Who Can Lead Salat?
Years ago, I argued that the fourth dietary prohibition is limited to animals that are dedicated to other than God at the time of sacrifice, based on 6:145 and all other corroborating evidence.
[6:145] Say, “I do not find in the revelations given to me any food that is prohibited for any eater except: (1) carrion, (2) running blood, (3) the meat of pigs, for it is contaminated, and (4) the meat of animals blasphemously dedicated to other than GOD.” If one is forced (to eat these), without being deliberate or malicious, then your Lord is Forgiver, Most Merciful.
Strawmen and Scare Tactics
Rather than engaging with this verse directly, some responded by inventing absurd counter-scenarios to discredit the argument. They ignored the Quran’s actual boundaries regarding which foods were prohibited and instead built strawmen to provoke emotional reactions and fear.
One such claim was that my interpretation somehow permitted cannibalism—because, as they put it, “6:145 doesn’t prohibit it explicitly.” But this is a textbook example of misrepresenting the text. The Quran clearly prohibits unjust killing:
[6:151] “…You shall not kill any person—GOD has made life sacred—except in the course of justice…”
Therefore, a person cannot be killed for the purpose of consumption, and if someone dies naturally or unjustly, that would render the body carrion—which is, by 6:145, explicitly forbidden. The accusation collapses under the weight of the Quran’s own legal and moral framework.
Another angle of attack claimed I was encouraging believers to eat food left at the altars of idols. Again, this accusation stems from either a deep misunderstanding or willful misrepresentation. The Quran doesn’t just prohibit what is sacrificed to other than God—it also commands us to avoid the altars of idols entirely. Therefore, a sincere believer should not be at an idol altar in the first place, let alone participate in a meal there.
[5:90] O you who believe, intoxicants, and gambling, and the altars of idols, and the games of chance are abominations of the devil; you shall avoid them, that you may succeed.
This pattern of attack is familiar: instead of engaging with the actual argument, critics invent extreme or implausible scenarios that ignore the Quran’s ethical coherence and legal consistency. Additionally, deliberately straw-manning another’s argument to gain credibility and support is just a form of bearing false witness, which is prohibited per the Quran.
[4:135] O you who believe, you shall be absolutely equitable, and observe GOD, when you serve as witnesses, even against yourselves, or your parents, or your relatives. Whether the accused is rich or poor, GOD takes care of both. Therefore, do not be biased by your personal wishes. If you deviate or disregard (this commandment), then GOD is fully Cognizant of everything you do.
This command does not allow for self-serving narratives at the expense of truth to provide deceptive framing of an opponent’s position to make one’s position seem more favorable. A true practitioner of the Quran must be equitable and just in their witnessing and testimonies, even when the reality goes against their own side or preferences. To strawman an opponent’s position is just another form of bearing false witness.
[5:8] O you who believe, you shall be absolutely equitable, and observe GOD, when you serve as witnesses. Do not be provoked by your conflicts with some people into committing injustice. You shall be absolutely equitable, for it is more righteous. You shall observe GOD. GOD is fully Cognizant of everything you do.
Recycling the Same Tactics: The Salat Leadership Debate
Now, years later, the same tactic is being recycled—this time in the context of a discussion about who is permitted to attend a Submitter masjid and who may lead the Salat or Friday Prayer.
The individual currently fueling this division initially claimed it was prohibited to pray behind hypocrites. When challenged—since identifying a hypocrite is not always clear-cut—they pivoted and escalated, accusing me of promoting prayer behind idol worshipers and disbelievers. These individuals can only gain traction by strawmanning my position, suggesting I would allow disbelievers or random strangers off the street to lead Salat. That’s absurd—and ironically, such a stance would itself be a religious innovation.
The truth is, hypocrites have always existed in congregations, and the Quran never commands us to hunt them down or purge them. It tells us to judge only by what is outwardly apparent, their actions, behaviors, and declarations.
[49:12] O you who believe, you shall avoid any suspicion, for even a little bit of suspicion is sinful. You shall not spy on one another, nor shall you backbite one another; this is as abominable as eating the flesh of your dead brother. You certainly abhor this. You shall observe GOD. GOD is Redeemer, Most Merciful.
Our job is not to read hearts, but to uphold unity based on behavior and conduct. If someone openly declares faith and performs Salat and Zakat as prescribed, we treat them as believers (6:52). Suspicions of hypocrisy do not authorize division. In fact, God tells us they will leave on their own (22:53). Our duty is only to judge by what is apparent—both in terms of action (61:2–3, 63:2, 9:47, 9:56) and declaration of belief (63:1, 47:30, 9:17).
