The ruling on the congregational prayer if the imam removes his wudu
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The questioner:
In another instance, the congregation was in the third rak'ah when he realized he was not in a state of purity. At that point, he sat with them for the tashahhud and said the taslim, then told them, "One of you should step forward and complete the prayer." So one of them stepped forward and completed the prayer based on what had already been performed.
The Shaykh:
Yes, according to the prescribed ruling, if he realizes he removed his wudu, he needs to sit, but he does not need to repeat a prayer that was invalid from the start. Rather, he has one of them step forward to complete it, or he says, "Step forward, you two," and he is content with the people. Some scholars hold that they should repeat the prayer from the beginning, but the stronger view is that they do not repeat it from the beginning; it is sufficient for him to complete it with them. This is like if a person enters the prayer in a state of purity and then his state of purity is broken before he finishes; he steps forward to complete it, and there is no need to repeat it. What is the situation? There are two situations: one is when he enters the prayer in a state of purity and then realizes it before the taslim, so he steps forward and prays, and he makes up for it with that. The second situation is when he enters in a state of purity and then his state of purity is broken. In the second case, he steps forward to complete it. So the two situations are the same according to the correct view. 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), when Abu Lu'lu'ah attacked him during the Fajr prayer, 'Abd al-Rahman stepped forward and completed the prayer with the people, and they did not repeat it from the beginning. This is the correct view. Yes.
The questioner:
But the sitting of the two of them after the second rak'ah.
The Shaykh:
Due to ignorance, it does not harm; it was out of his ignorance, so there is no need for the sitting. He tells him, and he is alerted.
In another instance, the congregation was in the third rak'ah when he realized he was not in a state of purity. At that point, he sat with them for the tashahhud and said the taslim, then told them, "One of you should step forward and complete the prayer." So one of them stepped forward and completed the prayer based on what had already been performed.
The Shaykh:
Yes, according to the prescribed ruling, if he realizes he removed his wudu, he needs to sit, but he does not need to repeat a prayer that was invalid from the start. Rather, he has one of them step forward to complete it, or he says, "Step forward, you two," and he is content with the people. Some scholars hold that they should repeat the prayer from the beginning, but the stronger view is that they do not repeat it from the beginning; it is sufficient for him to complete it with them. This is like if a person enters the prayer in a state of purity and then his state of purity is broken before he finishes; he steps forward to complete it, and there is no need to repeat it. What is the situation? There are two situations: one is when he enters the prayer in a state of purity and then realizes it before the taslim, so he steps forward and prays, and he makes up for it with that. The second situation is when he enters in a state of purity and then his state of purity is broken. In the second case, he steps forward to complete it. So the two situations are the same according to the correct view. 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), when Abu Lu'lu'ah attacked him during the Fajr prayer, 'Abd al-Rahman stepped forward and completed the prayer with the people, and they did not repeat it from the beginning. This is the correct view. Yes.
The questioner:
But the sitting of the two of them after the second rak'ah.
The Shaykh:
Due to ignorance, it does not harm; it was out of his ignorance, so there is no need for the sitting. He tells him, and he is alerted.
Source
التعاون على البر والتقوى 2 — islamhouse.com (27:03)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.