If the imam of the mosque who leads the people in prayer, and some or all of the followers, are among those who believe that the dead can bring benefit and ward off harm
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question: If the imam of the mosque who leads the people in prayer, and some or all of the followers, are among those who believe that the dead can bring benefit and ward off harm, and among those who swear oaths by other than Allah, and who commit many religious innovations and superstitions, if they possess these characteristics, is it permissible for me to pray with them and behind this imam, or should I pray alone in my house, or look for another mosque whose imam and the people praying behind him do not possess these characteristics?
Answer: It is a condition for the imam who leads the Muslims in prayer that he possess a high degree of soundness in creed, and soundness in conduct and action; because he is a role model; and because leading the prayer is a great trust and a major responsibility. So, if the imam you mentioned is described as doing some of the acts of shirk (associating partners with Allah), superstitions, or religious innovations, then the prayer behind him is not valid; because if he believes that benefit and harm come from other than Allah (Mighty and Majestic) from graves and the dead, this is major shirk. And if he draws near to the graves with various types of acts of devotion, such as slaughtering, making vows, making supplication, and the like, this is major shirk, and its practitioner is outside the fold of Islam, and no deed of his is valid as long as he remains on this false creed.
Likewise, if he has some of the religious innovations and superstitions, even if they do not reach the level of shirk, they undermine his integrity and his suitability for the imamate; because it is a condition for the imam that he be upright, and these religious innovations and superstitions, which one who practices them engages in, undermine his integrity, so he is not suitable to be an imam, and the prayer behind him is not valid.
As for the followers, if the imam is sound in his creed and sound in his conduct and morals, and is upright, then the prayer behind him is valid, even if among the people praying behind him there is one who commits shirk or a religious innovation or a superstition, for the criterion is the imam behind whom the prayer is valid, even if among those praying behind him there are those who possess the characteristics you mentioned.
However, if the imam is the one who practices these acts of shirk and religious innovation, then as we mentioned, the prayer behind him is not valid, and you must seek out another mosque, whose imam is upright, sound in creed, and sound in action.
And if there is no mosque other than this mosque with this imam who is not suitable for the imamate, you can gather with others who disapprove of this matter, and you all pray together and leave this mosque, either by establishing another mosque, or by preparing a place for prayer, until Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) facilitates a sound imam. This is if you are unable to strive to remove this imam and replace him with one who is better. But if you are able to strive to replace him with one who is better, it is obligatory for you to do so. And Allah knows best.
Answer: It is a condition for the imam who leads the Muslims in prayer that he possess a high degree of soundness in creed, and soundness in conduct and action; because he is a role model; and because leading the prayer is a great trust and a major responsibility. So, if the imam you mentioned is described as doing some of the acts of shirk (associating partners with Allah), superstitions, or religious innovations, then the prayer behind him is not valid; because if he believes that benefit and harm come from other than Allah (Mighty and Majestic) from graves and the dead, this is major shirk. And if he draws near to the graves with various types of acts of devotion, such as slaughtering, making vows, making supplication, and the like, this is major shirk, and its practitioner is outside the fold of Islam, and no deed of his is valid as long as he remains on this false creed.
Likewise, if he has some of the religious innovations and superstitions, even if they do not reach the level of shirk, they undermine his integrity and his suitability for the imamate; because it is a condition for the imam that he be upright, and these religious innovations and superstitions, which one who practices them engages in, undermine his integrity, so he is not suitable to be an imam, and the prayer behind him is not valid.
As for the followers, if the imam is sound in his creed and sound in his conduct and morals, and is upright, then the prayer behind him is valid, even if among the people praying behind him there is one who commits shirk or a religious innovation or a superstition, for the criterion is the imam behind whom the prayer is valid, even if among those praying behind him there are those who possess the characteristics you mentioned.
However, if the imam is the one who practices these acts of shirk and religious innovation, then as we mentioned, the prayer behind him is not valid, and you must seek out another mosque, whose imam is upright, sound in creed, and sound in action.
And if there is no mosque other than this mosque with this imam who is not suitable for the imamate, you can gather with others who disapprove of this matter, and you all pray together and leave this mosque, either by establishing another mosque, or by preparing a place for prayer, until Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) facilitates a sound imam. This is if you are unable to strive to remove this imam and replace him with one who is better. But if you are able to strive to replace him with one who is better, it is obligatory for you to do so. And Allah knows best.