BENEFIT: Praying Tarawih Behind an Innovator in The Haram

Question: Our Shaykh, may Allah preserve you. I have met many brothers here in Madinah from Belgium, and they all send their greetings to you. Today in the Tarawih prayer, that misguided person, Al-Maghāmisī, is scheduled to lead us in the last four rakʿahs along with the witr. Some of the brothers dislike him so strongly that they do not want to pray behind him. So I told them that I would ask the Shaykh, may Allah preserve him, on their behalf and see what he advises. Sheikh Muhammad Al-'Ansi: وعليكم السلام ورحمة الله وبركاته May Allah bless you. We ask Allah for help. May Allah preserve you. If we look at the matter from the angle that he was appointed as an imam by the ruler in that country, and despite those mistakes and wrong statements attributed to him, he is still a Muslim. Therefore, he falls under the ruling of a sinful imam. The ruling regarding praying behind a sinful imam is known among the scholars. The belief of Ahlus-Sunnah is that they pray behind both the righteous and the sinful, especially in the Friday prayer and the two Eid prayers. Sometimes they also mention praying behind the ruler in Hajj, though they usually mean the leader or authority. Since he has been appointed by the ruler, then from one perspective the prayer behind him is valid, and the sin is upon him for his wrongdoing. From another perspective, this prayer is night prayer and not an obligation. Praying the obligatory prayer behind him would be a more serious matter than praying a voluntary prayer behind him...Yet the Prophet ﷺ said: “Pray. If they do well, then it is for you and for them; and if they do wrong, then it is for you and against them.” You still have a choice. If you do not feel comfortable praying behind him, you may pray in your residence or in another part of the Haram after the prayer ends. If there is an opportunity to remain in the Haram, each person may pray as Allah enables him—lengthening his recitation, bowing, and prostration as he wishes. This is night prayer, and it is not obligatory to pray behind the imam. The reward of prayer in the Haram remains—whether you prayed behind him or prayed alone, even in your accommodation. The Prophet ﷺ also said to his companions while he was in Madinah: “O people, pray in your homes, for the best prayer of a person is in his home except for the obligatory prayers.” So you have the choice, may Allah bless you. As I mentioned: if you want to pray behind him, the prayer is valid as explained. If you do not wish to, then simply leave it without letting people hear about it or speaking openly about it. If others hear and discussions begin, it could cause harm to you. So keep it among yourselves quietly. Each of you can go his own way—perhaps have dinner or do something else until his prayer finishes. Pray with the imam who leads before him or the one after him, and complete the rest of your prayer yourselves if needed. May Allah bless you and grant you success. Convey our greetings to all our brothers. May Allah bless you all. Source: https://t.me/almanhajussalafi/2207