An imam leads the Muslims in prayer and they dislike him, and he knows that

 

An imam leads the Muslims in prayer and they dislike him, and he knows that. How should we deal with this situation?.

Praise be to Allaah.
 

 

It is makrooh for a man
to lead people in prayer when most of them dislike him for a justifiable
reason, such as if he is lacking in religious commitment, because the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “There are
three whose prayers do not go any further than their ears: a runaway slave
until he returns, a woman who spent the night with her husband being angry
with her, and one who leads people in prayer when they dislike him.”
Narrated and classed as hasan by al-Tirmidhi. 

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him)
said:  

If they dislike this imam
for a reason that has to do with his religious commitment, such as lying,
wrongdoing, ignorance, bid’ah (innovation) and so on, and they like another
because his religious commitment is better, such as if he is more honest,
more knowledgeable or more religiously committed, then the imam whom they
like should be appointed to lead them, and that imam whom they dislike
should not lead them in prayer. The Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: “There are three whose prayers will not go any
further than their ears: a man who leads people in prayer when they dislike
him, a man who does not come to pray until the time for the prayer is over,
and a man who enslaves a man who has been set free.”  

And he said: 

If there is some enmity
between the imam and the members of the congregation such as enmity based on
whims and desires or differences of opinion, he should not lead them in a
congregational prayer, because it cannot be perfected unless there is
harmony between them. Hence the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) said: “Do not make your lines ragged lest that create
disharmony among your hearts.” But if the imam is religiously committed and
follows the Sunnah, and they dislike him because of that, then it is not
makrooh for him to lead them in the prayer, rather they are to be blamed for
disliking him. Whatever the case, there should be harmony between the imam
and the people who follow him (in the prayer); they should cooperate in
righteousness and piety and refrain from hatred that is based on whims and
desires and devilish aims. The imam should pay attention to the rights of
the people who pray behind him, and he should not be harsh with them; and
the members of the congregation should pay attention to the rights of the
imam, and respect him. In conclusion, each party should put up with some
criticism from the other that may not befit religious commitment and
chivalry, because man is bound to have some faults and shortcomings. 

See al-Mulakhkhas al-Fiqhi, 1/155-156.