Imaam unable to prostrate leading prayer

11-4-2017 | IslamWeb

Question:

We need a ruling. Our imam is a memorizer of the Quran, but he has a medical problem and is currently unable to prostrate. He is the imam for the community, but he has undergone surgery on his knee. The other option is to have others, who make mistakes while reciting the Quran, lead the prayer.

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger. 

The community imaam should not lead the prayer while he is unable to prostrate, because scholars held different opinions regarding the validity of praying behind the imaam who cannot fulfill one of the pillars of the prayer, such as the prostration. Most of the scholars held that it is invalid to pray behind him; he should ask someone who can recite the Quran well to lead the prayer, not someone who cannot recite properly.

If he cannot find anyone except one who makes mistakes in the recitation of the Quran, then we hope that there is no harm on him in this case if he follows the view of the scholars who held that it is permissible for such an imaam to lead the prayer and that the prayer behind him is valid. One of the scholars who held that it is valid to pray behind an imaam who cannot bow or prostrate is Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen . He said, “The correct opinion is that it is valid that an imaam who cannot prostrate leads a person who can prostrate in prayer...”

Allah knows best.