The Quran repeatedly warns against dismissing or excluding people unjustly:
4:94 O you who believe, if you strike in the cause of GOD, you shall be absolutely sure. Do not say to one who offers you peace, “You are not a believer,” seeking the spoils of this world. For GOD possesses infinite spoils. Remember that you used to be like them, and GOD blessed you. Therefore, you shall be absolutely sure (before you strike). GOD is fully Cognizant of everything you do.
The Quran goes so far as to say that if we dismiss someone unjustly, then we would, in no uncertain terms, be a transgressor.
6:52 And do not dismiss those who implore their Lord day and night, devoting themselves to Him alone. You are not responsible for their reckoning, nor are they responsible for your reckoning. If you dismiss them, you will be a transgressor.
These verses make it clear: falsely labeling someone as an enemy of God or barring them from worship is itself a grave offense. Therefore, when we judge, if we are to err on one side, we should err on the side that will not lead to division.
Practical Impracticability of Such a Requirement
The Quran does not state that praying behind a hypocrite is sinful—and for good reason. If it were, congregational unity would become practically impossible. The line between belief and hypocrisy is often subjective and internally known only to God. If every individual who suspected someone of hypocrisy were required to break from the congregation, the community would be trapped in a cycle of endless fracture. Each time an imam is suspected, those who reject him would break away. Those who don’t break away would then be seen as compromisers—who, by extension, are also labeled hypocrites. The logic spirals until everyone is either accusing or being accused.
This pattern of suspicion and division is exactly what Satan would want: a community too busy policing each other to ever unite, grow, or fulfill its mission. In such an environment, fear of being labeled a hypocrite would dominate, while accusing others would feel like a religious obligation. The result is distrust, factionalism, and perpetual fragmentation—all in the name of imagined purity.
The Quran directly warns against this mindset:
4:88 Why should you divide yourselves into two groups regarding the hypocrites (among you)? God is the one who condemned them because of their own behavior. Do you want to guide those who are sent astray by God? Whomever God sends astray, you can never find a way to guide them.
Rather than commanding believers to shun hypocrites, the Quran instructs us not to divide over them. Their fate is in God’s hands—not ours, and God says that they will drop out on their own (22:53).
In fact, the Quran explicitly permits maintaining ties with those deemed hypocrites if they mobilize in the cause of God. And what greater form of mobilization is there than gathering to observe Salat, and the Friday Congregational Prayer?
4:89 They wish that you disbelieve as they have disbelieved, then you become equal. Do not consider them friends, unless they mobilize along with you in the cause of GOD…
Some argue that “mobilization” is only in the cause of war, but we see that even studying God’s religion is a form of mobilization.
9:122 When the believers mobilize, not all of them shall do so. A few from each group shall mobilize by devoting their time to studying the religion. Thus, they can pass the knowledge on to their people when they return, that they may remain religiously informed.
The only time believers are commanded to disassociate is in the context of active hostility against them because of religion:
4:89…If they turn against you, you shall fight them, and you may kill them when you encounter them in war. You shall not accept them as friends, or allies.
4:90 Exempted are those who join people with whom you have signed a peace treaty, and those who come to you wishing not to fight you, nor fight their relatives. Had GOD willed, He could have permitted them to fight against you. Therefore, if they leave you alone, refrain from fighting you, and offer you peace, then GOD gives you no excuse to fight them.
60:8 GOD does not enjoin you from befriending those who do not fight you because of religion, and do not evict you from your homes. You may befriend them and be equitable towards them. GOD loves the equitable.
60:9 GOD enjoins you only from befriending those who fight you because of religion, evict you from your homes, and band together with others to banish you. You shall not befriend them. Those who befriend them are the transgressors.
In short, the Quran’s guidance is clear: preserve unity, avoid baseless accusations, and let God judge the hearts. Creating sects based on suspicion or lableing members hypocrites is not only unsustainable—it is a distortion of God’s religion.
Worst-Case Scenario: What If the Imam Is a Hypocrite?
Let’s assume, for the sake of argument, that someone in the community is undeniably a hypocrite. Even in this worst-case scenario, the Quran offers a clear and constructive path: address the issue collectively. Bring the concern to the community, and allow for open discussion. If the person’s actions or words reveal their hypocrisy, the congregation as a whole can decide—peacefully and transparently—whether the person should be allowed to continue giving sermons or leading Salat.
But to unilaterally divide the congregation based on a personal judgment, without due process or Quranic backing, is entirely unjustified. It violates the Quran’s call for unity and usurps God’s authority in matters of the unseen.
Ultimately, Salat is not about the imam. It is a direct connection between the individual and God. The Quran never states that the imam’s internal state affects the validity of those who pray behind him.. That relationship is sacred and unmediated. God alone determines the worth of each prayer—not who stood in front to lead it.
“But Hypocrites Are So Evil…”
It’s true— according to the Quran, hypocrisy is a grave sin according (61:2-3) and hypocrites will be in the lowest pit of Hell in the Hereafter (4:145). But that does not give us the authority to create prohibitions that God Himself did not authorize.
