When one is Unable to Keep the Right Foot Erect in Qa'dah

Q: Salaah-614: Because of an injury, our Imaam is unable to keep his right foot erect in Qa'dah with the toes facing towards the Qibla. Can salaah be performed behind him or will it be Makrooh? Furthermore, people are also not happy to perform salaah behind him because they do not understand his lectures. What is the ruling regarding him being the Imaam?

Answer: For a man, it is Sunnah to sit in Qa'dah with his right foot erect and the toes facing the Qibla. He should then spread his left foot on the ground and sit on it. Sitting in a manner contrary to this will conflict with the Sunnah practice and will be Makrooh. However, if the person has a valid excuse not to sit in this manner, it will not be Makrooh. It will therefore not be Makrooh to follow your Imaam in salaah. However, if this is done without a valid excuse and has become a habit, then it will be Makrooh and an effort will have to be made to correct it.

It is not the duty of the Imaam to educate the people and deliver lectures and an Imaam is not appointed for this purpose. It will be permissible to follow him in salaah without it being Makrooh if he is able to recite the Qur'aan properly and with Tajweed. And Allaah knows best what is most correct.

Fatawa Rahimiyyah vol.2