Imamate of an Imam Who Delays the Prayer

Question

During the month of Ramadan, at the time of ‘Asr, the imam was selling cloth, because of which [the prayer] was delayed by fifteen minutes. When one of the worshippers drew his attention to it, [the imam], hurling an abuse at his mother, said: “Is there no other mosque to pray in, that you have come here? If it is late, let it be late.” Is such an imam fit for the imamate?

Answer

This conduct of the imam is wrong. If he does not reform, he deserves to be removed from the imamate.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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