What are the issues that a person who will be an imam for people from different madhhabs should pay attention to? How is the issue of wudu?

- Can we follow an imam of another madhhab while performing prayers in congregation? - What are the issues to be considered if someone who is a Shafi’i / Hanafi follows a Hanafi / Shafi’i imam?

Dear Brother / Sister,

In Turkey, there are Muslims who belong to Hanafi and Shafi’i madhhabs in general. Those who follow the other two madhhabs are very rare. Besides, most of the existing fiqh books were written according to Hanafi and Shafi’i madhhabs.

Muslims belonging to those two madhhabs generally used to live in certain regions and cities in the past. However, it is possible to see members of both madhhabs all over Turkey today. It is particularly evident in mosques.

Similarly, there are imams belonging to both madhhabs in our mosques. Therefore, first of all, those who serve as imams should know the differences of both madhhabs regarding worship, especially prayer (salah). Thus, the prayers of the congregation behind them will be performed more soundly.

It is permissible for a Shafi’i person to follow a Hanafi imam, and for a Hanafi person to follow a Shafi’i imam. What matters regarding the issue is that the imam’s abiding by the conditions and parts of the prayer because performing prayers in congregation is more virtuous than performing them alone even if people are from different madhhabs.

The Companions and many of their followers were great scholars at the level of mujtahids. Although they had different ijtihads, they performed prayers behind one another. There was no serious difference in this regard. (Ibn Abidin, 1/378-79)

After this short explanation, it will be useful to give some information regarding the issue:

As a general rule, it is not necessary for the imam and the congregation to belong to the same madhhab. Therefore, the condition of unity of madhhabs is not required for the congregational prayer to be valid. Accordingly, madhhab differences do not prevent imamate (being an imam) and iqtida (following an imam). Therefore, a Hanafi can follow a Shafi’i imam and a Shafi’i can follow a Hanafi imam.

A person following an imam from another madhhab in prayer does not have to investigate whether the imam has acted contrarily to the conditions of his own madhhab. Although that is the general rule, fiqh madhhabs have made different evaluations in order to ensure peace of mind about the soundness of the prayers of those who pray.

Ijtihad Based on those following the Imam:

According to Hanafi and Shafi’i madhhabs, in case of a difference of madhhab between the imam and the congregation, the prayer led by the imam that the congregation follows must be valid in the following person’s own madhhab for the prayer to be valid. For, in that case, a person who follows another madhhab still practices the rules of his own madhhab. Here are some examples:

* Suppose that a Hanafi person follows a Shafi’i imam: If the imam encounters something that is contrary to the Hanafi madhhab, for example, if there is some bleeding from any part of the imam that will invalidate the prayer, and, according to the definite knowledge of the Hanafi person following him, if the imam has not renewed his wudu, the prayer of the Hanafi person will be invalidated. For, bleeding does not invalidate wudu according to Shafi’i madhhab, but invalidates wudu according to Hanafis. In that case, since, according to Hanafis, the imam is regarded to be without wudu, he can no longer follow that imam.

* Suppose that a Shafi’i person follows a Hanafi imam: If the Hanafi imam has touched a woman, it invalidates wudu in Shafi’i madhhab. Therefore, in that case, the prayer of a Shafi’i person following a Hanafi imam will be invalidated; he can no longer follow that imam.

In both cases, if those who follow the imam do not know that the imam has made wudu again or if they have not seen the thing that invalidates the imam’s wudu, the prayer of the congregation will not be harmed and their prayer will be valid. One should not cause conflict by stirring the issue.

* A Hanafi person who follows the Shafi’i imam in the morning prayer (fajr) keeps silent and leaves his hands by the sides when the Shafi’i imam and the congregation recite qunut prayer after ruku’ in the second rak’ah. In addition, Shafi’is raise their hands while uttering takbirs but Hanafis do not. Such differences do not prevent iqtida.

Ijtihad Based on the Imam for Prayer and the Follower for Iqtida:

According to Maliki and Hanbali Madhhabs, in cases that are essential for a prayer to be valid, only the imam’s madhhab is considered, not the follower’s. If the imam’s prayer is valid, the congregation’s prayer is valid too. For example, followers of those two madhhabs can follow a Hanafi or Shafi’i imam who has not wiped his entire head.

In cases related to the conditions of iqtida (following the imam) being valid, iqtida is considered according to the madhhab of the person following the imam. For example, if a Maliki or Hanbali person performing a fard prayer follows a Shafi’i imam performing a nafilah prayer, the prayer is invalid because it is necessary for the prayers of the imam and muqtadi to be the same.

If we make a general evaluation regarding the issue, we can state the following:

- As a rule, every person performing a prayer should act according to the rules of his own madhhab. If an imam from a different madhhab is followed, if there is something that prevents the validity of a prayer obviously according to the madhhab of the follower, the prayer has to be performed again; however, it should not be in such a way as to cause conflict and controversy among the congregation. In other cases, there is no problem in the prayer of the congregation with the imam from different madhhabs.

- Hanafis and Shafiis may act by imitating the following view of Maliki and Hanbali madhhabs: “It is permissible for Muslims of different madhhabs to perform prayers behind one another; and in that case, a prayer that is valid according to the imam’s madhhab is also valid for the congregation.” Thus, even if a Muslim makes wudu according to his own madhhab, he can still perform a prayer both as an imam and as a member of congregation.

Imams have an important duty in this regard: Considering that there are people from different madhhabs following them in congregation, they should first learn the issue very well and then inform the congregation. In addition, the imam should be careful to lead the prayer in a way that is valid for all madhhabs.

We can list some important issues that a Hanafi imam needs to know as follows:

1. According to the Shafi’i madhhab, it is fard to clean the najasah that prevents prayer even if it is less than the amount of a dirham.

2. According to Shafi’is, it is fard to make intention (niyyah) for wudu even if with the heart.

3. In Shafi’i madhhab, it is fard to follow the order and to wash the wudu organs in order while making wudu.

4.  According to Shafi’is, if the inner part of the hand touches the genital organ, wudu is invalidated.

5. If a man’s skin touches the skin of a non-mahram woman, including his wife, wudu is invalidated.

6. According to Shafi’is, tadil al-arkan is fard in prayer and it is also fard to read salawat in tashahhud.

7. It is among the parts of the sermon for the khatib (orator) to praise Allah, to recite salawat, to recommend taqwa and to recite at least one verse in both sermons, and to pray loudly for the believers in the last sermon.

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