Salah behind an Imam of a Masjid

Q: In the Masjid (mosque) of our village, there is an Imam, who is not the regular Imam; he is known of his loyalty to the previous French occupation. He used to support the enemy against his fellow Algerians. He was an apostate. However, after the Independence, he became the Imam of our Masjid until today. The people divided into two groups. A group offers Salah behind him believing that he has repented and therefore, it is permissible to offer Salah behind him while the other group refuses to offer Salah behind him. We decided to find an answer to our question. Is it permissible to (Part No. 7; Page No. 381) offer Salah behind this Imam who was an apostate during the occupation?


A: There is no harm to offer Salah behind this person if he shows repentance and behaves well.May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.


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