How do we deal with a mosque imam who practices religious innovations, and do we pray behind him?

The questioner : ... the imam of a mosque.

The Shaykh : ... you are at war with me.

The questioner : ... about the religious innovation, and he did not stop, and he did not...

The Shaykh : I am asking you what you mean by fighting him?

The questioner : What do we do with him?

The Shaykh : My dear, I understood the question, but in the end he is asking whether it is permissible to fight him, saying is it permissible or obligatory to fight him?

The questioner : ... fighting him.

The Shaykh : Therefore, I do not understand this meaning, so I want to understand what you mean by the word fighting?

The questioner : ... and we go with him to the house...

The Shaykh : He is still repeating the question, my dear. I understood the whole question, but what do you mean by the word fighting?

The questioner : Staying away from praying in the mosque where he is, or praying with him, or separating some of the brothers from the mosque...

The Shaykh : If you have a mosque with an imam who prays according to the Sunnah, it is self-evident that you turn away from that one and go to...

The questioner : We have an area, we have an industrial area, we have a man who is engaged in religious innovations. What do we do?

The Shaykh : I have answered you, may Allah bless you. You have another imam, you have another imam in another place, go to him.

The questioner : And we leave the man alone.

The Shaykh : This does not mean that you fight the man. You advise him and remind him. If he responds, that is good and excellent. If he does not respond, leave him and pray behind whoever is upon the Sunnah. Is that clear?

The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.

The Shaykh: Peace be upon you.