A Rereading of the Jurisprudential Precept for Participation at the Dissident's Communal Prayers and Following Their Leadership with a Special Regard to Imam Khomein's Viewpoint

A considerable part of the statements in different Shi’ite jurisprudential chapters expresses the practical obligations of the obliged (mukallafīn) with respect to the denominational dissidents. The concept of denominational dissidents, in its general sense, refers to all those people who have any faith other than the Twelve-Imam Shiism. Among all such dissidents, the people of the tradition (ahl al-sunna), as the major group of the dissidents of the Imamīs, are specifically referred to, by the Shiite jurists, as “the dissidents”. One of the most important, most controversial, and at the same time, most applicable jurisprudential statements about the dissidents in the chapter on the acts of devotion (bāb al-‘ibādāt), regards the participation in their communal prayers and following their leadership (iqtidā). All the Imamī jurists have identified the primary legal precept for this question as prohibition and impermissibility. But they do not agree with each other about the secondary precept. Some maintain the permissibility of participation in the dissidents’ communal prayers as well as their companionship, in special circumstances. While, some others like Imam Khomeini and the students of his jurisprudential school permit not only participating in the dissidents’ communal prayers, but also following their leadership (iqtidā), in special circumstances.
Reconsidering the jurisprudential sayings and views about the above-mentioned question, and with special regard to Imam Khomeini’s viewpoint, the present article investigates jurists’ proofs of the primary and secondary precepts, and explains the chosen view on the quality of presence in the dissidents’ communal prayers in special circumstances.