What is the ruling on someone who leads people in prayer by force, knowing that there is a regular imam?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
The resident Imam has more right to lead the prayer than others. It is forbidden for anyone to lead people in prayer in a mosque that has a resident Imam except with his permission, because he is in the position of the master of the house and has more right to it, and because [leading without his permission] leads to alienating people from him. If someone other than the resident Imam does so without his permission, his prayer is invalid according to many Hanbalis.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/89859
Where this answer came from
- Source platform
- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 89859
- Added here
- . This is when the answer was added to El Fatwa, not the fatwa's date.
- Text
- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
- Read the full ruling
- Read the full answer on Ftawy