Can a Ḥanafī pray behind a Mālikī imam abroad?

Question

Salaam, im a hanafi and I'm staying in morroco for several weeks with the in laws, Can I pray behind the imams here, they are all maliki in fiqh?

— Mohammed from Birmingham, England

Answer

Wa `Alaykum al-Salām

It is permissible to pray behind a Mālikī Imām who is from the Ahl al-Sunnah as long as he complies with the obligatory acts outlined in the Ḥanafī school regarding matters of purification (ṭahārah) and ṣalāh; or you are aware that he has complied with them in the particular prayer you are performing behind him. Even then, it is best to pray behind a Ḥanafī.

If you don’t know whether or not the Mālikī Imām complied with these rules as outlined in the Ḥanafī school, then it is permissible to pray behind him though it is disliked (makrūh). However, if you know that the Mālikī Imām has not complied with these rules as outlined in the Ḥanafī school, then prayer behind him is invalid. Ṣadr al-Sharī`ah, Muftī Amjad `Ali 'A`zmī states:

شافعی یا دوسرے مقلد کی اقتدا اس وقت کر سکتے ہیں، جب وہ مسائل طہارت و نماز میں ہمارے فرائض مذہب کی رعایت کرتا ہو یا معلوم ہو کہ اس نماز میں رعایت کی ہے یعنی اس کی طہارت ایسی نہ ہو کہ حنفیہ کے طور پر غیر طاہر کہا جائے، نہ نماز اس قسم کی ہو کہ ہم اُسے فاسد کہیں پھر بھی حنفی کو حنفی کی اقتدا افضل ہے اور اگر معلوم نہ ہو کہ ہمارے مذہب کی رعایت کرتا ہے، نہ یہ کہ اس نماز میں رعایت کی ہے تو جائز ہے، مگر مکروہ اور اگر معلوم ہو کہ اس نماز میں رعایت نہیں کی ہے، تو باطل محض ہے

“One can pray behind (iqtidā') a Shaf`iī or another muqallid [a Mālikī or Ḥanbalī] when he complies with the obligatory acts outlined in our school in matters of purification and ṣalāh; or it is known that in this prayer, he has complied. Meaning his purity is not such that he is termed ‘without purity’ according to the Ḥanafīs, nor is his ṣalāh such that we would term it void; even then, it is best for a Ḥanafī to pray behind a Ḥanafī. If it is not known that he complies with our school, nor that he has complied in this ṣalāh, then it is permissible though disliked. If it is known that in this ṣalāh he has not complied, then it is simply invalid”

Generally nowadays, Imams from the others schools unfortunately trim their beards to less than a fist-length and this is certainly impermissible in our school and any Salah that has been performed with an impermissible act is at least severely disliked and necessary to repeat and Allāh, the Exalted, knows best.

Faqīr Sohel al-Qādirī · (May he be forgiven) · Dhū al-Ḥijjah 6, 1445

Verified by Muftī Zāhid Ḥussain al-Qādirī