If one believes that the one who abandons prayer is a disbeliever, is it permissible to follow an imam in the funeral prayer for the one who abandons prayer, knowing that the imam considers him a Muslim?
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The questioner : Shaykh, may Allah preserve you: Regarding the case where the imam considers it permissible to pray over the deceased, meaning he believes that the one who abandons prayer is not a disbeliever?
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : And is this analogous, O Shaykh, to praying with the one who eats from camels?
The Shaykh : Do you mean that the follower follows him?
The questioner : Yes, does the follower follow him? And is this analogous to the one who takes from camels, if the imam, for example, believes that eating camel meat does not break the ablution? Is this analogous to that, O Shaykh, or not?
The Shaykh : You are now asking whether the imam prays over him if he believes that the one who abandons prayer is not a disbeliever?
The questioner : Yes, that is right.
The Shaykh : We say: Yes, if he believes that the one who abandons prayer is not a disbeliever, then he prays over him.
The questioner : But what about the follower, O Shaykh?
The Shaykh : Does the follower follow the imam while he believes, meaning the follower believes that the one who abandons prayer is a disbeliever? We say: No, because the prayer is not a prayer for the person; the prayer is for the deceased, and the one praying will make supplication for the deceased. How can he make supplication for a disbeliever? Allah says:[At-Tawbah 9:113] This is different from the one who prayed behind someone who ate camel meat and did not perform ablution because he believed it does not break the ablution, because I believe now that this man’s prayer is valid and my prayer behind him is valid, and I did not do anything; I performed ablution. But when I pray behind someone who prays over a disbeliever, I cannot make supplication for a disbeliever.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : And is this analogous, O Shaykh, to praying with the one who eats from camels?
The Shaykh : Do you mean that the follower follows him?
The questioner : Yes, does the follower follow him? And is this analogous to the one who takes from camels, if the imam, for example, believes that eating camel meat does not break the ablution? Is this analogous to that, O Shaykh, or not?
The Shaykh : You are now asking whether the imam prays over him if he believes that the one who abandons prayer is not a disbeliever?
The questioner : Yes, that is right.
The Shaykh : We say: Yes, if he believes that the one who abandons prayer is not a disbeliever, then he prays over him.
The questioner : But what about the follower, O Shaykh?
The Shaykh : Does the follower follow the imam while he believes, meaning the follower believes that the one who abandons prayer is a disbeliever? We say: No, because the prayer is not a prayer for the person; the prayer is for the deceased, and the one praying will make supplication for the deceased. How can he make supplication for a disbeliever? Allah says: