He—may Allah have mercy on him—was also asked:
“Is prayer valid behind an imam who recites the Quran at funerals?”
He replied:
If one can pray behind someone who performs the prayer fully and is scrupulously pious, praying behind him is preferable to praying behind someone who recites at funerals. This is disliked on two counts:
For one, reciting at funerals is disliked in the four schools of law. Taking payment for it is even more strongly disliked, for none of the scholars has permitted hiring someone to recite the Quran. And Allah knows best.
He was also asked:
“Is it permissible to pray behind an imam who spits in the prayer niche?”
He replied:
Praise be to Allah. He should be told to stop doing that.
In Sunan Abī Dāwūd, it is related concerning the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him:
“He dismissed an imam for spitting in the direction of prayer and said to the people of the mosque, ‘Do not pray behind him.’ The man then came to the Prophet