The Imamate of One Who Is Not a Hafiz

Question

We engaged an imam to lead the prayer, and the agreement with him was that we would engage a hafiz of the Qur’an, and he promised [us], saying, “I am a hafiz.” He is not a hafiz: he kept saying that he was a hafiz, and when he was asked whether he would recite [the Qur’an from memory] or not, he said, “I am not a hafiz.” Is the prayer [behind him] valid or not?

Answer

If he happened to make a false statement — saying “I am a hafiz” despite not being one — and then, disclosing that he had spoken falsely, repented [resolving] that he would not lie in future, then the prayer behind him will be valid. It may be that he did memorise [the Qur’an] but remembers it only weakly, so that he is not able to recite it [from memory].

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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