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Should we offer Salah behind the Imam in our village mosque despite his shirak?

Answered as per Hanafi Fiqh by Darulifta-Deoband.com
Asalam-u-Alikum; Dear Brother We r a no. of persons living in a village having 2 mosques there. We left our own mosque some years before & migrated to another near one in our village because the Imam of our own mosque committs shirak. But now for Dawa purpose and for spreading pure Islam irrespective of any sects in that Mosque we made a n entry again few days ago. But that Imam is still there and we offer Salah behind him. As we are there only to spread real Islam and our presence and offering Salah in that Mosque seems important to us. But a few of the youth of ours repeat the Salah individually and some do not agree to offer Salah behind that Imam but it is felt that our presence is important there so that we can spread teachings of Quran and Sahi Hadith and Pure Tawheed. Now please reply to us in the context of Quran, Sahi Hadith and ijma that:- 1. Can we offer Salah behind that Imam in these conditions? Or 2. Shall we need to repeat the Salah? Or 3. Shall we not offer Salah behind that Imam? Or 4. Is there any other alternative for this so that we can try to Spread Pure Islam there and offer salah and also to remove Concepts & Roots of SHIRAK from there? Kindly reply at earliest. Regards, Muslim Brothers, Kashmir.

Answer

(Fatwa: 1844/L=534/tl=1431)

Polytheistic acts are of two types. The first type of the acts are ones which the Ulama explained with proper justifications and did not declare its doer as Kafir. Performing salah behind such an imam is allowed but with karahat tahrimi. Most of the Barelvis and Bid?atis are involved in this type of Shirk. That is why our elder Ulama have not regarded them as kafir. The second type of the acts are ones which could be given a justifiable proper explanation. One who is involved in such type of acts, his imamah is not right and performing salah behind him is not valid. Now, you can make it clear by your own observation that in what type of shirkiya (polytheistic) acts they are involved. If they are in the first category, as the common Barelvis and Bid?atis, then you can perform salah behind him and if that Imam is involved in open shirk, you should not offer salah behind him. In such case, you should go to the mosque after performing your salah with jamah and offer salah. However, the imamah of both types of the imam is doubtful. Therefore, it would be better for you to offer least salah in the mosque and perform only those salah in which there are more people. This is our opinion. After all, you too can adopt any better and effective method according to the situation.

Allah (Subhana Wa Ta’ala) knows Best

Darul Ifta,
Darul Uloom Deoband

This answer was collected from the official ifta website of Darul Uloom Deoband in India.

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