I entered the mosque to pray and was surprised to find an imam I do not like to follow. What must I do to earn the reward of congregational prayer?
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The questioner : I entered the mosque to pray and was surprised to find an imam I do not like to follow. What is obligatory for me to do in order to earn the reward of congregational prayer?
The Shaykh : If you enter the mosque for congregational prayer and find them praying, pray with them even if the imam is someone you dislike, because congregational prayer is obligatory and it has been realized for you, so it is not permissible for you to be negligent in it. However, the matter remains to be examined: why did you dislike this man? Is it due to a defect in his religion, or is it due to personal enmity between you two? If it is due to personal enmity between you, then it is obligatory for the Muslim toward his brother to remove the grudges between them and to replace these grudges with affection and love, because Allah the Exalted said:[Al-Hujurat 49:10] And brotherhood is contradicted by grudge, enmity, and hatred. A person is able to humble all the difficulties that stand between him and the establishment of affection with his believing brothers.
As for if your dislike of him is due to a defect in his religion, then it is obligatory for you to advise him and clarify that defect to him so that he rectifies it and stands firm upon the command of Allah. As for people leaving one another when they see a defect in their religion, and harboring grudge and enmity toward them, this is contrary to the state of the believers about whom Allah said:[Ali 'Imran 3:110] And this is the loss about which Allah said: [Al-'Asr 103:1-3] So it is obligatory for Muslims toward one another to advise each other, to cooperate in what is right, and to refrain from what is wrong.
The questioner : May Allah reward you, O honorable Shaykh. A message from Fawzi 'Abd al-Hamid Hasan, Egyptian nationality, residing in Amman, Jordan. He says in his message.
The Shaykh : If you enter the mosque for congregational prayer and find them praying, pray with them even if the imam is someone you dislike, because congregational prayer is obligatory and it has been realized for you, so it is not permissible for you to be negligent in it. However, the matter remains to be examined: why did you dislike this man? Is it due to a defect in his religion, or is it due to personal enmity between you two? If it is due to personal enmity between you, then it is obligatory for the Muslim toward his brother to remove the grudges between them and to replace these grudges with affection and love, because Allah the Exalted said:
The believers are but brothers
إِنَّمَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ إِخْوَةٌAs for if your dislike of him is due to a defect in his religion, then it is obligatory for you to advise him and clarify that defect to him so that he rectifies it and stands firm upon the command of Allah. As for people leaving one another when they see a defect in their religion, and harboring grudge and enmity toward them, this is contrary to the state of the believers about whom Allah said:
You are the best nation produced [as an example] for mankind. You enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and believe in Allah.
كُنْتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ تَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ وَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ(1) By time, (2) Indeed, mankind is in loss, (3) Except for those who have believed and done righteous deeds and advised each other to truth and advised each other to patience.
وَالْعَصْرِ * إِنَّ الإِنسَانَ لَفِي خُسْرٍ * إِلَّا الَّذِينَ ءامَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالْحَقِّ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالصَّبْرِThe questioner : May Allah reward you, O honorable Shaykh. A message from Fawzi 'Abd al-Hamid Hasan, Egyptian nationality, residing in Amman, Jordan. He says in his message.