The Ruling on Praying Behind an Innovator
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Q424: The questioner asks: What is the ruling on praying behind an innovator imam? And if we pray behind him for several prayers, do we have to repeat those prayers?
A424: If this imam is a regular imam in the mosque, his innovation must be examined. If his innovation entails disbelief, meaning it is an innovation that constitutes major shirk, then the prayer behind him is not valid, without any disagreement; because his own prayer is not valid, so how can the prayer of the one behind him be valid? However, if his innovation is less than disbelief, then if he is a regular imam, one should pray behind him while advising him, and striving to remove him and replace him with another imam who is upright upon the Sunnah. One should not be patient with him if one is able to remove him. This is if his innovation is less than disbelief. As for if the innovation is minor, then the prayer behind him is valid.
A424: If this imam is a regular imam in the mosque, his innovation must be examined. If his innovation entails disbelief, meaning it is an innovation that constitutes major shirk, then the prayer behind him is not valid, without any disagreement; because his own prayer is not valid, so how can the prayer of the one behind him be valid? However, if his innovation is less than disbelief, then if he is a regular imam, one should pray behind him while advising him, and striving to remove him and replace him with another imam who is upright upon the Sunnah. One should not be patient with him if one is able to remove him. This is if his innovation is less than disbelief. As for if the innovation is minor, then the prayer behind him is valid.
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.