hang below the ankles does not prevent the validity of his prayer, nor does it prevent the validity of the prayer of those behind him. In any case, it is not permissible for him to let his garment hang below the ankles, neither in prayer nor outside of it, but the prayer behind him is valid, and his prayer is valid, though he is sinful. Yes.
The presenter:
And this is the hadith we heard.
The Shaykh:
Yes, this hadith was narrated by Abu Dawud and others, and there is no harm in it, but it is from the category of warnings.
The presenter:
What is the matter with the warning.
The Shaykh:
Yes.
The presenter:
May Allah bless you and reward you with good.
He says: I heard a fatwa stating that the prayer is valid and permissible behind a smoker or one who shaves his beard, but it is not valid or permissible behind one who lets his garment hang below the ankles. I have found distress in my heart when I enter a place where there is a person who lets his garment hang below the ankles; I do not pray behind him, even if it is in the mosque, nor do I line up behind him or beside him. The one who issued the fatwa to me cited as evidence a hadith in which the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said that Allah does not accept the prayer of one who lets his garment hang below the ankles. Please advise us; may Allah reward you.
The Shaykh:
The correct position held by the meticulous scholars of knowledge is that the prayer behind a sinner is valid, just as his own prayer is valid, whether the sinner is a smoker, a drinker of intoxicants, one who deals in riba (usury or interest), one who is undutiful to his parents, one who lets his garment hang below the ankles, or otherwise. However, the believer should choose a righteous imam if there are mosques available; he should choose a righteous imam and pray behind a righteous imam, for the prayer behind him is more complete and perfect. As for his prayer behind a sinner, it is valid, but he should not approve of the sinner. He should strive to remove him if he does not accept advice, or a guardian should advise him, direct him to good, and counsel him. If Allah guides him, praise be to Allah; otherwise, he should contact the one in authority so that he is removed and someone better than him is appointed. As for the prayer, it is valid, even if the Muslim prays behind him, according to the correct view. The warning regarding the one who lets his garment hang below the ankles does not prevent the validity of his prayer, nor does it prevent the validity of the prayer of those behind him. In any case, it is not permissible for him to let his garment hang below the ankles, neither in prayer nor outside of it, but the prayer behind him is valid, and his prayer is valid, though he is sinful. Yes.
The presenter:
And this is the hadith we heard.
The Shaykh:
Yes, this hadith was narrated by Abu Dawud and others, and there is no harm in it, but it is from the category of warnings.
The presenter:
What is the matter with the warning.
The Shaykh:
Yes.
The presenter:
May Allah bless you and reward you with good.
Source
قناة «فضيلة الشيخ ابن باز Alsheikh Binbaz»، 1542 - حكم الصلاة خلف العاصي والمسبل ثيابه - نور على الدرب — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.