Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Can a machine (robot) lead in salat. 

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Can a machine robot lead prayer

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

If one is mentally insane (does not possess the power of intelligence, or understanding, or intentions, etc.), one is excused from all the rites of Islam including prayers, fasting, Hajj, zakah, etc.

One may use a robot or a machine to do a mechanical job which it is programmed to do, and it is possible that man may make a machine or a robot which can perform all the rites of prayer accurately and perfectly….but because the robot cannot think nor understand, it obviously cannot have or make a ‘neeyah’ (intention)…and would thus be unable to fulfill the obligatory rite of prayer!

Just as one would never allow an insane person to lead them in prayer, it would be absolutely foolish to allow a robot to lead them in offering the rite of prayer!

Neither the mechanical prayer offered by the robot, nor the prayer of the foolhardy who chose the robot as their ‘imam’ and prayed behind it would be acceptable to Allah Subhanah.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan