Performing Salah (prayer) behind one Who Is not Qualified to Lead Others

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع أَكُونُ مَعَ الْإِمَامِ فَأَفْرُغُ مِنَ الْقِرَاءَةِ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَفْرُغَ قَالَ أَبْقِ آيَةً وَ مَجِّدِ اللَّهَ وَ أَثْنِ عَلَيْهِ فَإِذَا فَرَغَ فَاقْرَأِ الْآيَةَ وَ ارْكَعْ.

“I once asked abu ’Abd Allah (a.s.), ’In Salah (prayer) with an Imam I complete the recitation before he does.’ He (the Imam) said, ’Leave one verse, speak of the glory of Allah and praise Him and when he (the Imam) completes, read that verse, then perform Ruku’ (bowing down on one’s knees).”’

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ ع عَنِ الصَّلَاةِ خَلْفَ الْمُخَالِفِينَ فَقَالَ مَا هُمْ عِنْدِي إِلَّا بِمَنْزِلَةِ الْجُدُرِ[2].

“I once asked abu Ja’far (a.s.), about performing Salah (prayer) behind those who oppose our belief. He (the Imam) said, ‘To me they are but walls (scarecrows).”’

أُصَلِّي خَلْفَ مَنْ لَا أَقْتَدِي بِهِ فَإِذَا فَرَغْتُ مِنْ قِرَاءَتِي وَ لَمْ يَفْرُغْ هُوَ قَالَ فَسَبِّحْ حَتَّى يَفْرُغَ.

I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), ‘Can I perform Salah (prayer) behind one whom I do not follow and complete recitation when he has not yet completed?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘Say Tasbih (Allah is free of all defects) until he completes.’”

إِذَا صَلَّيْتَ خَلْفَ إِمَامٍ لَا تَقْتَدِي بِهِ فَاقْرَأْ خَلْفَهُ سَمِعْتَ قِرَاءَتَهُ أَوْ لَمْ تَسْمَعْ.

‘When you perform Salah (prayer) behind an Imam who is not qualified, read behind him the recitation, regardless, you hear him or not.’”

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع إِنَّ مَوَالِيَكَ قَدِ اخْتَلَفُوا فَأُصَلِّي خَلْفَهُمْ جَمِيعاً فَقَالَ لَا تُصَلِّ إِلَّا خَلْفَ مَنْ تَثِقُ بِدِينِهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ وَ لِي مَوَالٍ فَقُلْتُ أَصْحَابٌ فَقَالَ مُبَادِراً قَبْلَ أَنْ أَسْتَتِمَّ ذِكْرَهُمْ لَا يَأْمُرُكَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ حَدِيدٍ بِهَذَا أَوْ هَذَا مِمَّا يَأْمُرُكَ بِهِ عَلِيُّ بْنُ حَدِيدٍ فَقُلْتُ نَعَمْ‌[1].

“I said to abu Ja‘far (a.s.), ‘You have different friends, thus, I perform Salah (prayer) behind every one of them.’ The Imam said, ‘Do not perform Salah (prayer) behind anyone whom you cannot trust in matters of his religion.’ He then said, ‘I have many friends.’ I said, ‘You have many companions.’ He then immediately

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع إِنَّ أُنَاساً رَوَوْا عَنْ أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ص أَنَّهُ صَلَّى أَرْبَعَ رَكَعَاتٍ بَعْدَ الْجُمُعَةِ لَمْ يَفْصِلْ بَيْنَهُنَّ بِتَسْلِيمٍ فَقَالَ يَا زُرَارَةُ إِنَّ أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع صَلَّى خَلْفَ فَاسِقٍ فَلَمَّا سَلَّمَ وَ انْصَرَفَ قَامَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ص فَصَلَّى أَرْبَعَ رَكَعَاتٍ لَمْ يَفْصِلْ بَيْنَهُنَّ بِتَسْلِيمٍ فَقَالَ لَهُ رَجُلٌ إِلَى جَنْبِهِ يَا أَبَا الْ

“I once asked abu Ja’far (a.s.), ‘Certain people have narrated that ’Amir al-Mu’minin performed four Rak‘at after Friday without any interval of saying Salam (the phrase of offering greeting of peace) in between. He (the Imam) said, ‘O Zurarah, ’Amir al-Mu’minin performed Salah (prayer) behind a sinful one. When he sai

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ إِنَّا نُصَلِّي مَعَ هَؤُلَاءِ يَوْمَ الْجُمُعَةِ وَ هُمْ يُصَلُّونَ فِي الْوَقْتِ فَكَيْفَ نَصْنَعُ فَقَالَ صَلُّوا مَعَهُمْ فَخَرَجَ حُمْرَانُ إِلَى زُرَارَةَ فَقَالَ لَهُ قَدْ أُمِرْنَا أَنْ نُصَلِّيَ مَعَهُمْ بِصَلَاتِهِمْ فَقَالَ زُرَارَةُ مَا يَكُونُ هَذَا إِلَّا بِتَأْوِيلٍ فَقَالَ لَهُ حُمْرَانُ قُمْ حَتَّى تَسْمَعَ مِنْهُ قَالَ فَدَخَلْنَا عَلَيْهِ فَقَالَ لَهُ زُرَ

“I once said to Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), ‘I pray to Allah to keep my soul in service for your cause, we perform Salah (prayer) with these people on Friday and they perform in a certain time. What must we do? He (the Imam) said, ‘Perform Salah (prayer) with them? Humran then went to Zurarah and said to him, ‘We are commanded

خَمْسَةٌ لَا يَؤُمُّونَ النَّاسَ عَلَى كُلِّ حَالٍ الْمَجْذُومُ وَ الْأَبْرَصُ وَ الْمَجْنُونُ وَ وَلَدُ الزِّنَا وَ الْأَعْرَابِيُ‌[1].

“Abu ’Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ’Five kinds of people are not to lead other people in Salah (prayer) in all circumstances: People suffering from leprosy, insanity, one born out of wedlock and al-A‘ra’biy Arab of the desert.’”