Prayer Behind an Imam Who Believes in the Awliya and the Righteous
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[The Imam Being Elevated Above the Ma'mum]
Question: Does the elevation of the imam's position above the ma'mum affect the validity of the prayer, or does it have no effect?
Answer: This requires a detailed explanation:
If the imam is alone, it is permissible for him to be elevated slightly, such as the steps of the minbar. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ascended the minbar while praying and then descended. Therefore, slight elevation is permissible if the imam is alone, but significant elevation is not permissible for the imam to be alone in it compared to those behind him.
However, if there are other praying ma'mum with the imam, there is no harm in elevation, even if it is significant.
For example, it is permissible for the imam to be on the upper floor while there are people praying behind him on the floor below. There is no objection to this if the imam has at least one ma'mum with him.
Question: Does descent follow the same ruling as elevation?
Answer: There is no harm in that.
Question: A lower level relative to the imam's position?
Answer: There is no harm in that either, if the imam has a group with him.
However, if he is alone, he should not be lowered significantly. Slight lowering is permissible; because if he is lowered significantly and has no one with him, the ability to follow him in prayer is lost.
[Leading Prayer by One Who Seeks Nearness Through the Righteous]
Question: If there is a person who believes in or approves of seeking nearness to Allah through the righteous, is the prayer behind him valid?
Answer: It is a condition for the imam that he be a Muslim who is upright in his religion, morals, and conduct, and that he be a good example in adhering to the truth and avoiding religious innovation, shirk, and its means. One who adopts seeking nearness to Allah through the righteous, the awliya, or the dead, as is the custom of the worshippers of graves today, and uses this or considers it permissible, the prayer behind him is not valid; because his creed is corrupted. If he seeks nearness to Allah through the righteous in the sense that he asks them for his needs, relief from distress, calls out to them by their names, and seeks their aid, then he is a mushrik committing major shirk that expels one from the religion. He is not a Muslim, let alone be taken as an imam for a mosque. It is obligatory for Muslims to be aware of this and not to present for their religion and prayers anyone except one who is sound in creed, upright in conduct according to the Book and the Sunnah, and avoids innovations and open sinfulness. Even the open sinner's imamate is not valid according to many scholars, if his sinfulness is practical. How much more so for the one whose creed is flawed or the innovator who has a defect in his creed? This is more severe, especially if he is, as we mentioned, one of those who seek nearness to Allah through the dead and ask them for their needs. This is major shirk. His prayer is not valid, nor is the prayer of anyone behind him, until he repents to Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) and returns to the fold of tawhid (the oneness of Allah) and the sincerity of worship to Allah (Mighty and Majestic). We ask Allah (Mighty and Majestic) to awaken the Muslims to know their religion, adhere to the Book of their Lord and the Sunnah of their Prophet, and abandon what contradicts that from innovations, superstitions, and newly invented matters which they thought were part of the religion and believed were part of the religion, while they are far, far removed from the religion.
[Prayer Behind an Imam Who Believes in the Awliya and the Righteous]
Question: Is it permissible to pray behind an imam who believes in the awliya and the righteous? Please inform us of this, may Allah bless you?
Answer: Believing in the awliya and the righteous that they can benefit or harm, or heal the sick, or relieve distress, as the worshippers of graves today believe, the people of the shrines, this is major shirk, may Allah protect us from it. Its practitioner is outside the religion; because he worships other than Allah (Mighty and Majestic). He does not possess the power to harm or benefit, relieve distress, or fulfill needs, which only Allah can do. Only Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) possesses that. Believing in the dead and the buried that they can benefit or harm, or even in the living, believing that they are capable of what only Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) is capable of, such as healing the sick, bringing sustenance, and repelling harm, this is major shirk; because it is attachment to other than Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He), reliance upon other than Allah (Mighty and Majestic), and directing the greatest types of worship to other than Allah (Mighty and Majestic). So, if this imam is as I mentioned, he is not from the people of Islam as long as he holds this belief, and his imamate is not valid; because he is a mushrik associating partners with Allah (Mighty and Majestic).
