Questioner: What is the ruling about praying behind an Imaam whose garments are below his ankles and who wears gold even though he knows the rulings concerning that?
Al-Albaani: The prayer is valid because the Prophet ﷺ used to say about the rulers, “If they conduct it properly, you and they will be rewarded, but if they make mistakes you will earn the reward and they will be held responsible (for the mistakes).” But a Muslim must chose to pray behind a righteous, scholarly, Imaam who is a reciter, so that his prayer will be as close as possible to …
Questioner: [The Imaam is] a reciter but he wears gold and his clothes are below his ankles …
Al-Albaani: You’ve got the answer [already], may Allaah bless you, but after that answer I say that he should chose a righteous, scholarly, pious Imaam. If he prays behind a man like the one who adorns himself with things that Allaah has forbidden then he [i.e., the one wearing such things] is sinful and the sin is on him due to the statement of our Lord, the Mighty and Majestic, in His Book, “… and no bearer of burdens shall bear the burden of another …” [Al-An’aam 6:164], as for the prayer, it has no connection to such acts of disobedience done by this Imaam [in question]. So the Imaam who shaves his beard, for example, or prays in trousers etc., then the sin on him, and nothing is on those who pray behind him.
Al-Hudaa wan-Noor, 81.
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