What is the ruling on praying behind an Imam who practices sorcery and claims to write on the breast of one of his female followers?
It is not possible to definitively determine the validity of prayer behind a man who practices geomancy without knowing the true nature of his sorcery. However:
- If he is a sorcerer who employs polytheistic acts and seeks closeness to jinn and sorcerers, then prayer behind him is not permissible, and he must be removed from the imamate.
- But if his method does not reach the level of polytheism (shirk), then prayer behind him is valid, although it is preferable to avoid praying behind him, because his actions are suspicious, and the beliefs of most who engage in them are corrupt.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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