The primary ruling states that...

The primary ruling states that, in essence, this prayer is not accepted by the Lawgiver, whereas the secondary ruling indicates that, based on taqiyya (dissimulation), one may participate in the Sunni congregational prayer.

Primary Ruling: The Impermissibility of Participating in the Sunni Congregational Prayer By examining the views of Imami jurists regarding the jurisprudential ruling on Sunni imamate in congregational prayer and Shias following them, we find that all of them rule the matter to be impermissible and consequently consider such a congregation invalid. In the jurisprudential works of early scholars, the impermissibility of participating in the Sunni congregational prayer is explicitly stated.

[1] The consensus of jurists on the requirement of the imam’s faith, meaning belief in the leadership of Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (AS) and his eleven descendants after the Messenger of God (S), which corresponds to the Twelver Shia doctrine, is further evidence supporting this claim. [2] Imam Khomeini, in line with Imami jurists, also emphasized the necessity of the imam’s faith [3] and stated the ruling of impermissibility of following religious opponents.

[4] Secondary Ruling: The Permissibility of Participating in the Sunni Congregational Prayer Despite the jurists’ explicit statements about the impermissibility of participating in the Sunni congregational prayer, all Imami jurists have ruled that under certain specific circumstances, participation in the Sunni congregational prayer is permissible [5] and even recommended, and in terms of spiritual reward, superior to participating in the congregation of the faithful.

[6] Imam Khomeini, in explaining the secondary ruling, also issued a legal opinion affirming the permissibility of participating in the Sunni congregational prayer and the validity of the prayer performed with them. [7] Condition for the Permissibility of Participating in the Sunni Congregational Prayer Among Imami jurists, there is disagreement regarding the secondary title under which the secondary ruling of the issue is applied.

Each has ruled permissibility when a particular title and specific conditions are fulfilled. The majority of early jurists considered the secondary ruling applicable in situations of necessity arising from obligatory taqiyya (dissimulation), which refers to fear-based taqiyya.