the general rule is that it is permissible to pray behind anyone whose prayer is valid for himself. This means that as long as he is Muslim and there isn’t anything apparent that nullifies his Islam, this means that his prayer is valid for himself and for those behind him. That is why Ibn Omer, may Allah be pleased with him used to pray behind Al Hajjaj Al Thaqafi who was a tyrant and killed one of the great companions and a number of Al Tabi’een, because he was a Muslim, though an evil one.

Therefore, if the Imam of this masjid is a Muslim and doesn’t nullify his Islam, you can pray behind him. But if he calls the saints and slaughters to their graves, this is major Shirk and you can’t pray behind him.

Having said that, it is important not to cross the line and refuse to pray behind individuals simply because we don’t know their Aqeedah. This is the doing of Al Khawarij. Pray behind anyone who claims to be Muslim until you have concrete evidence that he is not Muslim.

If we pray behind a Mushrik Imam who sacrifices for graveyards and calls the dead, is our prayer accepted?

Prayer | September 16, 2015 7:16 pm
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my parents buy a soap that may be made with pork fat and I have told them about it, but they still buy it because it is a good brand and it works well. Is it permissible for us to use this soap since we are only using it externally and would it invalidate our prayers?
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Sometimes i blank out in prayer while reading fatiah, so i reread the fatiah, half way through i remember that i did read all of it, but I just finish it off anyway as im near the end. Does this break my prayer as i read that; if you do a pillar twice it breaks prayer,