If the one who knows more Qur’an holds Ash’ari beliefs, can he still lead the prayer?

 

If an Ash’ari knows more Qur’an,
can he lead the prayer or not?

Praise be to Allaah.

We put this question to Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen,
may Allaah preserve him, who replied as follows:

“If he does not call others to follow his bid’ah and is not
stubborn when the truth becomes clear to him, there is nothing wrong with him leading the
prayer, otherwise, it is better if someone else leads the prayer even if he knows less
Qur’an. And Allaah knows best.”