One who calls to a shirk-based and disbelief-inducing religious innovation; is it permissible to pray behind him? Given that the mosque is close to the workplace, and there is no other nearby mosque?

The questioner : A questioner asks and says: Is it permissible to pray behind a mosque imam who calls to a shirk-based and disbelief-inducing religious innovation? Given that the mosque is close to the workplace—close to this person's workplace—The questioner : and there is no other nearby mosque?

The Shaykh : The issue requires detailed explanation. If this imam has been presented with the proof of Allah from the Book of Allah and the hadith of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) that what he is doing is shirk (associating partners with Allah) and kufr (disbelief) against Allah and His Messenger, and then he does not desist, then the prayer behind him is not valid. However, if he is like many of these people who live in a state of jahiliyyah (the pre-Islamic age of ignorance), and there is no one—regrettably—to convey to them the ruling of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), then in my opinion, it is permissible to pray behind him. This is because we cannot declare him a disbeliever or expel him from the religion as long as we have not established the proof against him. Yes.