The ruling on praying behind an imam who attends celebrations held for the awliya (close friends of Allah)
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السؤال:
In our village, there is an imam of the mosque who attends the celebrations held for the awliya (close friends of Allah) and the domes, but he does not believe in them things that touch upon the creed; it is merely attendance at these gatherings. His attendance is mostly to avoid people talking about him. Is it permissible to pray behind him? We inform you that there is no nearby mosque with a Salafi imam behind whom we can pray. If we do not pray behind him, the people may reject us and reject our Salafi call. We are a minority with no power, and they are capable of causing us harm. We ask you for advice and guidance.
Answer:
If he attends the gatherings of the awliya (close friends of Allah) and the people of religious innovation, then the apparent reality is that he is lenient with them, and that he does not oppose them or denounce them. Such a person is not fit to be an imam, and it is not befitting to appoint him as an imam, nor is it befitting to pray behind him. Rather, he should be boycotted; because it is obligatory for one who attends gatherings of evil to denounce them, otherwise he should not attend. If he attends the gatherings of the people of religious innovation, the people of graves, and the people of mawlid celebrations, it is obligatory to guide him and say to him: Do not attend them. Rather, denounce them, convey the message to them, and stay away from them; because gathering for religious innovations is a reprehensible matter. The innovation of the mawlid, or the innovation at the graves, seeking blessing from the graves, and the like, or reciting at the graves, or praying at the graves, all of this is from the reprehensible religious innovations. It may lead to shirk (associating partners with Allah), which is seeking blessing from the people of the graves or calling upon them other than Allah. This is major shirk.
So it is obligatory for the believing slave to fear Allah, and to denounce these people, and not to attend with them or gather with them. He should not attend their gatherings except while denouncing and warning; because gathering for the mawlid, or gathering to exalt the grave, or the like, all of this is from the reprehensible religious innovations. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) is the master of the children of Adam and the master of the advisors, yet he did not perform the mawlid, nor did he do it once in his lifetime, nor did he gather the people for the mawlid. Nor did al-Siddiq, nor 'Umar, nor 'Uthman, nor 'Ali, nor the rest of the Companions, nor the righteous Salaf. It only occurred in the fourth century from some of the Shi'ah, and then some of the ignorant Muslims followed them.
So holding mawlid celebrations is from the reprehensible religious innovations, and from the means of shirk (associating partners with Allah) and extremism. Likewise, gathering at the graves, reciting at them, or praying at them, or making du'a' (supplication) for their people by way of seeking nearness through gathering, making du'a', and raising the hands at them, this is from the religious innovations. As for visiting them with a lawful visit and greeting them, even if he raises his hand for du'a', there is no harm.
In our village, there is an imam of the mosque who attends the celebrations held for the awliya (close friends of Allah) and the domes, but he does not believe in them things that touch upon the creed; it is merely attendance at these gatherings. His attendance is mostly to avoid people talking about him. Is it permissible to pray behind him? We inform you that there is no nearby mosque with a Salafi imam behind whom we can pray. If we do not pray behind him, the people may reject us and reject our Salafi call. We are a minority with no power, and they are capable of causing us harm. We ask you for advice and guidance.
Answer:
If he attends the gatherings of the awliya (close friends of Allah) and the people of religious innovation, then the apparent reality is that he is lenient with them, and that he does not oppose them or denounce them. Such a person is not fit to be an imam, and it is not befitting to appoint him as an imam, nor is it befitting to pray behind him. Rather, he should be boycotted; because it is obligatory for one who attends gatherings of evil to denounce them, otherwise he should not attend. If he attends the gatherings of the people of religious innovation, the people of graves, and the people of mawlid celebrations, it is obligatory to guide him and say to him: Do not attend them. Rather, denounce them, convey the message to them, and stay away from them; because gathering for religious innovations is a reprehensible matter. The innovation of the mawlid, or the innovation at the graves, seeking blessing from the graves, and the like, or reciting at the graves, or praying at the graves, all of this is from the reprehensible religious innovations. It may lead to shirk (associating partners with Allah), which is seeking blessing from the people of the graves or calling upon them other than Allah. This is major shirk.
So it is obligatory for the believing slave to fear Allah, and to denounce these people, and not to attend with them or gather with them. He should not attend their gatherings except while denouncing and warning; because gathering for the mawlid, or gathering to exalt the grave, or the like, all of this is from the reprehensible religious innovations. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) is the master of the children of Adam and the master of the advisors, yet he did not perform the mawlid, nor did he do it once in his lifetime, nor did he gather the people for the mawlid. Nor did al-Siddiq, nor 'Umar, nor 'Uthman, nor 'Ali, nor the rest of the Companions, nor the righteous Salaf. It only occurred in the fourth century from some of the Shi'ah, and then some of the ignorant Muslims followed them.
So holding mawlid celebrations is from the reprehensible religious innovations, and from the means of shirk (associating partners with Allah) and extremism. Likewise, gathering at the graves, reciting at them, or praying at them, or making du'a' (supplication) for their people by way of seeking nearness through gathering, making du'a', and raising the hands at them, this is from the religious innovations. As for visiting them with a lawful visit and greeting them, even if he raises his hand for du'a', there is no harm.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.