When it comes to hypocrisy, the Quran prioritizes unity (20:94). Verses like 4:88–89 warn against dividing the believers, even when hypocrisy is suspected or known. Isolating people simply because we disagree on a topic—while they still uphold God, the Quran, and Submission—directly contradicts that command.
[4:88] Why should you divide yourselves into two groups regarding 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.
[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. 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.
What’s most dangerous is not the differences themselves—but the mindset that elevates personal judgment over divine instruction. This mindset places individuals in the role of religious authorities, declaring who is and isn’t a true Submitter. But none of us have been appointed as ulema or rasool (9:31). Through the years, I’ve seen sincere Submitters shunned or branded as deviants simply for holding unpopular views—some of which were later vindicated. Communities that fracture prematurely over such matters rarely recover.
I’ve experienced this firsthand. Years ago, when I concluded that the Quran’s dietary prohibitions apply only to animals, I was publicly condemned, ostracized, and banned from my masjid. Some claimed I was defending idol worship. But idol worship is defined by God—not by popular opinion. If God intended to prohibit all food mentioned in the name of other than Him, He would have said so. He didn’t.
The same flawed logic is now being used on the issue of praying behind “hypocrites.” People argue, “They’ll be in the lowest pit of Hell,” and conclude we must avoid them entirely. But the Quran says if they don’t fight us and strive in the cause of God, we may befriend them. And if befriending them is allowed, then praying behind them certainly is too. If God had wanted us to avoid praying behind someone we suspect of hypocrisy, He would have revealed it. But the only restriction on prayer concerning hypocrites is that we do not perform their funeral prayer (9:84).
This heavy-handed approach—disqualifying people from Salat leadership simply because we disagree—leads inevitably to division, echo chambers, and spiritual tyranny. Every year, new controversies emerge: insurance, dietary rules, circumcision, Salat tone, Zakat on gifts, the definition of adultery, marrying Christians and Jews, tone of the Contact Prayer, just to name a few. And each time, Satan promotes some to draw battle lines. If we divide every time a new issue surfaces, we will fragment endlessly—just like the Quranists.
Recent Examples of Tyranny
These examples are not only in the past but are also currently occurring. For example, the same individual who is attacking me on my position recently ruled that saying subḥāna rabbiyal-ʿaẓīm and subḥāna rabbiyal-aʿlā in a moderate tone when one is performing Salat by themselves was prohibited. This resulted in Submitters being driven out for disagreeing with him, even though both practices have precedent. However, excommunicating someone over this is not caution—it’s tyranny.
Even more extreme, another individual has openly barred a submitter in their community from leading Salat because they have a friend who is an atheist. Their friend isn’t hostile or fighting the submitter for their faith, but because of someone’s flawed understanding, they are banning this individual from being able to lead Salat or the Friday Sermon. Ironically, the Quran permits such relationships, so long as there’s no hostility.
[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.
This exposes the fundamental flaw in the approach being taken. There will never be universal consensus on all things that can constitute hypocrisy—and therefore, who qualifies as a hypocrite. One person’s “hypocrisy” may be another’s orthodoxy. And as history shows, the minority opinion is sometimes the correct one. But if every time someone holds a minority view they are ostracized or excommunicated, then all that remains is the status quo upheld by groupthink—or a community fractured into endless schisms. This is precisely why the Quran explicitly warns against dividing over the hypocrites among the believers. It acknowledges their presence will persist—but also that their true identities are not always known.
[9:101] Among the Arabs around you, there are hypocrites. Also, among the city dwellers, there are those who are accustomed to hypocrisy. You do not know them, but we know them. We will double the retribution for them, then they end up committed to a terrible retribution.
To add even more irony to the whole situation, many submitters view the one’s who are advocating for these positions as hypocrites themselves, yet tolerated them because they were mobilizing in the cause of God. However, if we applied their paradigm, then they would be excommunicating themselves from the masjid and prohibiting others from praying behind them.
Leading Salat & Jummah Encourages Growth
As for Jummah, I encourage all believing men—especially young or new Submitters—to take turns giving the khutbah. It’s an opportunity to grow, reflect, and engage with the Quran. If a speaker makes a mistake, those more knowledgeable can correct them afterward. But if we only allow the “qualified” to speak or lead, we’ll end up creating a clerical class—the very structure the Quran rejects.