Question: Does the elevation of the imam's position above the ma'mum affect the validity of the prayer, or does it have no effect?
Answer: This requires a detailed explanation:
If the imam is alone, it is permissible for him to be elevated slightly, such as the steps of the minbar. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ascended the minbar while praying and then descended. Therefore, slight elevation is permissible if the imam is alone, but significant elevation is not permissible for the imam to be alone in it compared to those behind him.
However, if there are other praying ma'mum with the imam, there is no harm in elevation, even if it is significant.
For example, it is permissible for the imam to be on the upper floor while there are people praying behind him on the floor below. There is no objection to this if the imam has at least one ma'mum with him.
Question: Does descent follow the same ruling as elevation?
Answer: There is no harm in that.
Question: A lower level relative to the imam's position?
Answer: There is no harm in that either, if the imam has a group with him.
However, if he is alone, he should not be lowered significantly. Slight lowering is permissible; because if he is lowered significantly and has no one with him, the ability to follow him in prayer is lost.
[Leading Prayer by One Who Seeks Nearness Through the Righteous]
Question: If there is a person who believes in or approves of seeking nearness to Allah through the righteous, is the prayer behind him valid?
Answer: It is a condition for the imam that he be a Muslim who is upright in his religion, morals, and conduct, and that he be a good example in adhering to the truth and avoiding religious innovation, shirk, and its means. One who adopts seeking nearness to Allah through the righteous, the awliya, or the dead, as is the custom of the worshippers of graves today, and uses this or considers it permissible, the prayer behind him is not valid; because his creed is corrupted. If he seeks nearness to Allah through the righteous in the sense that he asks them for his needs, relief from distress, calls out to them by their names, and seeks their aid, then he is a mushrik committing major shirk that expels one from the religion. He is not a Muslim, let alone be taken as an imam for a mosque. It is obligatory for Muslims to be aware of this and not to present for their religion and prayers anyone except one who is sound in creed, upright in conduct according to the Book and the Sunnah, and avoids innovations and open sinfulness. Even the open sinner's imamate is not valid according to many scholars, if his sinfulness is practical. How much more so for the one whose creed is flawed or the innovator who has a defect in his creed? This is more severe, especially if he is, as we mentioned, one of those who seek nearness to Allah through the dead and ask them for their needs. This is major shirk. His prayer is not valid, nor is the prayer of anyone behind him, until he repents to Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) and returns to the fold of tawhid (the oneness of Allah) and the sincerity of worship to Allah (Mighty and Majestic). We ask Allah (Mighty and Majestic) to awaken the Muslims to know their religion, adhere to the Book of their Lord and the Sunnah of their Prophet, and abandon what contradicts that from innovations, superstitions, and newly invented matters which they thought were part of the religion and believed were part of the religion, while they are far, far removed from the religion.
[Prayer Behind an Imam Who Believes in the Awliya and the Righteous]
Question: Is it permissible to pray behind an imam who believes in the awliya and the righteous? Please inform us of this, may Allah bless you?
Answer: Believing in the awliya and the righteous that they can benefit or harm, or heal the sick, or relieve distress, as the worshippers of graves today believe, the people of the shrines, this is major shirk, may Allah protect us from it. Its practitioner is outside the religion; because he worships other than Allah (Mighty and Majestic). He does not possess the power to harm or benefit, relieve distress, or fulfill needs, which only Allah can do. Only Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) possesses that. Believing in the dead and the buried that they can benefit or harm, or even in the living, believing that they are capable of what only Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) is capable of, such as healing the sick, bringing sustenance, and repelling harm, this is major shirk; because it is attachment to other than Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He), reliance upon other than Allah (Mighty and Majestic), and directing the greatest types of worship to other than Allah (Mighty and Majestic). So, if this imam is as I mentioned, he is not from the people of Islam as long as he holds this belief, and his imamate is not valid; because he is a mushrik associating partners with Allah (Mighty and Majestic).