Answered by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
1) If one knows that the brother(s) leading salah does not eat halal food, should the individual pray by his/her self or pray in jama’ah and then pray again individually? If one suspects that other brothers who lead salah might do the same thing – believe that saying bismillah over meat that is not halal makes it halah – what should be done (that is most tactful) ?
2) If a sister is teaching a tajweed class, is it permissible to recite for the other sisters to hear and repeat although she might be experiencing her monthly period? On the same token, can the other sisters recite in the class for the teacher to listen to them although they might be experiencing the same thing?
In the Name of Allah, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful,
Walaikum assalam,
With regards to the first question:
The default assumption we have been commanded to make in the Sacred Law is that actions, especially others’, are both valid and sound. This is our operational certainty.’ After this, if we have doubts, these are not enough to lift this initial assumption of validity. Because of this, one is not legally allowed to suspect others, or to think other than the good about them.
Eating meat that has not been slaughtered in an Islamically-valid way is sinful. When one has a choice, one should pray behind people whose knowledge, methodological orientation, and uprightness one has no question about. This is why the Early Muslims (salaf) used to say, “Praying behind the god-fearing is like praying behind prophets.” HOWEVER, when one doesn’t have a choice of different places to pray, or circumstances do not permit this, then one should just mind one’s own business and operate on the initial assumption that the imam’s prayer is sound.
The same applies to the tajwid teacher.
Wassalam,
Faraz