How can one pray behind an innovator whose innovation has not reached the level of shirk, while the Hadith states: "Allah does not accept from the person of innovation fasting, nor prayer, nor charity, nor Hajj, nor Umrah, nor Jihad, nor an exchange, nor justice; he exits Islam as a hair exits dough," given that some mosques in the area are engaged in innovations and the Sunni mosque is far away?

The مرفوع (Marfu') hadiths about not accepting the deeds of an innovator are weak or denounced (munkar) and not authentic. Some might find it problematic, however, that the hadith of Ali ibn Abi Talib states that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said about someone who introduces an innovation in Medina: "(Allah will not accept from him an obligatory act nor a supererogatory one)," and likewise what has been narrated from a group of Tabi'in.

Al-Shatibi mentioned two possibilities for interpreting these narrations: either it means that none of his deeds are accepted at all, or that only the deed in which he innovated is not accepted.

As for the verification of this matter, what Dr. Ibrahim Al-Ruhayli mentioned is that what the apparent meanings of the texts and the words of the Salaf indicate—that Allah does not accept any deed from the innovator—can be understood in several ways: rejection of all the innovator's deeds, and this applies to the disbeliever; or rejection of the innovated deed specifically; or nullification of the reward for the deed as a form of recompense; or that the texts are meant to deter against innovation.

In conclusion, it is permissible to pray behind an innovator if his innovation does not constitute explicit disbelief.