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Fatwa CenterPraying behind an Imaam who does not renew his Wudhoo’ after eating camel meat
Question
What is the Sharee'ah ruling on praying behind an mam who believes that eating camel meat does not invalidate the Wudhoo’ (ablution)? Please note that he knew that the imam ate camel meat before the prayer since he ate with him and advised him (the imam) to make Wudhoo’, but he did not.
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, the Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.
Scholars provided different views whether Wudhoo’ is invalidated by eating camel meat or not. The preponderant opinion, however, is that it does.
As for praying behind an Imaam who believes that eating camel meat does not invalidate Wudhoo’, such a prayer is valid, according to the opinion of the majority of scholars. Shaykhul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah 
was asked about praying behind an Imaam who follows a different School of Fiqh and he answered:
This is permissible, since the Companions, the Tabi‘is, as well as the Four Imaams were praying behind each other in spite of their differences in opinion regarding the mentioned issues and others. None of the righteous predecessors adopted the opinion that they should not pray behind each other. A person who denies this actually innovates in religion, goes astray and contradicts the Quran, the Sunnah as well as the consensus of the righteous predecessors and scholars. Some of the Companions, the Taabi‘is and those who followed them recited Basmalah (saying: in the name of Allaah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful) at the beginning of the Surah of Al-Faatihah in prayer, made Wudhoo’ for touching the penis and touching women with lust as well as for eating camel meat while others did not. Nevertheless, they used to pray behind each other. Abu Haneefah and his followers, Ash-Shaafi‘i and others used to pray behind the scholars of Medina from the Maaliki scholars, although they did not recite Basmalah, neither silently nor audibly. It was reported that Abu Yoosuf performed prayer behind Ar-Rasheed after he was cupped. He did not repeat the prayer, although he was of the opinion that cupping nullifies Wudhoo’. Ahmad ibn Hanbal was of the opinion that nose-bleeding and cupping nullify Wudhoo’. He was asked if people could perform prayer behind an Imaam who did not renew his Wudhoo’ after bleeding, he replied, "How could I not pray behind Sa‘eed ibn Al-Musayyib and Maalik?"
Accordingly, it is now clear that performing the prayer behind an Imaam who does not renew Wudhoo’ after eating camel meat is valid.
Allaah Knows best.
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