Praying Behind a Muslim who isn’t from Ahl as-Sunnah

Submitted Question: If you pray behind a Muslim who isn’t from Ahl as-Sunnah; is the prayer invalid?

Answer: The correct opinion is that as long as the person leading the Salât is Muslim, then it is valid to pray behind them.

Imâm Ibn Hazm (rahimahullâh), stated: “We do not know anyone from amongst the Sahâbah (radiyallahu ‘anhum), who refused to pray behind Al-Mukhtâr, ‘Ubaydullâh Ibn Ziyâd or Al-Hajjâj. And there is no fâsiq worse than those ones. And Allâh Has Stated:

وَتَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْبِرِّ وَالتَّقْوَى وَلَا تَعَاوَنُوا عَلَى الْإِثْمِ وَالْعُدْوَانِ

And help you one another in righteousness and piety; and do not help one another in sin and transgression. – Sûrat al-Mâ’idah, 2.” [Al-Muhallâ Fî Sharh al-Mujallâ Bil-Hujaji Wal-Âthâr”, Vol. 4/302]

And Shaykh al-Islâm Ibn Taymiyyah stated: “And from that which indicates that the Sahâbah did not judge that the Khawârij were disbelievers is that they prayed behind them. And ‘Abdullâh Ibn ‘Umar (radiyallahu ‘anhu), and others used to pray behind Najdah al-Harûrî.” [Minhâj as-Sunnah an-Nabawiyyah Fî Naqdh Kalâm ash-Shî’ah al-Qadariyyah, Vol. 5/247]

And it is important to note that the words of these two Scholars are not Evidence; rather, the Evidence is that there is no Text to Forbid praying behind an innovator, and the actions of the Sahâbah support this, and this is what our Scholars have understood.

And Allâh Knows Best.

Haytham Sayfaddîn