The Imamate of an Imam Who Uses a Fan Bought with Unlawful Money

Question

Zayd is the imam of a mosque, but the electric fan installed in Zayd’s room was bought from donations that include the money of people whose entire business is liquor, as well as money from a cinema, and Zayd knows all of this well. So, when an imam uses a fan bought with such money, according to the Shari‘a, if one prays behind such an imam, will the prayer be valid or not?

Answer

It was not proper for the imam to buy a fan with unlawful money. If money of both kinds — lawful and unlawful — went into the price of the fan, there is latitude in that. Nevertheless, the imam should not take money from the price of liquor or the income of a cinema; if the cinema and liquor people also have lawful money, then taking that money is permissible.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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