What is the ruling on the prayer of congregants behind an imam whom they dislike, and is their prayer valid despite frequent distraction, or is it not permissible to pray behind him? And what should be done in this situation?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
If the congregants dislike the imam due to a defect in his religiosity, it is permissible to report the matter to the authorities. The imam should not lead the people in prayer if they dislike him, especially if the majority or the best among the congregation dislike him. However, if the dislike is unfounded and the imam is religious and adheres to the , then the dislike falls upon the congregants.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/52271
Where this answer came from
- Source platform
- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 52271
- 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