As Submitters, we are commanded to obey God and His messenger (4:59). Rashad made it clear that many in his congregation struggled with concepts like insurance, age 40, and “God controls everything.” Yet there is no precedent of him barring them from leading Salat or giving sermons for having struggles on these topics. If this were an essential religious rule, it would have been revealed by God and clarified by the messenger. But instead, he encouraged participation—even for those who hadn’t yet grasped all the details.
Over-scrupulousness beyond God’s command is not caution—it is innovation. The function of Salat is not theological perfection. It is unity, contact with our Creator, and a shared act of devotion (61:4). And when Rashad debated Suzane Ray in 1989, the question he asked her about the people she congregated with wasn’t “do they agree with me on every issue”—it was “do they pray like the Submitters?”
This issue—who can lead Salat—is just the latest flashpoint. But again, we’re not dealing with individuals in our community who reject God, the Quran, or the Messenger of the Covenant. We’re dealing with believers who are at different stages of their journey and have differences in opinions on some matters (84:19). Some are due to a lack of knowledge, some are due to a lack of understanding. If we can’t even tolerate that, then only yes-men will remain—those who follow not God but whoever speaks the loudest.
[49:10] The believers are members of one family; you shall keep the peace within your family and reverence God, that you may attain mercy.
Submitters Who Differ in Understanding
According to the Quran, there is no verse that prohibits praying behind someone who simply holds a mistaken understanding on a particular issue. If the individual performs the Salat and gives the Zakat as prescribed by God’s messenger, then there is no Quranic basis for prohibiting prayer behind them or dividing the masjid over them leading Salat or the Friday Prayer.
Yet, based on this position, some have begun leveling increasingly outrageous accusations—claiming that I am advocating for praying behind disbelievers, Satan himself, or even that I would pay a homeless atheist to lead the Friday Prayer. The absurdity of these claims and the depravity of such examples only show the desperation of the people making such accusations.
Once again, we see the same playbook: instead of addressing the actual Quranic argument, opponents rely on shock-value hypotheticals to make the position seem abhorrent and to distract from the real issue at hand.
Debunking the Absurd: Why These Scenarios Violate the Quran
So let’s examine these hypothetical scenarios and demonstrate why they fall apart under basic Quranic scrutiny. Each one is a null case—because the situations they describe would violate multiple Quranic guidelines from the outset.
First, for anyone to lead the Salat in a community of Submitters, they must perform the prayer exactly as prescribed by God’s messenger according to the Quran. If someone fails to uphold the requirements of Salat, they are automatically disqualified from leading it. This is not a matter of personal opinion—it is a matter of clear criteria rooted in the practice established by God’s messenger.
Second, the Quran explicitly states that disbelievers are not to frequent the masjids of God while they are confessing their disbelief:
[9:17] The idol worshipers are not to frequent the masjids of GOD, while confessing their disbelief. These have nullified their works, and they will abide forever in Hell.
[9:18] The only people to frequent GOD’s masjids are those who believe in GOD and the Last Day, and observe the Contact Prayers (Salat), and give the obligatory charity (Zakat), and do not fear except GOD. These will surely be among the guided ones.
This verse alone renders these accusations incoherent. If someone openly identifies as a disbeliever—as in the exaggerated examples of atheists or even Satan himself—they would not be permitted to frequent the masjid, let alone lead the congregation in prayer.
These scenarios aren’t just extreme—they’re impossible under Quranic law. And those promoting them either don’t understand the Quran’s framework or are deliberately twisting it to discredit a position they can’t refute directly.
As for the claim that I would pay a homeless atheist to lead the Salat—setting aside the issue of belief, which has already been addressed—this scenario introduces yet another false premise: that it is acceptable to pay someone to lead the Salat. This, too, is a baseless innovation. The Salat, including the Friday Prayer, is a ritual act rooted in a preserved and communal practice—not a performance for hire. Nowhere in the Quran is there justification for compensating someone to lead Salat, just as there is no precedent or Quranic ruling allowing women to lead Salat under normal circumstances. The moment it becomes a paid service, it ceases to be the Salat as ordained by God.
What If Someone Holds a Problematic View?
This brings us to a more nuanced and necessary discussion: what happens when someone within the congregation who performs the Salat and Zakat as understood by submitters and advocates for the worship of God alone holds views that are questionable or even problematic? Here, the real task is discernment—distinguishing between a difference in interpretation and a fundamental rejection of the Quranic paradigm.
