Is it permissible to pray behind an Imam who revives "dhikr" by forming a circle in which a drum is beaten and jinn are summoned, and which is called "Al-Wa'dah for so-and-so"? And what is the ruling on this act?
Considering the act of playing the duff (a type of tambourine) as an act of worship is an innovation (bid'ah) that was not practiced by the pious predecessors (Salaf). Anyone who gathers people to listen to it is striving to corrupt their minds and their religion, and such a person should not be an Imam or a Khatib (preacher). These actions are reprehensible innovations and a statement about Allah without knowledge.
As for praying behind such a person, according to Ibn Taymiyyah:
If no other Imam is available, such as for Friday prayers, Eid prayers, and Hajj, then praying behind an innovator or a dissolute person is permissible by the consensus of the Ahl al-Sunnah. If there is only one mosque in the village, then praying in congregation behind a dissolute person is better than praying alone at home, to avoid abandoning the congregational prayer. If it is possible to pray behind someone who is not an innovator, that is preferable. If one prays behind him, there is a dispute among scholars regarding the validity of his prayer. The Shafi'is and Hanafis consider it valid. This disagreement pertains to clear innovations that contradict the Quran and Sunnah. As for widespread matters of disagreement where the disputants are ignorant or engaging in ta'wil (interpretive reasoning), there is no priority for one of them to refrain from praying behind the other. The disagreement emerges when the Sunnah is clear and someone opposes it.
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- 42876
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