The circumstances of an imam

Question

Zayd is the imam [of a mosque]; to earn his living he also engages in trade, but his dealings are not good — many people complain about him. Often, because of his being busy, the congregation is also late, and the worshippers have to wait. Bakr says that prayer behind Zayd is makruh and that it is better to pray in another neighbourhood. To what extent is this statement of Bakr’s correct and right according to the Sacred Law? Is the prayer behind such an imam valid or not?

Answer

In what respect are his dealings not good? What is it that most people complain about? If it is something sinful and contrary to the Sacred Law, then Zayd must repent of it, and if he does not repent, then appointing him as imam is prohibited — provided that another person better than him and fit for the imamate is present.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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