The Imamate of a Minor

Question

In a certain neighborhood, a mosque had been built long ago outside the residential area. However, the five daily prayers are not regularly performed there; only on Fridays do some people gather and perform the Jumu‘ah prayer. Disputes frequently arose because there was doubt regarding the imam’s maturity (whether he had reached puberty). In addition, he could not recite the Qur’an correctly and was unaware of the rulings related to prayer. One day the worshippers complained to the mosque trustee (mutawalli)

Answer

Performing only the Friday prayer in a mosque while neglecting the five daily prayers means that the mosque is populated only once a week and remains deserted the rest of the time. This is strongly condemned and prohibited. Therefore, Muslims must also maintain it by performing the five daily prayers there. Prayer behind a minor imam is not valid.

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