Title: We have a issue regarding our pesh imam who has been directly invovled in: 1- Making false declarations. 2- Talking behind members of the masjid. 3- Being involved in division amongst members of the masjid. 4- Being involved in false allegations against members of the masjid. 5- Involved in giving a statement to police department against members of the masjid based on 100% lies. Also note at times we are having separate or jamaats at the same time in one masjid when the above said pesh imam leads the prayer. At the moment he is not permitted to lead any naamaz but unfortunatley the matter is with magistrate court. The masjid is called Koronivia Jame masjid. the Accused pesh imam is molvi Mohammed shahim. your advise and opinion will be much appreciated . Our question is can the accused pesh imam lead the naamaz or can we have two jamaat?

Question: Assalamu- wa-Alaikum re: pesh imam jame masjid We have a issue regarding our pesh imam who has been directly invovled in: 1- Making false declarations. 2- Talking behind members of the masjid. 3- Being involved in division amongst members of the masjid. 4- Being involved in false allegations against members of the masjid. 5- Involved in giving a statement to police department against members of the masjid based on 100% lies. Also note at times we are having separate or jamaats at the same time in one masjid when the above said pesh imam leads the prayer. At the moment he is not permitted to lead any naamaz but unfortunatley the matter is with magistrate court. The masjid is called Koronivia Jame masjid. the Accused pesh imam is molvi Mohammed shahim. your advise and opinion will be much appreciated . Our question is can the accused pesh imam lead the naamaz or can we have two jamaat? was-salaam

Answer ID: 2888Posted on: Aug 31, 2020

Bismillah hir-Rahman nir-Rahim !

(Fatwa: 185/157=D)

Imam of mosque should be pious, aware of salah related issues and well versed in reciting the Quran who can discharge the responsibility of Imamah nicely with unity of people. If the condition mentioned in the question about the Imam is true and this is confirmed by majority of the people of mosque and trustees then such person should not lead prayer without permission. The trustees and elder people of the mosque should sit together and try to remove the misunderstandings and get unanimous on the imamah of a person. If the former imam repents of his mistakes, avoids spreading fitnah and if the trustees of the mosque are satisfied then they can reinstate the imam as before, otherwise they can appoint any other person as imam. Second jamat in a mosque is makrooh-e-tahreemi (extremely undesirable) and the undesirability heightens because of doing this act with the intention of evil and mischief. This must be stopped.