Many people fall into the trap of thinking that going beyond the limits that God set is a safer, more righteous path. The logic is: hypocrites are dangerous, therefore we should refuse to pray behind anyone that is deemed a hypocrtie. But this mindset, however well-intentioned, crosses the boundaries God Himself has set.
This same thinking has been used to justify other unQuranic prohibitions:
Pig fat is often declared unlawful based on the emotional reaction to pig meat being najis, even though 6:145 explicitly lists pig meat, not fat, as prohibited.
Marrying the People of the Book is often opposed because of their beliefs, yet 5:5 clearly permits it.
Lumping non-animal products where another name is mentioned over it is prohibited by some because idol worship is so evil, even though 6:145 only prohibits eating animals sacrificed to other than God.
Animals that died without any name being mentioned are also prohibited by some, despite the Quran’s silence on this—again, 6:145 singles out animals sacrificed to other than God, not animals with no name uttered.
Sinful to eat with left hand — Imagine Sunni’s who use 69:19 & 69:25 to say because believers hold their record on the right, and disbelievers hold their record on the left, it is sinful to eat/drink with the left, yet God never said this.
These extra prohibitions are often justified emotionally— “but idol worship is evil,” “but their religion is corrupted,” “but pigs are filthy.” And now: “but hypocrites are so evil!”
But righteousness is not built on emotion or assumptions. It is built on God’s clear word.
In fact, the Quran demonstrates God’s precision in such matters. For example, if someone fails to mention God’s name during slaughter—that person commits a sin—yet the meat is still lawful to eat. Similarly, if a person leading Salat is a hypocrite, they bear the sin of their hypocrisy, but that does not invalidate the prayer of those praying behind them.
God’s religion is not based on guilt by association. It is based on accountability, clarity, and His words. The moment we allow our fears and assumptions to override God’s explicit commands, we are no longer practicing submission—we are practicing man-made religion cloaked in zeal.
5:77 Say, “O people of the scripture, do not transgress the limits of your religion beyond the truth, and do not follow the opinions of people who have gone astray, and have misled multitudes of people; they are far astray from the right path.”
MoC footnotes:
The Messenger of the Covenant (MoC) emphasized a key Quranic principle: God’s prohibitions are precise and deliberate as seen in the following footnotes of his translation.
6:145-146: Prohibitions are specific – if God doesn’t prohibit something, it’s lawful.
5:3: Pig meat is prohibited, not the fat. Anything not specifically prohibited is lawful.
In 6:145–146, the Quran lists specific dietary prohibitions—nothing more, nothing less. In 5:3, for example, it is not “pig” in general that is prohibited, but specifically the meat of pigs. The fat is not mentioned—therefore, it is not forbidden. This shows the importance of being able to extract any prohibition directly from the Quran without conjecture.
Dr. Khalifa emphasizes this point in the following excerpts from his Appendix to his translation of the Quran.
The Quran teaches that God is extremely displeased with those who prohibit anything that was not specifically prohibited in the Quran (16:112-116). The upholding of any prohibitions not specifically mentioned in the Quran is tantamount to idolatry (6:142-152). Such prohibitions represent some other god(s) besides God. If you worship God ALONE, you will uphold His teachings ALONE and honor the commandments and prohibitions instituted only by Him.
The Quran proclaims that the Quran is complete, perfect, and fully detailed (6:19, 38, 114, 115; 50:45), and that religious regulations not specifically instituted in the Quran constitute a religion other than Submission (42:21, 17:46). The true believers uphold the Quran, the whole Quran, and nothing but the Quran. This principle is confirmed by the Quran’s mathematical code. Verse 46 of Sura 17 proclaims that we shall uphold the Quran ALONE. The word “ALONE” occurs in the Quran 6 times: 7:70, 17:46, 39:45, 40:12 & 84, and 60:4. All these occurrences refer to God, except 17:46. When we add the numbers of suras and verses which refer to “GOD ALONE,” we get 361, 19×19. This proves that 17:46 refers to “the Quran ALONE.”
The takeaway is clear: if God didn’t explicitly prohibit something, it remains lawful. Applying this standard, since God never stated that praying behind a hypocrite is forbidden, it is not a sin. To claim otherwise is to add to God’s religion without His permission.
MoC Audios:
In a Quran study by Rashad Khalifa ( Audio 28: Quran Study 45:33, Parivash’s Home – 19 Math), starting at the 55:20 mark, Rashad discusses the danger of making up criteria for who is “qualified” to lead the Contact Prayer (Salat). He explains that this mindset leads to disunity, division, sectarianism, and ultimately idol worship. He highlights how both Sunni and Shia communities have innovated in this area by setting man-made requirements for Salat leadership—something never authorized by God. Rashad explicitly states that for submitters, “it doesn’t matter” who leads. To introduce one is to follow the same path of religious corruption that previous generations fell into.
Below is the transcript:
Rashad:
(55:21) Let’s go to another verse. Boy, Satan is having fun with the disbelievers.
(55:29) Number 31 says, you shall submit to God, reverence Him, observe the Contact Prayers, and do not be among the idol worshippers.