Interpretation vs. Rejection: Knowing Where the Line Is
The distinction between a difference in interpretation and a rejection of the Quranic paradigm hinges on how a person arrives at their understanding. If someone knowingly rejects a clear verse of God or dismisses the legitimate role of the messenger in resolving matters of interpretation, then they have stepped outside the bounds of Submission. Such a stance is not merely a disagreement—it’s a denial of foundational pillars of faith.
However, if a person accepts all Quranic verses and acknowledges the messenger’s authority to judge among believers (4:65), yet interprets those verses or the messenger’s teachings differently, then—even if one believes their interpretation is flawed—that person cannot be considered outside the fold of Submission. Disagreement does not equate to disbelief.
Maintaining Unity Without Compromise
In either case, if a questionable interpretation is raised in the community, it must be addressed. If it’s a rejection of the paradigm, the individual is effectively confessing disbelief. In that case, the community has a responsibility to uphold the sanctity of the masjid. Such a person should be given an ultimatum: either cease promoting their rejection or refrain from frequenting the masjid altogether, in line with 9:17.
If, on the other hand, the issue is a difference in interpretation within the shared paradigm, then the door should remain open for continued discussion. Ideally, both parties engage sincerely and arrive at mutual understanding—or respectfully agree to disagree. What must not happen is division. The Quran strongly warns against turning interpretive disagreements into sectarian rifts:
[3:103] You shall hold fast to the rope of GOD, all of you, and do not be divided. Recall GOD’s blessings upon you—you used to be enemies and He reconciled your hearts. By His grace, you became brethren. You were at the brink of a pit of fire, and He saved you therefrom. GOD thus explains His revelations for you, that you may be guided.
[3:104] Let there be a community of you who invite to what is good, advocate righteousness, and forbid evil. These are the winners.
[3:105] Do not be like those who became divided and disputed, despite the clear proofs that were given to them. For these have incurred a terrible retribution.
God likens those who splinter the religion into sects to idol worshipers—an unforgivable offense if maintained until death:
[30:31] You shall submit to Him, reverence Him, observe the Contact Prayers (Salat), and—whatever you do—do not ever fall into idol worship.
[30:32] (Do not fall in idol worship,) like those who divide their religion into sects; each party rejoicing with what they have.
Conclusion: The Real Threat Is Not Disagreement—It’s Division Masquerading as Righteousness
The accusations hurled at me—whether about dietary laws, prayer leadership, or absurd hypotheticals like paying Satan to lead Salat—aren’t about genuine theological concern. They are fear-driven distractions designed to obscure the real issue: an unwillingness to tolerate sincere differences in interpretation within the framework of the Quran.
But the Quran is not afraid of questions. It invites scrutiny, demands reasoning, and leaves no room for coercion in matters of faith. The real danger isn’t a believer with an unorthodox opinion—it’s the arrogance of those who appoint themselves gatekeepers of faith, slandering others to tighten their grip on the community.
When we confuse interpretation with betrayal, and unity with uniformity, we violate the very scripture we claim to defend. Worse, when we divide over these issues, we risk becoming the very idolaters the Quran warns us about—those who split their religion into factions, each one claiming exclusive truth while abandoning the rope of God.
We must remember that God alone sets the thresholds and limits to our religion. He is the One who defined what is lawful and unlawful, who decides who is within the bounds of Submission and who is not. When we attempt to draw new lines, raise new barriers, or add conditions God did not authorize, we are not protecting the religion—we are corrupting it. To transgress God’s limits is to set up another source beside Him and to imply that we know better than what He decreed.
It’s not one’s claims to interpretation that defines their Submission. It’s their sincerity, their adherence to God’s revelations, and their willingness to uphold God’s laws even when doing so appears inconvenient or unpopular. Disagreements will happen. But when they do, the Quran does not authorize slander, schism, or show trials. It commands patience, discourse, and above all—integrity.
We can disagree without declaring war. We can hold firm to our convictions without bearing false witness. And we must, above all, remember that God is not fooled by appearances. He sees through theatrics, self-righteousness, and power plays disguised as piety. What He demands is sincerity, humility, and the courage to stand for truth without tearing down the community in the process.
So let those who oppose my understanding do so with valid arguments, not strawmen. Let them bring verses, not fabrications. And if we truly serve God alone, let that devotion show not in how loudly we condemn others—but in how faithfully we uphold the unity, justice, and mercy that Submission was always meant to reflect.
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