Holding the Lawful to Be Forbidden — an Imam Who Confuses Halal and Haram

Question

A certain imam calls the lawful forbidden and the forbidden lawful. Is it proper to follow him in prayer or not, and what is the ruling on this?

Answer

To hold lawful a thing that is forbidden in itself and whose prohibition is established by texts decisive both in authenticity and in indication is kufr; the same ruling applies to the reverse. But if the thing is not forbidden in itself, or not decisively established in authenticity, or not decisive in indication, then to hold it lawful is not kufr but fisq (transgression).

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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