The Prayer of the Congregation When the Imam Advances in a State of Ritual Impurity

The questioner:
He became ritually impure, and this was realized after one or two rak'ahs. What is the ruling on the prayer of the congregation?

The Shaykh:
He should appoint one of them to lead, according to the correct view, and complete the prayer with them. If he leaves to perform wudu' and returns, and they wait for him and complete the prayer with him, there is no harm. Or they may wait for him while praying until he prays with them and completes his prayer with them, and they wait for him until they say the taslim with him; there is no harm. However, the better and more preferable course is for him to appoint someone to complete the prayer with them so that he does not delay them or cause them harm. He should appoint someone to pray with them, and then he himself performs wudu' and prays.

The questioner:
And his prayer is valid.

The Shaykh:
This is the correct view. Some scholars hold that their prayer is invalid and that they must restart it from the beginning, because he entered the prayer in a state of ritual impurity. This is the opinion of a group of scholars: that they must restart it from the beginning, either by appointing one of them to start it from the beginning, or by waiting for their imam until he returns so they can pray with him from the beginning. The correct view is that this is not required. Rather, he may appoint one of them as a substitute, or appoint one of them to lead so that he prays with him for the remainder of the prayer. This is the correct view.