Appointing a Lying Person as Imam

Question

We engaged as imam in our mosque a religious scholar who had completed his studies. He had presented himself as an orphan, and we helped him considerably from our zakat, fitra and so on. Later it became known that by birth he belongs to the caste of mendicant dervishes, and all his statements turned out to be false. Should such a person now be kept as imam or not?

Answer

He presented himself as an orphan — but an orphan is, after all, a minor, and appointing a minor as imam is not permissible: prayer behind him is not valid; and upon reaching maturity one no longer remains an orphan. If he resorted to misrepresentation and then his lying and deception came to light, appointing him as imam is makruh until he repents.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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