The Ruling on Praying Behind an Innovator and a Sinner
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Question:
They have another question, Your Eminence. They ask: What is the ruling on praying behind an imam who is an innovator, whether the innovation is in the realm of acts of worship or in matters of creed? May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
It is not permissible to appoint an innovator as an imam. It is not permissible to appoint an innovator as an imam, because doing so elevates his status. Therefore, it is not permissible to appoint him as an imam. Rather, one should seek out for the position of imam those who are righteous, upright, and free from innovations. This is the obligatory duty of those in charge: to seek out for the position of imam a righteous man who possesses knowledge and virtue and is far from innovation. However, if there is an imam in the mosque who is an innovator, but his innovation does not amount to disbelief, then the prayer behind him is valid. The obligatory action is to remove him and replace him with someone else. But if his innovation amounts to disbelief, such as one who worships graves, worships them, and calls upon the dead for aid, then the prayer behind him is not valid. His own prayer is not valid because of his disbelief, and the prayer behind him is not valid.
As for one who is an innovator with an innovation that does not take him out of Islam, but is an innovation that merely makes him a sinner, then the prayer behind him is valid, just as the prayer behind other open sinners who are Muslims but have some sins, such as backbiting and talebearing, drinking intoxicants, or shaving the beard, is valid. However, it is not befitting for them to be appointed as imams. It is not befitting for the rulers to appoint as an imam one who openly commits sin. Some of the Companions prayed behind al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf, who was among the most sinful of people, a shedder of blood, because he was a Muslim.
And among the examples of innovations that do not take one out of Islam is the innovation of celebrating the Mawlid, provided there is no shirk (associating partners with Allah) in it. A mere celebration of the Mawlid, with the recitation of lessons or poems that do not contain shirk, is a blameworthy innovation. However, if there is shirk in it, such as making du'a (supplication) to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and calling upon him for aid, then that becomes major shirk.
And similarly: the innovation of the Night of the Ascension, the Night of the Night Journey and Ascension. Celebrating it is an innovation that does not amount to disbelief, unless there is calling upon other than Allah and seeking aid from other than Allah. In that case, the one who does so is a disbeliever by his seeking aid from other than Allah and his making du'a to the dead and the absent. And similarly: "I intend to pray such and such." This is a verbal innovation that does not amount to disbelief. It is a sin and a deficiency for the believer. So the prayer behind the one who does this is valid. If he says: "I intend to pray the Zuhr prayer," or "I intend to pray such and such," then this is not permissible, but the prayer is valid. Yes.
The presenter : May Allah bless you.
They have another question, Your Eminence. They ask: What is the ruling on praying behind an imam who is an innovator, whether the innovation is in the realm of acts of worship or in matters of creed? May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
It is not permissible to appoint an innovator as an imam. It is not permissible to appoint an innovator as an imam, because doing so elevates his status. Therefore, it is not permissible to appoint him as an imam. Rather, one should seek out for the position of imam those who are righteous, upright, and free from innovations. This is the obligatory duty of those in charge: to seek out for the position of imam a righteous man who possesses knowledge and virtue and is far from innovation. However, if there is an imam in the mosque who is an innovator, but his innovation does not amount to disbelief, then the prayer behind him is valid. The obligatory action is to remove him and replace him with someone else. But if his innovation amounts to disbelief, such as one who worships graves, worships them, and calls upon the dead for aid, then the prayer behind him is not valid. His own prayer is not valid because of his disbelief, and the prayer behind him is not valid.
As for one who is an innovator with an innovation that does not take him out of Islam, but is an innovation that merely makes him a sinner, then the prayer behind him is valid, just as the prayer behind other open sinners who are Muslims but have some sins, such as backbiting and talebearing, drinking intoxicants, or shaving the beard, is valid. However, it is not befitting for them to be appointed as imams. It is not befitting for the rulers to appoint as an imam one who openly commits sin. Some of the Companions prayed behind al-Hajjaj ibn Yusuf, who was among the most sinful of people, a shedder of blood, because he was a Muslim.
And among the examples of innovations that do not take one out of Islam is the innovation of celebrating the Mawlid, provided there is no shirk (associating partners with Allah) in it. A mere celebration of the Mawlid, with the recitation of lessons or poems that do not contain shirk, is a blameworthy innovation. However, if there is shirk in it, such as making du'a (supplication) to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and calling upon him for aid, then that becomes major shirk.
And similarly: the innovation of the Night of the Ascension, the Night of the Night Journey and Ascension. Celebrating it is an innovation that does not amount to disbelief, unless there is calling upon other than Allah and seeking aid from other than Allah. In that case, the one who does so is a disbeliever by his seeking aid from other than Allah and his making du'a to the dead and the absent. And similarly: "I intend to pray such and such." This is a verbal innovation that does not amount to disbelief. It is a sin and a deficiency for the believer. So the prayer behind the one who does this is valid. If he says: "I intend to pray the Zuhr prayer," or "I intend to pray such and such," then this is not permissible, but the prayer is valid. Yes.
The presenter : May Allah bless you.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.