Fatwa ID: 04509
Answered by: Maulana Jamal Ahmed
Question
Respected Sir, I am a student here in Korea, and since there is only 1 mosque in the city where I live in and it is very far, therefore, we students conduct Jama'a on our own here in the university. The student who leads us is an Ahl-e-Hadith, and despite all the advises that I gave him about not discussing matters where the scholars have disputed, he continues to do so. He keeps on discussing matters where Hanafis have a different opinion. Now, the thing is I do not feel good praying behind him due to these issues. Most of the other students do not pose the enough knowledge about these difference of opinions, therefore, they have no issues in praying behind him and I think if I start raising this issue then this might create a fitna. Therefore, I wanted to ask if my heart is not satisfied regarding praying behind this Imam due to his attitude mentioned above, what should be preferable for me, praying behind him in Jama'a or praying alone? Jazak'AllahKhair.
بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيْم
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer
Mufti Taqi Usmani Saheb says if there is no other Imam besides a person who is from Jamat-e- Islami or Berelwi group then it is permissible to read behind them but if there are other Imams available then it is not permissible to read behind them because they have some Aqidah issues. However, if someone reads behind them despite there being other Imams available then their Salah will still be valid. (Fatawa Usmani, vol. 1, pg. 405. Maktabah Ma’ariful Quran)
The same ruling applies to those who are fasiq (Sinful) and Bidati (innovators).
If you know that a particular person, who is of a different school of thought, does any acts, which according to Hanafi school of thought, breaks the salah, then it will not be allowed to read behind such an Imam. If that person neither opposes any compulsory acts of salah nor practices any of the breakers of salah, and there are no other Hanafi Imams, then it is better to read behind this Imam than to read individually, so as to attain the rewards of jama’ah. Similarly, if the Imam has none of the above-mentioned problems, but you have some personal issues, or that he has an attitude problem, or that he discusses controversial issues then even in this case it will be better to read with the jama’ah.
وَلَوْ عَلِمَ الْمُقْتَدِي مِنْ الْإِمَامِ مَا يُفْسِدُ الصَّلَاةَ عَلَى زَعْمِ الْإِمَامِ كَمَسِّ الْمَرْأَةِ أَوْ الذَّكَرِ أَوْ مَا أَشْبَهَ ذَلِكَ وَالْإِمَامُ لَا يَدْرِي بِذَلِكَ تَجُوزُ صَلَاتُهُ عَلَى قَوْلِ الْأَكْثَرِ وَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ: لَا تَجُوزُ وَجْهُ الْأَوَّلِ وَهُوَ الْأَصَحُّ أَنَّ الْمُقْتَدِيَ يَرَى جَوَازَ صَلَاةِ إمَامِهِ وَالْمُعْتَبَرُ فِي حَقِّهِ رَأْيُ نَفْسِهِ فَوَجَبَ الْقَوْلُ بِجَوَازِهَا. كَذَا فِي التَّبْيِينِ.
Fatawa Hindiyah, vol.1, pg. 84,
مُلَخَّصًا أَيْ لَا جِدَالَ بَعْدَ اتِّفَاقِ عَالِمَيْ الْمَذْهَبَيْنِ وَهُمَا رَمْلِيُّ الْحَنَفِيَّةِ يَعْنِي بِهِ نَفْسَهُ وَرَمْلِيُّ الشَّافِعِيَّةِ رَحِمَهُمَا اللَّهُ تَعَالَى، فَتَحَصَّلَ أَنَّ الِاقْتِدَاءَ بِالْمُخَالِفِ الْمُرَاعَى فِي الْفَرَائِضِ أَفْضَلُ مِنْ الِانْفِرَادِ إذْ لَمْ يَجِدْ غَيْرَهُ، وَإِلَّا فَالِاقْتِدَاءُ بِالْمُوَافِقِ أَفْضَلُ.
وَاَلَّذِي يَمِيلُ إلَيْهِ الْقَلْبُ عَدَمُ كَرَاهَةِ الِاقْتِدَاءِ بِالْمُخَالِفِ مَا لَمْ يَكُنْ غَيْرَ مُرَاعٍ فِي الْفَرَائِضِ، لِأَنَّ كَثِيرًا مِنْ الصَّحَابَةِ وَالتَّابِعِينَ كَانُوا أَئِمَّةً مُجْتَهِدِينَ وَهُمْ يُصَلُّونَ خَلْفَ إمَامٍ وَاحِدٍ مَعَ تَبَايُنِ مَذَاهِبِهِمْ،
Raddul Muhtar, vol.1, pg. 563-564, darul fikr
Only Allah knows best.
Written by Maulana Jamal Ahmed
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
