Q120 :What are the criteria to choose someone to
lead a congregational prayer? If you enter a mosque and find that in
the absence of the regular imam, someone is leading the prayer whom you
know to be unsuitable, should you join them or not?
A120 : If a group of people is offering prayer
together, they should choose someone from among them to lead the
prayer. The one to be chosen is the one who recites the Qur’an best or
the one who has learned more of the Qur’an by heart. If two people are
of the same ability in this respect, then the elder of the two is to be
chosen. No one may lead ‘another in his own home’ or place of authority
without the latter’s permission. What this means is that if two or
three people are offering prayer in the home of any one of them, then
the house owner or occupier should lead the prayer, unless he permits
one of them to lead. Moreover, it is the congregation who chooses the
imam, not the imam who imposes himself on them. From another point of
view, it is permissible that a young boy leads a group of adults in
prayer, and a blind man leads a group of people all of whom enjoy a
good eyesight. There is nothing wrong if either the imam or the one
being led by him offers his prayer seated for a good reason, nor with
either of them having had dry ablution while the other having had
normal ablution. Either the imam or the one following him may be a
traveller or offering voluntary prayers while the other is resident or
offering obligatory prayer. Again, the imam may be a person who has a
lesser standing in society than the people being led by him. All such
situations are acceptable. If you nete to the mosque and you find that
the congregation is being led by someone whose conduct leaves something
to be desired, you should join the prayer because it remains valid. It
is much better that you show that you are one of the group than to pray
alone. Moreover, if you had offered your obligatory prayer and went
into a mosque or joined some people in a certain place and you found
the people were about to offer the same obligatory prayer you have
offered, you should join them. You must not appear to be isolating
yourself from a congregation. Such a situation is liable to raise
questions about your decision.
Our Dialogue ( Source : Arab News – Jeddah )