Is it obligatory to follow an imam who leaves off some of the recommended practices and follows some of the imams, imitating them?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner: Peace be upon you.
The Shaykh : And upon you be peace and the mercy of Allah.
The questioner : The Shaykh Al-Albani's residence?
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : If you please, I have questions, may I ask?
The Shaykh : One question only.
The questioner : Is it possible?
The Shaykh : Just one question.
The questioner : One question?
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : I have been trying to speak for two or three days, but I have not had the opportunity.
The Shaykh : That is your portion. Now, just one question, I have guests.
The questioner : All right, my Shaykh. We know that the imam is appointed to be followed. If he is an innovator who leaves off some of the recommended practices, such as the saying of "Ameen" and raising the hands, is it obligatory for us, the followers, to affirm them and follow his practice?
The Shaykh : I did not understand the question.
The questioner : The imam is appointed to be followed.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : So, if the imam is an innovator who leaves off some of the recommended practices, such as the saying of "Ameen" and raising the hands in prayer, does that oblige us, the followers, to follow him?
The Shaykh : First, it is not permissible for us
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : to appoint an imam to lead the Muslims in their prayers who follows an imam among the Muslim imams in his prayer. It is not permissible to call this imam who prays with the people an innovator; rather, we call him an innovator only when he has actually introduced an innovation due to his ignorance and his distance from knowledge of the Book and the Sunnah.
The questioner: Excuse me.
The Shaykh : Be patient, may Allah guide you.
The questioner : O Allah, amen.
The Shaykh : For I gave an example that he does not raise his hands.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Not raising his hands is the position of the first imam
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : of the four imams, which is Abu Hanifah.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : So, do we call Abu Hanifah an innovator? We say no. Likewise, these imams of the mosques, meaning those who follow an imam among these mujtahid imams, we do not say about them that they are innovators. But we explain to them that the imam Abu Hanifah, may Allah have mercy on him,
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : in his not going to the recommended practice of raising the hands at the bowing and rising from it, stopped at what he received from the hadith of Ibn Mas'ud and others.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : But you, O imam, must have come across dozens of hadiths that prove that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to raise his hands at the bowing and rising from it. The important thing is that it is not befitting for us to hear a question from a Muslim man or woman that innovates against an imam of the mosques who does what an imam among the four imams says. In that case, we say: Yes, if this imam does not raise his hands because he follows the school of Abu Hanifah and knows nothing of the knowledge of the Book and the Sunnah, then he is excused. But whoever follows him from the people of the Sunnah who know that it is a recommended practice to raise the hands at the bowing and rising from it, it is obligatory for him to apply the hadith with which you began your questionSahih al-Bukhari 1236 and so on. This is the answer to your question. I hope it has become clear to you?
The questioner : If Allah wills.
The Shaykh: Peace be upon you.
The questioner: And upon you peace.
Another questioner : The follower does not raise his hands, O Shaykh?
The Shaykh : He does not raise them.
The questioner: Peace be upon you.
The Shaykh : And upon you be peace and the mercy of Allah.
The questioner : The Shaykh Al-Albani's residence?
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : If you please, I have questions, may I ask?
The Shaykh : One question only.
The questioner : Is it possible?
The Shaykh : Just one question.
The questioner : One question?
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : I have been trying to speak for two or three days, but I have not had the opportunity.
The Shaykh : That is your portion. Now, just one question, I have guests.
The questioner : All right, my Shaykh. We know that the imam is appointed to be followed. If he is an innovator who leaves off some of the recommended practices, such as the saying of "Ameen" and raising the hands, is it obligatory for us, the followers, to affirm them and follow his practice?
The Shaykh : I did not understand the question.
The questioner : The imam is appointed to be followed.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : So, if the imam is an innovator who leaves off some of the recommended practices, such as the saying of "Ameen" and raising the hands in prayer, does that oblige us, the followers, to follow him?
The Shaykh : First, it is not permissible for us
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : to appoint an imam to lead the Muslims in their prayers who follows an imam among the Muslim imams in his prayer. It is not permissible to call this imam who prays with the people an innovator; rather, we call him an innovator only when he has actually introduced an innovation due to his ignorance and his distance from knowledge of the Book and the Sunnah.
The questioner: Excuse me.
The Shaykh : Be patient, may Allah guide you.
The questioner : O Allah, amen.
The Shaykh : For I gave an example that he does not raise his hands.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Not raising his hands is the position of the first imam
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : of the four imams, which is Abu Hanifah.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : So, do we call Abu Hanifah an innovator? We say no. Likewise, these imams of the mosques, meaning those who follow an imam among these mujtahid imams, we do not say about them that they are innovators. But we explain to them that the imam Abu Hanifah, may Allah have mercy on him,
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : in his not going to the recommended practice of raising the hands at the bowing and rising from it, stopped at what he received from the hadith of Ibn Mas'ud and others.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : But you, O imam, must have come across dozens of hadiths that prove that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to raise his hands at the bowing and rising from it. The important thing is that it is not befitting for us to hear a question from a Muslim man or woman that innovates against an imam of the mosques who does what an imam among the four imams says. In that case, we say: Yes, if this imam does not raise his hands because he follows the school of Abu Hanifah and knows nothing of the knowledge of the Book and the Sunnah, then he is excused. But whoever follows him from the people of the Sunnah who know that it is a recommended practice to raise the hands at the bowing and rising from it, it is obligatory for him to apply the hadith with which you began your question
The Imam is to be followed
إنما جُعِلَ الإمام لِيُؤتَمَّ بهThe questioner : If Allah wills.
The Shaykh: Peace be upon you.
The questioner: And upon you peace.
Another questioner : The follower does not raise his hands, O Shaykh?
The Shaykh : He does not raise them.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.