What is the ruling on praying behind an Imam who does not recite Al-Fatihah well, and does not pronounce the shaddah on the word (Iyyaka – إياك), and says: (Allahu Akbar – الله أكبار) instead of (Allahu Akbar – الله أكبر) in the prayer’s takbeers and the opening takbeer, knowing that he does not accept advice and that this mosque is the only one in the village? And what is the ruling on praying behind someone who does not perform the prostration of forgetfulness well?

It is not permissible to be led in prayer by someone who makes a grammatical error (laḥn) in Al-Fatihah that alters the meaning or omits a letter from it. Similarly, an error in the takbirat al-ihram, such as adding a letter to it like an alif after the ba, invalidates the prayer and prevents the validity of being led by him. As for being led by someone who does not know the rulings of the prostration of forgetfulness (sujud al-sahw), it is valid, because knowledge of these rulings is not a condition for the validity of the prayer, even though it is advisable that only someone knowledgeable about the rulings of prayer should lead. The imam who is most skilled in recitation (aqraʾ) and most knowledgeable about the jurisprudence of his prayer should be given precedence, because his knowledge contributes to the perfection of the prayer.