The Shaikh answered: ‘Yes, indeed. People of different Math?hib may lead one another in Sal?t as did the Sah?bah and those who followed in their footsteps and as did the four Im?ms. Though they differed in their views concerning some points and issues, they used to perform Sal?t behind one another. None of the Salaf held that one may not perform one’s Sal?t behind an Im?m following a different Mathhab than his. Whoever holds the opposite has indeed gone astray and followed a Bid‘ah besides contradicting the rulings of the Qur’?n, Sunnah and the Salaf’s and other ‘Ulamah’s consensus. On the other hand, some of the late Mathhab fanatics held an opposite opinion, they claimed that the Sal?t done behind a Hanaf? Im?m is invalid even if the latter perfumed all its W?jib?t for he [i.e. the Im?m] has done so with out believing that they are of the W?jib?t. Those who hold such an opinion -and should be punished for their Bid‘ah- should indeed hold its opposite for it was affirmed in the two Sah?hs that the prophet ( - صلى الله عليه وسلم -) said: ‘They [i.e. the Im?ms] lead you in Sal?t; if they do it perfectly; you would get your reward and they would get theirs. If they performed it improperly; you would get your reward but they will not get theirs’. (1)

In the aforementioned had?th, the prophet ( - صلى الله عليه وسلم -) stated clearly that the mistake the Im?m does in his Sal?t, does not affect the Ma’m?m’s Sal?t for the latter thinks that the Im?m is permitted to do what he believes is right and so would not incur a sin upon himself for in this case he [i.e. the Im?m] is considered a Mujtahid or at least a follower of a Mujtahid and in either cases his mistake would be forgiven and his Sal?t is correct. Accordingly, he would not incur a sin upon himself if he does not repeat the Sal?t. (2)

The act of conducting more than one congregation [in the same mosque] appeared in the sixth century after Hijrah as mentioned in “Fathul Al? Al-M?lik” (vol.1/p.92). Whenever they missed the