Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Salam-alai-kum

In my office some people don't pray with a Smoker IMMAM ? Please can give more information on this.
Thanks
Allah hafiz

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Can a smoker be an IMAM ?

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad(saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 2527 Narrated by Abu Hurayrah

The Prophet (saws) said: “Striving in the path of Allah (jihad) is incumbent on you along with every ruler, whether he is pious or impious; the prayer is obligatory on you behind every believer, pious or impious, even if he commits grave sins; the (funeral) prayer is incumbent upon every Muslim, pious and impious, even if he commits major sins.”

If there is one who has testified and borne witness that there is no god except Allah Subhanah, and Mohamed (saws) is Allah’s Messenger, and has the weakness and evil of smoking or commits even major sins… he does not become a non-muslim.

Although smoking would be considered a sin in Islam, if one who smokes is chosen to lead the congregational prayer; in light of the above hadith it becomes obligatory on the believers to pray behind the ‘imam’!

It would be incorrect for any muslim to refuse to pray behind a ‘imam’ who has testified the ‘shahadaah’, no matter how many and what kind of sinful acts the ‘imam’ might have done.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan