Is it permissible to pray behind the imam of the mosque where we pray, given that he permits seeking nearness to Allah (tawassul) through the dead, including prophets and righteous people?

Question:
The imam of the mosque where we pray permits seeking nearness to Allah (tawassul) through the dead, including prophets and righteous people. Is it permissible to pray behind him? Please advise us; may Allah reward you and benefit us through you, and may Allah reward you with good.

Answer:
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and all his Companions. As for seeking nearness to Allah (tawassul) through the dead, there is a distinction here. If what is meant is drawing near to them through some form of worship, such as supplicating to them, calling upon them for aid, slaughtering animals for them, or making vows to them, as the worshippers of graves do today, then this is major shirk (associating partners with Allah). This imam is a polytheist committing major shirk. If he permits this, he is permitting shirk, refuge with Allah from that. This is not valid; his prayer is not valid, and it is not valid to pray behind him until he repents to Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He. This is the shirk that the first polytheists were upon: . Likewise, in His saying, Glorified and Exalted is He: "We do not worship them except to bring us closer to Allah in rank." This is their argument; they worship them besides Allah and say that they bring us closer to Allah. This is what the worshippers of graves do today, and they call it tawassul. The name does not change the reality; it is shirk, it is major shirk. And the one who permits it, it is not permissible to pray behind him, and his own prayer is not valid until he repents to Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He. However, if the intention behind the tawassul is to make the dead intermediaries between them and Allah in the acceptance of supplication, by asking Allah to answer their prayers due to their status, or their right, or their intercession, then this is forbidden (haram) and a means to shirk, but it does not reach the level of major shirk. It is forbidden and a means to shirk because it is not permissible to seek nearness to Allah through the right of created beings, or the status of created beings, or the rank of created beings with Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He. This is because Allah has not prescribed this for us, and because this is a means to shirk with them and worshipping them besides Allah. In this case, his prayer is valid, and it is valid to pray behind him, but he must be warned, and the truth must be explained to him. If he does not comply, then it is obligatory to remove him from the position of imam, because he misguides the people with this opinion, and people follow his example. So it is not valid to appoint him as the imam of the mosque? Yes. May Allah reward you with good, and may Allah reward you.