Verbally abusing the imam out of personal enmity

Question

Because of disliked (makruh) words uttered by an imam inadvertently, the people of the congregation became displeased. When he acknowledged his mistake, repented to Allah and asked for forgiveness, the congregation’s displeasure went away; but two or three of them dismissed the imam. The remaining two or three, and the imam himself, did not object to this dismissal, so that no unseemly strife should arise; but for the sake of paying his salary it was agreed that [he] would stay and [they] would keep him for one…

Answer

Since the imam acknowledged his mistake and asked for forgiveness, remaining displeased with him is out of place, and abandoning prayer behind him is wrong. And the one who, reviling the imam, raised an uproar on the public road and used harsh words has become a grave sinner. Reviling even an ordinary Muslim is fisq (iniquity), let alone the imam.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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