Appointing as imam one who is not in the habit of praying

Question

Zayd is not in the habit of praying, but he is competent to lead the prayer. If the people of the locality fix some [payment] for him and make him imam, and he becomes imam out of this greed and becomes accustomed to prayer, is it permissible to pray behind him or not? If it is permissible, will that prayer be makruh or not? If it will, will it be makruh tahrimi or makruh tanzihi?

Answer

As long as Zayd was not in the habit of praying, he was a fasiq, and his imamate was makruh tahrimi. When he repented and became accustomed to prayer, his imamate will be permissible: whether he leads the prayer with something fixed [for him] or without anything fixed, in both cases his imamate is valid.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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