The ruling on praying behind one who shaves his beard or smokes, and which is preferable?

Which is correct, that I pray behind an imam who shaves his beard, or behind an imam who smokes, and why? Please inform us, may Allah reward you.
Answer: If it is possible for you not to pray behind this one or that one, that is preferable. Do not pray behind the smoker or the one who shaves his beard, if you can find another imam in another mosque, because that is safer for your prayer and safer for your religion. However, the one who shaves his beard has a more apparent sin, because it is an apparent disobedience. The smoker’s disobedience may be hidden; there may be reasons that hide it, such as cleaning and using perfume so that the smell of smoke does not appear on him. As for the beard, it is an apparent disobedience and an open display of what Allah the Mighty and Majestic has forbidden, so his sin is greater and larger, and its evil is more severe, even though both are forbidden: smoking is forbidden and has many harms, but its practitioner may hide it. As for shaving the beard, there is no way to hide it, because it is an apparent disobedience and imitating the polytheists and women. So one must be cautious of both of these.
It is obligatory for those responsible for mosques not to appoint anyone with this characteristic, and to choose for the imamate those who are upright, who do not display disobedience, and that is by growing the beard and by staying away from smoking, and so on for other apparent sins. Yes.
We ask Allah for guidance and success for everyone. Yes.
The presenter: The reality is, Shaykh Abdul Aziz, that you often advise that the imam should have such and such characteristics, and many of our brothers have started complaining about this issue. They say: People who were known to be grave worshippers have started leading us, and others complain about imams known to be from such and such a sect, from those sects that differed regarding the names and attributes, like the Asha'irah, and so on. They explain many of these matters. A word about this, if you would be kind, Your Eminence?
The Shaykh: It is obligatory for the Ministry of Hajj and Endowments and those responsible in it to fear Allah the Mighty and Majestic, and to be cautious of being lenient in this matter, and to exert their utmost effort in choosing imams. They should not appoint anyone except one known for the correct Salafi creed, and they should not appoint anyone except one who has the Shari'ah appearance, having grown his beard and abandoned letting the garment hang below the ankles, so that they may be free of blame. This is what is obligatory for them. It is obligatory for the rulers, including the Ministry of Hajj and Endowments and those responsible in it, to be careful in choosing imams, and likewise mu'adhdhins, but the imam is greater, so they must be careful to appoint only one who is suitable for the imamate in his creed and in his Shari'ah appearance. The creed is more important and greater. So it is obligatory for those responsible in the Endowments to pay attention to this matter, to fear Allah, and to cooperate with the courts, the General Presidency for Scholarly Research and Ifta, the Commission, and everyone in whom they suspect good, to choose an imam for them, to assist them, and to guide and direct them to imams. It is obligatory for the people of knowledge to respond. It is obligatory for the people of knowledge, the teachers and the judges, to respond to the imamate so that they may fill this great vacuum that has forced the Endowments to import people whose religion and character are not acceptable. It is obligatory for the judges and the scholars to participate in the imamate, to seek the reward, and to be patient until they fill a great vacuum in this matter.
And here the state has resolved to establish institutes for imams and preachers. When this is realized, if Allah wills, it will close this gap and fill this vacuum. Approval has been given to open an institute for imams and preachers in Riyadh, and we hope that one will be opened in Madinah and Makkah, and so on in other cities like al-Qassim, al-Ha'il, Abha, and the like, until this vacuum is filled. The necessity calls for this matter. We ask Allah to grant the state success in this matter. This institute will be through Imam Muhammad ibn Saud University, which is qualified for this matter.
So we ask Allah to facilitate its opening this year. It has been... ... as far as I have heard, and only a little remains... We hope it will be completed in these days so that it opens, if Allah wills, in these days. Then, if Allah wills, other institutes will be opened in Makkah al-Mukarramah and al-Madinah al-Munawwarah and other cities where this institute should be opened. The need is urgent, indeed the necessity is urgent for this matter. And this does not exempt the scholars, teachers, and others, nor does it exempt the judges from responding. Rather, in my opinion, they must respond and lead in the mosques that need it, and seek the reward, until someone is found to take their place and fill this vacuum for them.
We ask Allah for success and guidance for everyone.
The presenter: The reality is, this is good news, Your Eminence. If you would be kind, I ask Your Eminence to also follow up on this issue, perhaps Allah the Exalted and Majestic will realize this great hope that Muslims are waiting for through your hands.
The Shaykh: If Allah wills, I am following up on this, and we ask Allah to realize it this year and in the years after.