{"id":37044,"date":"2025-05-10T11:17:33","date_gmt":"2025-05-10T11:17:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/daruliftabirmingham.co.uk\/home\/?p=37044"},"modified":"2025-07-13T10:48:31","modified_gmt":"2025-07-13T10:48:31","slug":"praying-behind-an-imam-who-is-a-fasiq","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/daruliftabirmingham.co.uk\/home\/praying-behind-an-imam-who-is-a-fasiq\/","title":{"rendered":"Praying Behind an Imam Who is a Fasiq"},"content":{"rendered":"

Fatwa ID: 08143<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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Answered by: Maulana Sibghat Ullah<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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Question:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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If the imam is a fasiq, may we pray behind him, or should we look for another masjid? If no other masjid is available, should we pray jamaat at home or alone?<\/span><\/p>\n

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\nIn the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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Answer:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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Salah is one of the most important pillars of Islam, and for men, praying in congregation is highly rewarding. Our Prophet (peace be upon him) said:<\/span><\/p>\n

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“If there are three men in a village or in the desert among whom prayer is not offered in congregation, the devil has got the mastery over them. So, observe prayer in congregation, for the wolf eats only the straggling animal.”[i]<\/span><\/p>\n

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We can see the importance of congregation, but it is best not to pray behind an imam who is a fasiq, especially if his sin is major and public. This is because it is important that the imam is upright in his religious practice and conduct.<\/span><\/p>\n

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However, it will still be valid to pray behind such an imam, and the prayer remains valid[ii]. This is because the validity of the prayer is not void just because the imam is a sinner, as long as the imam’s actions do not invalidate the prayer itself[iii] (such as words or actions of the prayer, etc.).<\/span><\/p>\n

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It is recommended to find another masjid where an imam is pious and righteous to lead the prayer.<\/span><\/p>\n

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If no masjid is accessible, and you cannot find another congregation to join, you may pray at home, either individually or in congregation with your family[iv].<\/span><\/p>\n

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Only Allah knows best.<\/span><\/p>\n

Written by: Maulana Sibghat Ullah<\/span><\/p>\n

Checked and approved by: Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah<\/span><\/p>\n

Darul Ifta Birmingham<\/span><\/p>\n

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[i] Abu Dawood, Book of Salah, Chapter: The Severity of Not Attending the Congregational Prayer.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u0645\u064e\u0627 \u0645\u0650\u0646\u0652 \u062b\u064e\u0644\u0627\u064e\u062b\u064e\u0629\u064d \u0641\u0650\u064a \u0642\u064e\u0631\u0652\u064a\u064e\u0629\u064d \u0648\u064e\u0644\u0627\u064e \u0628\u064e\u062f\u0652\u0648\u064d \u0644\u0627\u064e \u062a\u064f\u0642\u064e\u0627\u0645\u064f \u0641\u0650\u064a\u0647\u0650\u0645\u064f \u0627\u0644\u0635\u0651\u064e\u0644\u0627\u064e\u0629\u064f \u0625\u0650\u0644\u0627\u0651\u064e \u0642\u064e\u062f\u0650 \u0627\u0633\u0652\u062a\u064e\u062d\u0652\u0648\u064e\u0630\u064e \u0639\u064e\u0644\u064e\u064a\u0652\u0647\u0650\u0645\u064f \u0627\u0644\u0634\u0651\u064e\u064a\u0652\u0637\u064e\u0627\u0646\u064f \u0641\u064e\u0639\u064e\u0644\u064e\u064a\u0652\u0643\u064e \u0628\u0650\u0627\u0644\u0652\u062c\u064e\u0645\u064e\u0627\u0639\u064e\u0629\u0650 \u0641\u064e\u0625\u0650\u0646\u0651\u064e\u0645\u064e\u0627 \u064a\u064e\u0623\u0652\u0643\u064f\u0644\u064f \u0627\u0644\u0630\u0651\u0650\u0626\u0652\u0628\u064f \u0627\u0644\u0652\u0642\u064e\u0627\u0635\u0650\u064a\u064e\u0629\u064e<\/span><\/p>\n

