With Regards to salah behind a faasiq, (who doesn’t have a shariah beard)
1) It has been said it is makrooh tahreemi to pray behind such a person, does that mean we receive huge sins by offering salah behind him?
2) If the committee of the masjid has appointed a faasiq as imam, do the musallees still receive sins by praying behind him?
3) In a situation, a few brothers enter the masjid to pray fard salah, the main jamaat is over, all them do not have a shariah beard, is it better to still pray in jamaat or they all pray individually?
4) Can a Faasiq also be someone who watches TELEVISION, ofcourse non-mahram ladies are displayed without hijaab or even worse, this is something common in their lives, eventhough they don’t stare at non-mahram women outside. Does the same apply about him as well regarding imamat of salah?
5) If so, you might have 98% musallees as Faasiq. Then what do we do in appointing someone as Imam?
Please explain comprehensively!
In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
Assalaamu `alaykum waRahmatullahi Wabarakatuh
The word Fisq in Arabic means disobedience and sin. A Fāsiq is a person who is continuously sinful and disobedient to the Ahkām of the Shar’iah.
( فسق ) الفِسْق العصيان والترك لأَمر الله عز وجل والخروج عن طريق الحق فسَق يَفْسِقُ ويَفْسُقُ فِسْقاً وفُسوقاً وفَسُقَ الضم عن اللحياني أَي فَجَر
ورجل فَاسِقٌ وفِسِّيقٌ وفُسَقُ دائم الفِسْقِ (لسان العرب)
The Fuqahā (Jurists) expressly state that it is Makrūh (detestable) for a Fāsiq lead the congregation in Salah. The fact that it is Makrūh for such a person to lead the Salah does not mean that the Salah will be invalid. Rasulullah صلى الله عليه و سلم has been reported to have stated, “Pray behind every pious and impious person.”
صلوا خلف كل بر وفاجر
However, the value and quality of that Salah will be decreased in the sight of Allah Ta’ala. In another narration, Rasulullah صلى الله عليه و سلم has been reported to have said, “If it pleases you that your Salah be accepted, then let the best of you lead the Salah for verily they are your delegates in matters between you and your Rabb.”
إن سركم أن تقبل صلاتكم فليؤمكم خياركم فإنهم وفدكم فيما بينكم و بين ربكم عز و جل (المستدرك على الصحيحين )
Furthermore, the Fuqahā mention that the reason for the detestability of the Imamat of a Fāsiq is that they are brazen in their disregard for other dictates and requisites of the Shar’iah, hence there is no guarantee that they will be observant and considerate of all the requisites of Salah. If a person openly perpetrates a sin in public without the slightest fear of recourse and retribution from Allah Ta’ala, how can he be trusted in matters pertaining to the spiritual communion between the congregation and their Rabb? The second reason the Fuqahā mention for the detestability of appointing a Fasiq as the Imam is that many people dislike following such a person in Salah; hence they will discontinue performing Salah in that particular Musjid which will lead to a decrease in the number of people joining that congregation. Anything that decreases the size of the congregation is detestable.
Since the trustees and the committee members of the Musjid are responsible for appointing Imams, they will bear the burden of this sin and not the Musallīs (worshippers).
In regards to the Musallīs who attend that Musjid, the Fuqahā mention that it will be preferable for them to attend another Musjid if possible; otherwise, they should join the congregation behind the Fāsiq as opposed to praying individually.
In regards to television, it is definitely an instrument that facilitates vice and immorality. However, it cannot be said with surety that every person who owns a television is committing a sin. There is no guarantee that the person watches the immorality on the television; therefore, the demand of Husn al-Zann (entertaining good thoughts) about other Muslims is to assume they are not watching such filth. The fact that they should not have purchased such an instrument is a separate issue altogether. For this reason, a person who merely owns a television will not be considered as a Fāsiq.
( وَكُرِهَ إمَامَةُ الْعَبْدِ وَالْأَعْرَابِيِّ وَالْفَاسِقِ…)
وأما الكراهة فمبنية على قلة رغبة الناس في الاقتداء بهؤلاء فيؤدي إلى تقليل الجماعة المطلوب تكثيرها تكثيرا للأجر …وفي الفتاوى لو صلى خلف فاسق أو مبتدع ينال فضل الجماعة لكن لا ينال كما ينال خلف تقي ورع لقوله من صلى خلف عالم تقي فكأنما صلى على خلف نبي قال ابن أمير حاج ولم يجده المخرجون
نعم أخرج الحاكم في مستدركه مرفوعا إن سركم أن يقبل الله صلاتكم فليؤمكم خياركم فإنهم وفدكم فيما بينكم وبين ربكم وذكر الشارح وغيره أن الفاسق إذا تعذر منعه يصلي الجمعة خلفه وفي غيرها ينتقل إلى مسجد آخر
وفي السراج الوهاج فإن قلت فما الأفضلية أن يصلي خلف هؤلاء أو الانفراد قيل أما في حق الفاسق فالصلاة خلفه أولى لما ذكر في الفتاوى كما
فالحاصل أنه يكره لهؤلاء التقدم ويكره الاقتداء بهم كراهة تنزيهية فإن أمكن الصلاة خلف غيرهم فهو أفضل وإلا فالاقتداء أولى من الانفراد (البحر الرائق ج 1 ص 348 -349, مكتبة رشيدية)
And Allah knows best
Wassalam
Ml. Yusuf bin Yaqub,
Student Darul Iftaa
Checked and Approved by:
Mufti Ebrahim Desai
Darul Iftaa, Madrassah In’aamiyyah
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