Is It Disliked to Pray behind an Imam Who Follows Another School?

Answered by Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat

Question

Is praying behind a non-Hanafi imam makruh?

Answer

The position of many leading scholars is that you should pray behind anyone who is qualified to lead, no matter which of the four schools he follows. That is most in line with the spirit of Islam and the command of the Qur’an, ”And bow [in prayer] with those who always do so.” [Quran, 2:43]

Have some of the scholars said it is disliked? Yes. This position can be seen as the logical consequence of the theory upon which the schools have been built. Even then, the issue is not black and white. [Ibn ‘Abidin, Radd al-Muhtar]

May Allah grant you the best of both worlds.

[Shaykh] Abdul-Rahim
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat began his studies in Arabic Grammar and Morphology in 2005. After graduating with a degree in English and History he moved to Damascus in 2007 where, for 18 months, he studied with many erudite scholars. In late 2008 he moved to Amman, Jordan, where he continued his studies for the next six years in Sacred Law (fiqh), legal theory (Usul al-fiqh), theology, hadith methodology, hadith commentary, and Logic. He was also given licenses of mastery in the science of Quranic recital and he was able to study an extensive curriculum of Quranic sciences, tafsir, Arabic grammar, and Arabic eloquence.