Prayer behind an Imam Who is not Good in Recitation
Question :
What is the opinion of His Excellency, the Shaikh, regarding an Imam who is not good in Qur'anic recitation? Is prayer behind him permissible, bearing in mind that there is no one better than he in the village, except during holidays and vacations, when some learned people come to the village? But this Imam is permanent in this mosque and since there is a school for Qur'an memorization nearby, I have requested that he learn there, but he has not done so. I request clarification.
Answer:
If there is nothing ungrammatical in his recitation which would alter the meaning, then there is no objection to prayer behind him; for example, if he recited "Al-hamda lillahi Rabbil-'alamin", or he said: "Ar-Rahmanar-Rahim", or: "Ar- Rahmanur-Rahim", it would not harm. However, if his recitation changes the meaning, then this must be pointed out to him and he must be taught and directed, until his recitation is correct. And if he makes a mistake when he is reciting, he must be corrected and he should be encouraged to enter the school for Qur'anic recitation and hopefully, his recitation will improve. And Allah is the One Who is asked.
Source:
Ibn Baz
Fatawa Islamiyah, Vol. 2 Page 417
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