Praying behind someone who writes amulets
Question

                Is it permissible to pray behind an imam who writes amulets, which some people believe give protection against witchcraft and the evil eye? If it is not permissible, what should we do? Please note that we live in a village where there is only one mosque, in which the prayers led by this imam.
Praise be to Allah.
    Firstly: 

    It is not 
    permissible to wear amulets, even if they contain words from the Holy 
    Qur’an, because of the general meaning of the words of the Prophet 
    (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him): “Whoever wears an amulet, may 
    Allaah never fulfil his wish and whoever wears a seashell, may Allaah never 
    protect him from what he fears.” Narrated by Ahmad (17440); classed as hasan 
    by Shu‘ayb al-Arna’oot in Tahqeeq al-Musnad. 

    And he 
    (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever wears an amulet 
    has committed shirk (i.e., associated something with Allah).” 

    Narrated by 
    Ahmad and al-Haakim; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami‘, 
    no. 6394. 

    If amulets 
    contain verses from the Qur’an, there is a scholarly difference of opinion 
    concerning that, but the most correct opinion is that they are not allowed, 
    because of the general meaning of the evidence, and so as to block the means 
    that may lead to shirk, and because that usually involves treating the 
    verses with disrespect, because people usually sleep wearing the amulet, or 
    enter the washroom with it, and so on. 

    It says in 
    Fataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa’imah (1/212): The scholars are unanimously 
    agreed that it is haraam to wear amulets if they contain anything other than 
    words from the Qur’an, but they differed if they do contain words from the 
    Qur’an. Some said that it is permissible to wear them and others said that 
    it is not permissible. The view that it is not permitted is more likely to 
    be correct, because of the general meaning of the hadeeths and so as to 
    block the means that may lead to shirk. End quote. 

    See: Question 
    no. 10543 and
    20349 

    Secondly: 

    If the amulets 
    that are written by this imam contain any elements of shirk, such as asking 
    of anyone other than Allah, may He be exalted, among the jinn or angels or 
    righteous people, or this imam is one of those who practice this kind of 
    shirk, or he claims to have knowledge of the unseen, it is not permissible 
    to pray behind him. But if it is free of shirk and he is one of the people 
    of Tawheed (i.e., he affirms the Oneness of Allah), then prayers offered 
    behind him are valid. It is essential to advise him in either case, because 
    amulets of all types are haraam, as stated above. 

    The Standing 
    Committee for Issuing Fatwas were asked about praying behind someone who 
    writes amulets for people, and they replied: It is permissible to pray 
    behind one who writes amulets from the Qur’an and du‘aa’s prescribed in 
    Islam, but he should not write them because it is not permissible to wear 
    them. But if the amulets contain any elements of shirk, one should not pray 
    behind the one who writes that and it is essential to explain to him that 
    this is shirk. The one who should advise him is the one who knows that he 
    does that. 

    End quote from
    Fataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa’imah, 3/65 

    Shaykh Saalih 
    al-Fawzaan (may Allah preserve him) was asked about praying behind someone 
    who writes amulets, and he replied:

    With regard to 
    what you have mentioned about writing amulets, amulets are subject to 
    further discussion. If these amulets contain phrases of shirk, supplication 
    to anyone other than Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, and unknown 
    names, it is not permissible to write them or use them, according to 
    scholarly consensus, because they are shirk. One should not pray behind this 
    man (who writes such amulets). But if these amulets contain words from the 
    Holy Qur’an, permissible du‘aa’s and du‘aa’s narrated in reports (from the 
    Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)), then this is a matter 
    concerning which there was a difference of opinion among the scholars. Some 
    of them regarded it as permissible and others said that it is not allowed, 
    and not allowing it is more on the safe side, because opening the door to 
    writing them and wearing them is a means that may lead to haraam types of 
    amulets, and because writing the Holy Qur’an in the form of amulets exposes 
    it to disrespectful treatment and taking it into places where it is not 
    permissible to take it. But there is nothing wrong with praying behind the 
    one who writes them. 

    To sum up: if 
    writing amulets involves phrases of shirk, unknown names, calling upon 
    anyone other than Allah or seeking the help of the devils, created beings or 
    jinn, these are phrases of shirk, and the one who writes them or uses them, 
    knowing what they contain, is a mushrik. But if they are from the Holy 
    Qur’an, to be on the safe side it is better to avoid them and not use them.

    End quote from
    al-Muntaqa min Fataawa al-Fawzaan 

    Shaykh Ibn 
    Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked: Is it permissible to pray 
    behind an imam who is a fraud and a charlatan, knowing that some of them can 
    recite Qur’an very well? Please advise us, may Allah reward you with good. 

    He replied:

    If the imam is 
    a fraud and claims to have knowledge of the unseen or he follows myths and 
    does evil actions, it is not permissible to appoint him as an imam or to 
    pray behind him, because the one who claims to have knowledge of the unseen 
    is a kaafir – we ask Allah to keep us safe and sound. Allah, may He be 
    glorified and exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): “Say: None 
    in the heavens and the earth knows the Ghaib (unseen) except Allah” [an-Naml 
    27:65]. The same applies to one who practices witchcraft; he comes under 
    the same rulings as the kuffaar because Allah, may He be glorified and 
    exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

    “They 
    followed what the Shayatin (devils) gave out (falsely of the magic) in the 
    lifetime of Sulaiman (Solomon). Sulaiman did not disbelieve, but the 
    Shayatin (devils) disbelieved, teaching men magic and such things that came 
    down at Babylon to the two angels, Haroot and Maroot, but neither of these 
    two (angels) taught anyone (such things) till they had said: We are only for 
    trial, so disbelieve not (by learning this magic from us).”

    [al-Baqarah 
    2:102]. 

    But if he 
    commits some sins but does not do any acts of kufr such as witchcraft or 
    claiming to have knowledge of the unseen, then prayers offered behind him 
    are valid, although it is better to look for someone else who is of good 
    character and righteous, in order to protect the people’s religious 
    commitment and avoid going against those scholars who say that it is not 
    permissible to pray behind him. Sinners should not be taken as imams, but if 
    they are already imams, it is valid to pray behind them because the people 
    may be being tested with them, and it may be necessary to pray behind them. 
    But in the case of one who calls upon anything other than Allah, or who 
    seeks the help of the dead, one should not pray behind him, because by doing 
    these things he comes under the same heading as the kuffaar, as these are 
    the acts of the mushrikeen whom the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be 
    upon him) fought in Makkah and elsewhere. We ask Allah to set the affairs of 
    the Muslims straight, to bless them with understanding of their religion, 
    and to appoint over them the best of them, for He is All-Hearing, Ever Near.

    End quote from
    Majmoo‘ Fataawa Ibn Baaz, 9/278 

    And Allah knows best.