The Imam Appointing a Substitute When He Remembers He Was Not in a State of Ritual Purity

Question:
Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success. A questioner says: The imam prayed with the people and recited al-Fatihah, then he remembered that he was not in a state of ritual purity. So he appointed a man to lead the prayer in his place and left. The substitute completed the prayer from where the imam stopped, but he began directly with a surah and did not recite al-Fatihah. Is our prayer valid?

Answer:
No. As long as he entered the prayer without being in a state of ritual purity, his prayer is not established. Therefore, he should not appoint a substitute. Rather, if he entered the prayer while in a state of ritual purity and then his ablution was broken, if he feels that his ablution is about to be broken, he should appoint someone to pray if the state of impurity has not yet overtaken him. But if the state of impurity overtakes him and he becomes impure, he should not appoint a substitute.