Imamate of one who gives rulings without knowledge and attributes them to hadith

Question

If a man, having learnt to read the Noble Qur’an, became the imam of a mosque, and then, when telling people rulings, says that this ruling is the word of a hadith — so much so that he says this about every ruling — then, if it is not the word of a hadith, what is the ruling concerning this imam?

Answer

One who is not himself knowledgeable is not permitted to give rulings; and one who makes something up himself and says that in the noble hadith the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said such-and-such is a liar and an arch-liar (kadhdhab).

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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