Imamate of a man whose wife does not observe hijab

Question

A hafiz and his wife, without observing hijab, keep a shop in the bazaar and buy and sell goods. Is the prayer — the fard or tarawih — valid behind this hafiz or not? And if it is valid, then under what conditions?

Answer

If this hafiz’s wife does not observe hijab as the Shari‘a requires, and he does not stop her from going without it, but on the contrary is pleased with this conduct of hers, and another person more worthy of leading the prayer than he is present, then in such a situation making this hafiz the imam is makruh, because such a person is, according to the Shari‘a, a fasiq.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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