The Ruling on Praying Behind One Who Commits Zina
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
If a person suspects that the imam of the mosque is a fornicator, and most of the worshippers are aware of this, is their prayer valid or not?
Answer:
Their prayer is valid, even if they know that he is a fornicator, as long as it is a sin; a sin does not invalidate the prayer. However, they must advise him, guide him to what is good, and ask those in charge of the mosque, or the officials responsible for the mosque, to seek a righteous imam. If this person is accused of zina, or is known for committing zina, and if he repents, the congregation should ask those in charge of the mosque to replace this imam with a righteous one. As for their prayer, it is valid, but they should advise him, guide him, seek his repentance, and direct him to what is good.
If a person suspects that the imam of the mosque is a fornicator, and most of the worshippers are aware of this, is their prayer valid or not?
Answer:
Their prayer is valid, even if they know that he is a fornicator, as long as it is a sin; a sin does not invalidate the prayer. However, they must advise him, guide him to what is good, and ask those in charge of the mosque, or the officials responsible for the mosque, to seek a righteous imam. If this person is accused of zina, or is known for committing zina, and if he repents, the congregation should ask those in charge of the mosque to replace this imam with a righteous one. As for their prayer, it is valid, but they should advise him, guide him, seek his repentance, and direct him to what is good.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.