Allowing a non-Muslim to participate in jamaat salaah

Q: Can a non Muslim join in on a jamaat for salaah at the end of the rows to gain an experience and does the jamaat count?

A: If he wants an experience then he cannot form part of the jamaat just for the experience. He has to be totally out of the jamaat and then experience.

And Allah Ta'ala (الله تعالى) knows best.

(Scroll down for more information regarding this question)

Answered by:

Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)


Q: I wasn’t satisfied with the answer, maybe because of the way I asked my question which I apologise for.

However, my question is that if a non muslim wanted to experience salah and we we were praying asr salaah, and I, being the imam let him join in being the last person in the row of Muslims behind me getting ready to pray, will our jamaat and salah count, meaning those of us who are Muslim, will our prayer have been accepted, or will the fact that the non muslim joined in invalidate our jamaat and mean that our salah was not accepted?

My intention was for dawah. He was keen to experience salah and I didnt want to push him away from Islam that is why I allowed him to join in as the last person on the row and I found that he left half way anyway as he said that his foot was hurting.

Once again my question is, is my salaah and the rest of the Muslims salah in that congregation accepted?

 

A: The namaaz is valid, but a non-Muslim cannot join the namaaz. You may ask him to sit and view the namaaz.

And Allah Ta'ala (الله تعالى) knows best.

 

Answered by:

Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)