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An Imaam who Carries out Acts of Bid'ah and Speaks Ill of the True Ulema PDF Print E-mail
SALAAH.. The Book of Prayer - Congregation and Imamah [leading the Salaah]

An Imaam who Carries out Acts of Bid'ah and Speaks Ill of the True Ulema

Q: Salaah-379: We had an Imaam who belonged to the Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaa'ah and always spoke about forsaking acts of Bid'ah and Shirk and emphasised following the Sunnah. This however drew the enmity of some people of the Berelwi school of thought and they got some Berelwi Ulema to deliver the lectures. As they usually do, they started to revile the true Ulema of Deoband and this started a conflict. After several meetings, our Imaam was forced to resign and through the efforts of the Berelwi people, an Imaam who practises acts of Bid'ah was appointed.

He also reviles the Ulema of Deoband. People have started to stop performing salaah behind him. Because I have an affection for salaah in Jamaa'ah and because another Masjid is very far away, I still perform salaah behind him. I am extremely perturbed because I fear that performing salaah at home will breed laziness that will cause me to forsake salaah altogether. What should I do?

Answer: The Imaam is a Faasiq and it is not permissible to appoint him as an Imaam. If there is fear of dissension if the Imaam is removed, it would be permissible to perform salaah behind him. This applies also if there is no other Masjid or if another is so far that it is difficult to go there five times a day for salaah. Performing salaah behind such an Imaam is better than performing salaah alone because of the great emphasis on salaah in Jamaa'ah. The sin of any deficiency in the salaah will rest with the Imaam and those who have appointed him. And Allaah knows best what is most correct.

Fatawa Rahimiyyah vol.2