The ruling on praying behind one who shaves his beard and circumambulates graves
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Question:
Is it permissible to pray behind one who shaves his beard, beats the hand drum at the graves of the awliya (close friends of Allah), circumambulates around them, and calls people to this practice? Is the prayer of one who prays behind him valid or not?
Please inform us. May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
This requires a detailed explanation:
There is no harm in praying behind the sinner; his prayer is valid. The one who shaves his beard, but does not call upon the graves, nor seek aid from the graves, is a known Muslim. However, he shaves his beard, or lets his garments hang below the ankles, or leaves his moustache long. His prayer is valid because these are sins.
The correct view is that the prayer behind the sinner is valid. Some of the Companions prayed behind unjust rulers, such as al-Hajjaj. Ibn 'Umar used to pray behind him, and he was one of the most severe people in open sinfulness, a fighter and shedder of blood.
The point is that the prayer behind the open sinner is valid. The one who shaves his beard is among the open sinners, if he persists in it while knowing that Allah has forbidden it for him, and he knows this, and he is lax about it; that is open sinfulness. Likewise, the one who lets his garments hang below the ankles, knowing that the scholars have informed him that this is not permissible, then he lets them hang and does not care; he is an open sinner. One prays behind him, and the prayer behind him is valid.
But he should not be appointed as an imam. He should be removed from the imamate if he persists in this. It is incumbent upon the authorities to remove him from the imamate, but the prayer is valid.
As for the one who beats the drum at the graves, calls upon the graves, calls upon the dead, and circumambulates the dead, this is not allowed. If he calls upon the dead and circumambulates the graves, he is one who associates partners with Allah, and one does not pray behind him. If he circumambulates, seeking nearness to them through circumambulation, or calls upon them besides Allah, or seeks aid from them, or makes vows to them, and slaughters for them, he is a disbeliever, and one does not pray behind him.
As for the one who beats the drum, thinking that the drum is permissible, and otherwise he is not calling upon them, nor seeking aid from them, he merely passes by the cemetery and beats the drum at the cemetery, and otherwise he is not calling upon them, nor seeking aid from them, but just the drum; this is a sin. The prayer behind him is valid. And the one who circumambulates around the graves, thinking that it is prescribed, thinking that it is like the Ka'bah which is circumambulated for Allah, circumambulating for Allah, not for them, this is a blameworthy religious innovation. As for the one who circumambulates for them, seeking nearness to them, this is major shirk. We ask Allah for safety. Yes.
The presenter: We ask Allah for safety. May Allah reward you with good.
Is it permissible to pray behind one who shaves his beard, beats the hand drum at the graves of the awliya (close friends of Allah), circumambulates around them, and calls people to this practice? Is the prayer of one who prays behind him valid or not?
Please inform us. May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
This requires a detailed explanation:
There is no harm in praying behind the sinner; his prayer is valid. The one who shaves his beard, but does not call upon the graves, nor seek aid from the graves, is a known Muslim. However, he shaves his beard, or lets his garments hang below the ankles, or leaves his moustache long. His prayer is valid because these are sins.
The correct view is that the prayer behind the sinner is valid. Some of the Companions prayed behind unjust rulers, such as al-Hajjaj. Ibn 'Umar used to pray behind him, and he was one of the most severe people in open sinfulness, a fighter and shedder of blood.
The point is that the prayer behind the open sinner is valid. The one who shaves his beard is among the open sinners, if he persists in it while knowing that Allah has forbidden it for him, and he knows this, and he is lax about it; that is open sinfulness. Likewise, the one who lets his garments hang below the ankles, knowing that the scholars have informed him that this is not permissible, then he lets them hang and does not care; he is an open sinner. One prays behind him, and the prayer behind him is valid.
But he should not be appointed as an imam. He should be removed from the imamate if he persists in this. It is incumbent upon the authorities to remove him from the imamate, but the prayer is valid.
As for the one who beats the drum at the graves, calls upon the graves, calls upon the dead, and circumambulates the dead, this is not allowed. If he calls upon the dead and circumambulates the graves, he is one who associates partners with Allah, and one does not pray behind him. If he circumambulates, seeking nearness to them through circumambulation, or calls upon them besides Allah, or seeks aid from them, or makes vows to them, and slaughters for them, he is a disbeliever, and one does not pray behind him.
As for the one who beats the drum, thinking that the drum is permissible, and otherwise he is not calling upon them, nor seeking aid from them, he merely passes by the cemetery and beats the drum at the cemetery, and otherwise he is not calling upon them, nor seeking aid from them, but just the drum; this is a sin. The prayer behind him is valid. And the one who circumambulates around the graves, thinking that it is prescribed, thinking that it is like the Ka'bah which is circumambulated for Allah, circumambulating for Allah, not for them, this is a blameworthy religious innovation. As for the one who circumambulates for them, seeking nearness to them, this is major shirk. We ask Allah for safety. Yes.
The presenter: We ask Allah for safety. May Allah reward you with good.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.