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Fatwa CenterSuspecting imaam of committing immorality
Question
Two friends of our masjid's imam lived in the masjid with him for some time. They were mature adults and were getting religious education. They suddenly left the masjid and then wrote a letter to the masjid's committee saying that the imam was keeping one minor student in his room at night and sleeps with him on the same bed. The committee fixed a time to call the men who had written the letter against the imam to have an inquiry. The committee also told the imam about the letter and the time of the inquiry. The inquiry was to be held in the imam's room. When the committee arrived there, the imam said that the writers of the complaint were not ready to come there. Perhaps he had threatened them not to come. This opinion gets strength from the fact that the imam openly threatened the whole committee too by loudly saying that he would call his relatives and kill so many people that burying them would be difficult. Upon that, the committee formed an inquiry "jirga" of which I was also a member. Before the jirga met, the imam met me and said, "There are 300 men in my family. 16 of them are "maulvi", but there are many mercenaries (people who kill for money) too in my family." He clearly meant to repeat his threat of killing people. When we (the jirga members) called the two men, they were repeatedly asked to confirm what they had blamed the imam for, but perhaps they were afraid of him, so they neither confirmed nor rejected the blame. Thus, the blame could not be decided in either way. However, it is an established fact that the imam gave threats of killing and showed pride instead of hating his mercenary relatives. Moreover, the imam also takes no interest in the masjid and mostly focuses on his personal business affairs. My question is: should such a maulvi continue to be imam in our masjid?
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad 
is His slave and Messenger.
If you suspect that that man committed an immorality with the boy, then know that this is not permissible. It is not permissible to accuse anyone of committing immorality except with evidence or his confession. The evidence is the testimony of four trustworthy people; the testimony of two people is not enough.
Allah says (what means): {Why did they [who slandered] not produce for it four witnesses? And when they do not produce the witnesses, then it is they, in the sight of Allah, who are the liars.} [Quran 24:13]
You should know that the honor of Muslims is a great matter. You should have the conduct which Allah urged the Muslims to have in such matters, which is to think good of the Muslims and say, "It is not for us to speak of this"; Allah says (what means): {Why, when you heard it, did not the believing men and believing women think good of one another and say: This is an obvious falsehood?} [Quran 24:12]
Allah also says (what means): {And why, when you heard it, did you not say: It is not for us to speak of this. Exalted are You, [O Allah]; this is a great slander?} [Quran 24:16]
As for the continuation of this man as imaam of the Masjid, then if the situation is as you mentioned, that he does not fulfill his duties as he should and that he is preoccupied with his personal business affairs, then there is no harm in replacing him with someone who meets the qualities of an imaam, such as the good memorization of the Quran, having good conduct, and having Islamic knowledge.
Allah knows best.
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