Imam Aḥmad and those who follow him, in the predominant view of his school, maintained that the sinner’s leadership is invalid.

Those who judge it valid rely on numerous hadiths that seem to support the soundness of his imamate, yet none of these reports is strong enough to serve as decisive proof. At most they indicate that the prayer itself remains valid behind anyone, whether devout or corrupt. Even if they were authentic, they are countered by other narrations—among them, “Let not one who is reckless in his religion lead you in prayer”—and these too are weak.

The scholars therefore said: Since the narrations on both sides are weak, we revert to the basic principle that whoever’s own prayer is valid may validly lead others. This rule is reinforced by the practice of the Companions.

Al-Bukhārī relates in his History (6/90) from ʿAbd al-Karīm b. Mālik al-Jazarī: “I met ten of Muhammad’s Companions who prayed behind tyrannical rulers.”

Ibn Masʿūd used to pray behind al-Walīd b. ʿUqbah, who was accused of drinking wine, and ʿAbd Allah b. ʿUmar prayed behind al-Ḥajjāj, infamous for bloodshed and his contempt for the scholars.

Shaykh ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Saʿdī said: “The correct view is that the sinner’s leadership is valid, whether his disobedience lies in speech—such as innovations—or in actions, for the sinner’s own prayer is sound and therefore the prayer of others behind him is likewise sound.”

Shaykh ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz b. Bāz likewise stated: “It is valid to pray behind an innovator, behind one who lets his garment hang below the ankles, and behind other sinners, according to the sounder of the two scholarly opinions.”

This, then, is the stronger position; for if we were to say that the prayer of a sinner—meaning one who commits a major sin without repenting or persists in a minor sin—is invalid, it would become exceedingly difficult to find a righteous imam.