Advice for the imam who sees shortcoming in himself and feels he is not fit for the imamate
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This is a young man who is the imam of one of the mosques, and as he says: He is beloved to a group of the mosque’s regulars, and he knows deep in his heart that he is shortcoming, that he has some sins, and that he does not deserve the imamate, nor does he deserve this love and esteem from the people. He fears for himself if he remains in the mosque as an imam; he fears for himself from hypocrisy and showing off. So, should he remain in the mosque—Meaning: should he continue to lead the people in prayer—or should he leave the imatement out of fear of showing off and hypocrisy?
I say: As for this young man whom you described as being beloved to his people, but who is being extravagant in his dealings with his Lord, I say: What Allah has granted him of the imamate and the love of his people for him necessitates that he abandon the extravagance toward himself, that he improve his worship, and that he thank Allah (Mighty and Majestic); because for a person to be beloved by his people while being their imam is a great blessing from Allah.Allah the Exalted said: [al-Furqan:63] until He said: [al-Furqan:74] So let him praise Allah for this blessing, let him abandon the extravagance toward himself, and let him make this one of the means that help him in obeying Allah, and let him remain in his place.
And as he says: I fear showing off. This is a whisper that Satan casts into the heart of a person whenever he intends to perform an act of obedience.Satan enters him and says: You are a hypocrite. So he must cast this aside, turn away from it, and seek help from Allah (Mighty and Majestic).So he constantly repeats in the prayer: [al-Fatihah:5] .
I say: As for this young man whom you described as being beloved to his people, but who is being extravagant in his dealings with his Lord, I say: What Allah has granted him of the imamate and the love of his people for him necessitates that he abandon the extravagance toward himself, that he improve his worship, and that he thank Allah (Mighty and Majestic); because for a person to be beloved by his people while being their imam is a great blessing from Allah.Allah the Exalted said:
And the servants of the Most Merciful are those who walk upon the earth easily, and when the ignorant address them [harshly], they say [words of] peace,
وَعِبَادُ الرَّحْمَنِ الَّذِينَ يَمْشُونَ عَلَى الْأَرْضِ هَوْناً وَإِذَا خَاطَبَهُمُ الْجَاهِلُونَ قَالُوا سَلاماًand make us an example for the righteous."
وَاجْعَلْنَا لِلْمُتَّقِينَ إِمَاماًAnd as he says: I fear showing off. This is a whisper that Satan casts into the heart of a person whenever he intends to perform an act of obedience.Satan enters him and says: You are a hypocrite. So he must cast this aside, turn away from it, and seek help from Allah (Mighty and Majestic).So he constantly repeats in the prayer: