Source: Fatāwā Muhammadiyyah, Vol. 1, p. 427
A few individuals, driven by personal grudge and malice, pressure the leader of a mosque’s congregation to prevent a Shar‘i imam and scholar from leading prayers and delivering sermons. Meanwhile, thirty to forty regular worshippers in the congregation agree upon this imam’s leadership, and a large number of people who attend Jumu‘ah also prefer him. The imam in question is not only a member of the mosque’s executive council but also a local and regular worshipper.
In such a situation, what is the ruling regarding the leader of the congregation and these four individuals in the light of the Qur’an and Sunnah, given that in the presence of this imam, an uneducated person unfamiliar with Qur’an and Sunnah has been appointed to lead the prayer?
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu was-salāmu ‘alā Rasūlillāh, Ammā Ba‘d!
◄ If, without any Shar‘i excuse, an upright and knowledgeable imam is removed from his position solely due to personal enmity or disagreement, then such an act is not permissible in Sharī‘ah.
◄ The removal of an imam from his duty is only allowed in the following cases:
✿ When there is a valid Shar‘i excuse — such as his creed or practice being clearly against the teachings of Sharī‘ah.
✿ When his removal does not lead to discord, division, or fitnah within the congregation.
◄ If an unqualified individual — someone uneducated and lacking knowledge of Qur’an and Sunnah — is made imam in the presence of a qualified, upright imam, then this too is an un-Islamic act and against the proper order of the congregation.
Hādhā mā ‘indī wallāhu a‘lam biṣ-ṣawāb
❖ The Question
A few individuals, driven by personal grudge and malice, pressure the leader of a mosque’s congregation to prevent a Shar‘i imam and scholar from leading prayers and delivering sermons. Meanwhile, thirty to forty regular worshippers in the congregation agree upon this imam’s leadership, and a large number of people who attend Jumu‘ah also prefer him. The imam in question is not only a member of the mosque’s executive council but also a local and regular worshipper.
In such a situation, what is the ruling regarding the leader of the congregation and these four individuals in the light of the Qur’an and Sunnah, given that in the presence of this imam, an uneducated person unfamiliar with Qur’an and Sunnah has been appointed to lead the prayer?
❖ The Answer
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu was-salāmu ‘alā Rasūlillāh, Ammā Ba‘d!
◄ If, without any Shar‘i excuse, an upright and knowledgeable imam is removed from his position solely due to personal enmity or disagreement, then such an act is not permissible in Sharī‘ah.
◄ The removal of an imam from his duty is only allowed in the following cases:
✿ When there is a valid Shar‘i excuse — such as his creed or practice being clearly against the teachings of Sharī‘ah.
✿ When his removal does not lead to discord, division, or fitnah within the congregation.
◄ If an unqualified individual — someone uneducated and lacking knowledge of Qur’an and Sunnah — is made imam in the presence of a qualified, upright imam, then this too is an un-Islamic act and against the proper order of the congregation.
Hādhā mā ‘indī wallāhu a‘lam biṣ-ṣawāb
