Praying Behind a Shi’i Imam?

It is valid to pray behind any Muslim who performs the prayer in its traditional manner by standing up, bowing, prostrating and sitting down, as well as fulfilling the prayer’s conditions such as facing the direction of prayer, clothing nakedness and performing purification.

However, it is offensive to pray behind an imam of the people of reprehensible innovations (ahl al-bida`).

If one does pray behind them, his prayer is valid and he does not have to make it up.

Amjad Rasheed

(Translated by Sidi Hatem Yousef)

السؤال الخامس : هل تجوز الصلاة خلف الشيعي في زماننا ؟ وإن صليت خلفه هل يلزمني القضاء ؟ الجواب : تصح الصلاة خلف كل مسلم طالما كان يأتي بصفة الصلاة المأثورة من قيام وركوع وسجود وقعود مع تحصيل شروطها من استقبال القبلة وستر العورة والطهارة ، لكن تكره الصلاة خلف أهل البدع ، فإن صلى خلفه صحت صلاته ولا يلزم إعادتها .