QUESTION

What are the conditions one must fulfill to be a mu'ath-thin? Also, if a mu'ath-thin is known to commit certain repugnant sins publicly, and continues to commit these sins after having been advised, should the administration of the masjid replace him as he may be giving the Salafee masjid a bad image and a way for the people of bid'ah to defame the people of that masjid?

ANSWER by Shaykh Wasee Allaah 'Abbaas, lecturer at the Ka'bah, instructor at Umm Al-Quraa University in Makkah

The mu'ath-thin and the imaam should be just and upright people. However, the prayer is acceptable with the athaan of a disobedient mu'ath-thin or with the leadership of a disobedient imaam, according to the understanding of the Salaf.

Also, acting in accordance with the obligation to forbid evil, it is obligatory on the administration of the masjid to remove the mu'ath-thin or the imaam if they are faasiqs (disobedient people), so long as the administration is capable of removing them from their positions (without fitnah).

SOURCE

This was translated exclusively for www.bakkah.net from a handwritten answer provided by the shaykh, file no. AAWA022, dated 1423/7/20.

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