that his prayer remains valid despite it, while the follower believes otherwise—for example, if the imam has vomited, had a nosebleed, undergone cupping, touched his penis, touched women with or without desire, laughed aloud during prayer, or eaten camel meat, and then prayed without renewing his ablution, whereas the follower believes that these things require ablution; or if the imam does not recite the basmalah (“In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful”), omits the final tashahhud (testimony of faith), or does not conclude the prayer with the salutation of peace, whereas the follower believes these to be obligatory—is the follower’s prayer valid in these circumstances? And if a mosque’s imam is required to follow a particular school of jurisprudence, but someone else who is more knowledgeable about the Quran and Sunnah is appointed, is that permissible? Is prayer behind him valid or not?

He replied:

Praise be to Allah. Yes, they may pray behind one another, just as the Companions, those who followed them in righteousness, and the four imams who came after them prayed behind one another despite their disagreements over these and other issues. None of the early generations said that they should not pray behind one another. Whoever rejects this is a misguided innovator who opposes the Quran, the Sunnah, and the consensus of the early generations of this Muslim community and its imams.

Among the Companions, the Followers and those who came after them, some recited the basmalah and others did not; some recited it aloud and others did not. Some offered the qunūt supplication in the dawn prayer and others did not; and some of them