What is the ruling on following an imam who deviates from the manner of the Prophet’s (peace and blessings be upon him) prayer?

The questioner : Shaykh, regarding the topic of following the imam; if he does not perform the prayer as the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) performed it, is it obligatory for the follower to follow the imam?

The Shaykh : To follow him?

The questioner : To follow him, meaning it does not matter?

The Shaykh : Pray behind him or not?

The questioner : Pray behind him.

The Shaykh : Meaning, pray behind someone else and leave off following?

The questioner : No, pray behind this imam. But the imam, as an obligation, does not place his hand on his chest but lets it hang down; is that so?

The Shaykh : The same answer, my brother. First, was the evidence and the proofs clarified to him that what you are doing is contrary to the correct Sunnah, or not? It is necessary to be specific in every matter; meaning, this imam who, for example, places his hands like this; what do you think of him when you do not know him, let us assume the case is like this; do you think he does this to spite the correct Sunnah or out of ignorance of it?

The questioner : Out of ignorance of it.

The Shaykh : That is one thing. Then, is he doing this with his ignorance of the correct Sunnah without having a reference and support from the mujtahid scholars, or does he have a reference?

The questioner : Without a reference.

The Shaykh : No, that is contrary to reality.

Another questioner : ... .

The Shaykh : How?

Another questioner : ... .

The Shaykh : Meaning, are these general Muslims followers who do not have imams to follow? But in the way of taqlid (following a scholar without knowing his evidence), right or not? Also, here I have a word that must be clarified. We who call people to follow the Book and the Sunnah are sometimes afflicted with some excess and exaggeration. We want to obligate every Muslim to know the correct Sunnah. This is obligatory, but most Muslims cannot do this. And if the Lord of the worlds has made it easy for some of them to recognize the correct Sunnah by one way or more than one way, then that is a favor from Allah (Mighty and Majestic). But the general Muslims, especially those with some knowledge; how is it possible for them to know that this is the correct Sunnah and this imam hit the mark and this imam erred? We need to broaden our horizons a lot, a lot, so that we do not wrong some Muslims without right.
So I want to say from this: It is obligatory that we assume that the general Muslims, when they pray in whatever form they pray, we assume they are excused. We do not assume they are correct; that is a second discussion. We assume they are excused; especially those who have some knowledge. Meaning, we assume that the imam who leads the people is more knowledgeable than them. And even though, unfortunately, we are seeing events that indicate that the imams in many mosques hardly differ from those who follow them behind them. They have no knowledge to mention. And peace be upon you and Allah’s mercy and blessings. So if this is the norm, when you find an imam and you are following him, if you want an imam who knows the Sunnah and holds fast to it, then search for him. This is undoubtedly better. But it is not available to you every hour, especially in a state of being a stranger, it is not available to you the imam you hope for who holds fast to the Sunnah.
So, which imam? The rule now—and this is the summary of the speech and the end of the matter—which imam you follow, you believe he is a Muslim naturally, otherwise you would not follow him; you should verify the following of him completely, even if he deviates from the Sunnah in your opinion and your ijtihad (independent legal reasoning), until you establish the proof against him and you are convinced that, by Allah, the proof was clarified to him and then he rejected it, holding fast to what he found his fathers and grandfathers upon, which is rigidity in taqlid (following a scholar without knowing his evidence). At that time, you have an excuse to differ with him when he deviates from the Sunnah.

The questioner : Meaning, Shaykh, if I entered the mosque and saw the imam letting his hand hang down in prayer; do I let my hand hang down with him?

The Shaykh : Yes.

The questioner : Meaning, do I perform the prayer as he performs it?

The Shaykh : Have you heard of this strange thing in our time? If you entered the mosque and found an imam praying while sitting; what do you do?

The questioner : I sit.

The Shaykh : Yes?

The questioner : I sit.

The Shaykh : And what is the ruling of sitting for one who is able to stand?

The questioner : I have no idea.

The Shaykh : How do you not know? Do you not know that standing is an obligatory pillar of the pillars of prayer? So if you stand and pray the obligatory prayer from a sitting position, is your prayer valid?

The questioner: No.

The Shaykh : So if you followed behind the sitting imam; how was your prayer valid? Is it not to realize the following?

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh : Okay; so which is more surprising in deviating from the Shari'ah (Islamic sacred law); the follower who sits while he is able to stand, or the follower who does not place his hands and lets them hang down while he is able to place them? Which is stranger in deviation?

The questioner : The one sitting.

The Shaykh : Yes?

The questioner : The one sitting.

The Shaykh : And yet you do it.

Another questioner : Shaykh, regarding if the imam sits with an excuse, but if he lets his hand hang down without an excuse.

The Shaykh : Who told you? Who told you that he is not excused? We spoke at length earlier in this area.

The questioner : Yes, but the correct Sunnah...

The Shaykh : The correct Sunnah is with you, man. Do not assume that everyone is in your mind, logic, knowledge, and understanding.
What is your opinion?

The questioner : ... .

The Shaykh : All of it, my brother... We brought the example of sitting; because after sitting and standing, there is no greater difference than this, ever.
Yes.