(55:36) Do not be among those who divide their religion into sects.
(55:39) Each party rejoicing with what they have.
(55:44) We had a fellow come from the Sunni mosque here.
(55:49) And he told Edip he’s getting sick and tired of all the fighting that’s going on there.
(55:54) Here we are, we’re reading the Quran, we all agree on a certain principle in here.
(55:59) But over there, they have different sects.
(56:01) And if you favor one sect and not the other one, they have fights.
(56:07) What did he tell you?
(56:18) Because they do not follow this commandment.
(56:21) Do not be among those who divide their religion into sects.
(56:24) Each party rejoicing with what they have.
(56:27) See, if you looked at us 15 years ago, this fellow would be my enemy, I’d be his enemy. (56:30) Because he’d be a Shia, I’d be a Sunni.
(56:34) But look, now we’re sitting one, united.
(56:39) Loving each other.
Speaker:
Rashad, even among the shias, I don’t know if you know or not but…when they do the namaz it is based on…who is the most knowledgeable man..and there are different groups…and no, he is better…
Speaker: (Speaking of how in Sunni masjids there are multiple groups praying behind different people)
…You see several groups. They are doing at the same time, but some people go behind this one and some behind this one, and some people…. right there. In one mosque, there is division.
Rashad:
(57:11) Yes.
(57:20) It has to be the oldest man and the most knowledgeable.
(57:24) I remember we had a 90-year-old man that was a Mullah.
(57:28) I used to pray Fajr in the patron saint of my hometown in the mosque.
(57:33) And quite often we’d go wake him up from sujood.
(57:35) Because he was making sujood.
(57:40) He never gets up, you know.
(57:45) …Mawlana.
(57:50) And, wait, wait a minute. When he died, I swear the people made a tomb for him
(57:56) And people go now and they worship at his tomb. This particular man.
(58:00) His name was Sheikh Hijab.
(58:02) Oh, I dreaded every time I go and saw him, because it took one hour to pray Fajr.
(58:08) Half of them sujood.
(58:10) No, three-quarters sujood.
(58:21) There’s a system in Sunnis…
(58:24) Since we do it here, this way, we all take turns
(58:27) It doesn’t matter who’s doing it.
(58:29) This is the Sunni system.
(58:30) The Sunni system and apparently also the Shia system.
(58:34) There are priorities for leading the prayer.
Speaker:
(58:36) One of them is to be handicapped.
Rashad:
(58:39) Should not be handicapped?
(58:42) I wish I knew that then.
Speaker:…
(Laughing)
Rashad:
(59:16) They have to ask you, “Are you a bad person?”
(Laughing)
(59:22) I’m sure this is written in a book, as to the priorities and conditions of leading the prayer.
(59:30) I know they have to be the oldest one, and the most knowledgeable, and so on. There is a certain priority.
(59:43) Yes. Yes. Actually, they say, I am more worthy of leading the prayer than you.
(59:46) I have a PhD from Azhar University.
(59:49) I have a PhD plus this and that.
(59:52) I’m also seven days older than you.
(59:55) Really!
(1:00:01) Yes.
(1:00:03) Yes.
(1:00:06) The Ahmadi Mullah in Canada said, I will humbly lead the prayer.
(1:00:08) …said, you will humbly sit down right there.
(1:00:15) He did it very angrily.
In another audio from February 1983, Rashad makes it clear that even if an unrighteous imam gives a righteous command, we are obligated to obey — because our obedience is to God, not to the person issuing the command. Therefore, praying behind someone who is doing the correct Salat, even if they happen to be a hypocrite, is not obedience to the hypocrite — it is obedience to God.
“If the imam is saying something different from what God said and you follow that then your worshiping the imam. But when the imam is saying something that’s identical to what God said you’re bound to obey. If you obey, you worship God alone. If you disobey, this means you worship someone else besides God. This is why absolute obedience is required.”
Ironically, this means there are no issues obeying hypocrites if they are leading the Salat correctly, as they are doing what God commands us. However, in an ironic twist, if someone disagrees with this because some other individual told them otherwise, then they would be setting up that other source as a lord besides God.
Additionally, during Rashad Khalifa’s debate with the hypocrite Suzane Ray at the 1989 Submitters Conference at the 31-minute mark, the question he posed regarding the people she prayed with was whether they performed the Salat the same way he did. This reinforces the point that the only criterion for leading the Salat is that it is performed correctly—according to the method God revealed through His messenger. As previously stated, each soul is responsible for its own beliefs and deeds.
35:18 No soul can carry another’s sins, even if related.
Therefore, the faith of the individual leading the prayer does not invalidate the Salat of those praying behind them. Each person is judged by their own submission, not the internal state of another.
Conclusion: Obedience to God Means Not Adding to His Religion
The Quran is unambiguous: nowhere does it state that praying behind a hypocrite is sinful. Those who make this claim commit a far greater error than what they fear—they fabricate prohibitions in God’s name, something the Quran condemns as one of the gravest offenses (16:116, 6:150).