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[ii] Al-Hidayah, Vol. 1, Book of Salah, Chapter about the Conditions of the Imam, Page 113, Dar ul Marifah, Beirut.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u0648\u064e\u0625\u0650\u0646 \u0643\u064e\u0627\u0646\u064e \u0627\u0644\u0625\u0650\u0645\u064e\u0627\u0645\u064f \u0641\u064e\u0627\u0633\u0650\u0642\u064b\u0627\u060c \u0635\u064e\u062d\u0651\u064e\u062a\u0650 \u0627\u0644\u0635\u0651\u064e\u0644\u064e\u0627\u0629\u064f \u0648\u064e\u0642\u064e\u0627\u0645\u064e\u062a\u0650 \u0627\u0644\u0652\u062c\u064f\u0645\u064e\u0627\u0639\u064e\u0629\u064f<\/span>
\nAnd if the imam is a fasiq, the prayer is valid, and the congregation is still established.<\/span><\/p>\n

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[iii] Radd al-Muhtar, Volume: 1, Book of Salah, Chapter about the Conditions of the Imam, Page 555, Dar ul Fikr, Beirut.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u0648\u064e\u064a\u064f\u0635\u064e\u0644\u0651\u0650\u064a \u0648\u064e\u0631\u064e\u0627\u0621\u064e \u0641\u064e\u0627\u0633\u0650\u0642\u064d \u0641\u0650\u064a \u062c\u064e\u0645\u064e\u0627\u0639\u064e\u0629\u064d \u0625\u0650\u0630\u064e\u0627 \u0644\u064e\u0645\u0652 \u064a\u064e\u0643\u064f\u0646\u0652 \u0641\u0650\u064a \u0641\u0650\u0639\u0652\u0644\u0650\u0647\u0650 \u0645\u064e\u0627 \u064a\u064f\u0624\u064e\u062b\u0651\u0650\u0631\u064f \u0641\u0650\u064a \u0627\u0644\u0635\u0651\u064e\u0644\u064e\u0627\u0629\u0650<\/span>
\nOne may pray behind a fasiq in congregation, provided that his actions do not affect the validity of the prayer.<\/span><\/p>\n

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[iv] Radd al-Muhtar, Volume: 1, Book of Salah, Chapter about the Conditions of the Imam, Page 555, Dar ul Fikr, Beirut.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u0648\u064e\u064a\u064f\u0641\u064e\u0636\u0651\u064e\u0644\u064f \u0623\u064e\u0646\u0652 \u064a\u064f\u0635\u064e\u0644\u0651\u0650\u064a \u0641\u0650\u064a \u0628\u064e\u064a\u0652\u062a\u0650\u0647\u0650 \u0623\u064e\u0648\u0652 \u0648\u064e\u062d\u0652\u062f\u064e\u0647\u064f \u0625\u0650\u0630\u064e\u0627 \u0643\u064e\u0627\u0646\u064e \u0627\u0644\u0625\u0650\u0645\u064e\u0627\u0645\u064f \u0641\u064e\u0627\u0633\u0650\u0642\u064b\u0627<\/span>
\nIt is preferable to pray in one’s home or alone if the imam is a fasiq.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Fatwa ID: 08143     Answered by: Maulana Sibghat Ullah   Question:   If the imam is a fasiq, may we pray behind him, or…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[14],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/daruliftabirmingham.co.uk\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37044"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/daruliftabirmingham.co.uk\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/daruliftabirmingham.co.uk\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/daruliftabirmingham.co.uk\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/daruliftabirmingham.co.uk\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=37044"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/daruliftabirmingham.co.uk\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37044\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":38344,"href":"https:\/\/daruliftabirmingham.co.uk\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37044\/revisions\/38344"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/daruliftabirmingham.co.uk\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37044"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/daruliftabirmingham.co.uk\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=37044"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/daruliftabirmingham.co.uk\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=37044"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}