was under siege when a man led the people in prayer. Someone asked ʿUthmān, “You are the imam of the community, whereas this man leading the people in prayer is a leader of sedition.”

He replied, “My nephew, prayer is among the best deeds people perform. When they do good, join them in doing good; when they do wrong, avoid their wrongdoing.” There are many similar reports.

The prayer of a sinful person or an innovator is valid in itself, so someone’s prayer behind him is not invalidated. Those who disapproved of praying behind him did so only because enjoining good and forbidding evil is obligatory. This includes not appointing someone who openly displays innovation or wickedness as an imam for the Muslims, for he deserves disciplinary punishment until he repents. If he can be shunned until he repents, that is commendable.

If some people’s refraining from praying behind him and praying behind someone else instead would have an effect—leading him to repent or be removed, or deterring others from committing the same sin—then their refraining from praying behind him serves a beneficial purpose, without causing them to miss either the Friday prayer or congregational prayer. But if refraining from praying behind him would cause a person to miss the Friday and congregational prayers, then only an innovator who opposes the Companions—may Allah be pleased with them—would refrain from praying behind such imams.

Likewise, if the imam has been appointed by the authorities and refraining from praying behind him serves no beneficial purpose, a person is not required to refrain from praying behind him. Rather, praying behind the better imam is preferable.

All of this concerns someone whose sinfulness is evident, or whose innovation is manifestly contrary to the Quran and Sunnah, such as the innovations of the Rāfidah and the Jahmiyyah