Ruling on a smoker leading prayers
Question: 11412
Is
it permissible for a person who is a smoker to lead people in prayer?
Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah and his family.
People
should not pray behind a smoker if a better person can be found to lead
the prayers. If no one better can be found, or you come and pray behind
him and he is still a smoker, the prayer is still valid, in sha Allaah.
The majority of scholars stated that prayer behind a faasiq (rebellious
evildoer) is still valid, and if a person prays behind him he should not
be told to repeat the prayer, because of the general meaning of the
hadeeth: “Pray behind the one who says Laa
ilaaha ill-Allaah.” (Narrated by Abu Na’eem, 1/320;
al-Daaraqutni, 2/56).
And
Allaah knows best.
Source:
Fataawa Samaahat al-Shaykh ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Humayd, p. 127
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