“And cooperate in righteousness and piety, but do not cooperate in sin and aggression.” (Qur’an 5:2)
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From time to time we will come across a discussion or a question about this. First and foremost Al hamdulillah. Praise be to Allah (swt) who has made the people of truth and integrity to be able to pray behind any of the ahl qiblah.
Simply put: for our school the prayer is for Allah (swt) not any Imam or school. Praying behind a particular Imam does not show support for whatever is in the heart of that person. Praying behind any Imam of ahl qiblah shows obedience to the call to prayer and obedience to Allah (swt).
However, when it comes to Sunni Muslims, they seem to have views that run the gamut. This is to be understood especially in light of the fact that this so-called tent known as ‘Ahl Sunnah Wal Jammah’ is very, very divided itself.
The reality hits home when you realize that Sunni Muslims that are Māturīdī in theology, Hanafi in jurisprudence, that are Deobandi, make takfir against Sunni Muslims that are Māturīdī in theology, Hanafi in jurisprudence and Barelvi. Or that Sunni Muslims that are Ash’ari in theology and Hanafi’ in jurisprudence will often not pray behind an Imam, who is Ash’ari in theology and Shafi’i in jurisprudence, because of differences of opinion about how the prayer is to be performed. Do we practice ‘Raf al-yadayn’, saying Amin after Al Fatiha? Do we place the hands below the navel or above the chest? All these are issues that Ahl Sunnah Wal Jammah fights with each other about internally. Let alone those that are outside their paradigm.
The Tabligh Jamaat , arguably one of the best daw’ah groups (in our humble opinion), split into two groups. It created divisions (markazi and shooraee) so strong that both groups started building new Masjids for themselves. They will not pray behind each other’s Imams.
Sunni organizations Zaytuna, ISNA & ICNA had boycotted The Naqshabandi Haqqani Sufi Tariqa, Shaykh Nazim and the U.S. Supreme Islamic Council. All of whom are Sunni Muslims.
The Salafiyyah movement and the Muslim brotherhoodhave no love between them. The Salafiyyah movement itself is divided into the Sahwa movement, Halabi. Suroorees, Madhkali.
We think you get the point. So we in our school should not be surprised when we see that some of them say that they cannot pray behind us. That is because many of them, great swathes of them would not pray behind each other!
Those who call themselves Ahl Sunnah Wal Jammah are divided on the matter:
You have the more ignorant among them, like Shaykh Assim Al Hakeem, who says one cannot pray behind the Ibadi.
So what would be the opinion of Shaykh Rabi Ibn hadi al-Madhkali?
According to Shaykh Rabi Ibn hadi al-Madhkali praying behind the Ibadi would be valid.
So here is the view of Shaykh Rabi ibn hadi al-Madhkali, a Sunni Muslim who is Wahabbi in jurisprudence, and an Athari in theology, saying it would be no issue.
According to Shaykh Gibril Fouad Haddad praying behind an Ibadi would be valid.
So here is the view of Shaykh Gibril Fouad Haddad, a Sunni Muslim who is Shafi’i in jurisprudence, an Ash’ari in theology and a follower of the Nashqabandi Sufi Tariqa, saying praying behind an Ibadi is valid.
Darul Ifta, Darul Uloom Deoband, India say that praying behind an Ibadi is invalid.
https://darulifta-deoband.com/home/en/false-sects/51497
So here is the view of Darul Ifta, Darul Uloom Deoband, Sunni Muslims who are primarily Hanafi in jurisprudence, and Māturīdī in theology who are saying praying behind an Ibadi is invalid.
Allah willing, We will update this page as we come across various fatwa from the federation of sects that refer to themselves as “Ahl Sunnah Wal Jammah” on this particular matter.
May Allah Guide the Ummah.
May Allah Forgive the Ummah.
Prima Quran 