They said: We stood for the Maghrib prayer in congregation, and after the first rak'ah, the imam left after having appointed one of the ma'mums, and the latter completed the prayer building upon the rak'ah that the first imam had prayed, and the reason for the first imam's leaving the prayer was the absence of wudu', and he remembered that after the first rak'ah.
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The questioner : We stood for the Maghrib prayer in congregation, and after the first rak'ah, the imam left after having appointed one of the ma'mums, and the latter completed the prayer building upon the rak'ah that the first imam had prayed.
The Shaykh : ... building upon it.
The questioner : Or building upon it, because he wrote "building upon it."
The Shaykh : Or "building upon it."
The questioner : Not "writing building upon it" upon the rak'ah that the first imam had prayed, and the reason for the first imam's leaving the prayer was the absence of wudu', and he remembered that after the first rak'ah. So is the prayer valid, or do we void that rak'ah and perform another rak'ah? Please inform us, may Allah guide you?
The Shaykh : There is a difference of opinion among the scholars regarding this issue. Some of them hold that it is obligatory for the ma'mums in this situation to restart the prayer from the beginning.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Because their imam's prayer is not valid, and if the imam's prayer is not valid, the ma'mums' prayer is not valid, except if he remained unaware of his state of impurity until the prayer ended, in which case the ma'mums' prayer is valid. This is one opinion. The second opinion is that the ma'mums' prayer is valid in this situation, because the ma'mums are excused as they were not aware of the imam's state of impurity, and they are not held accountable for what they do not know, for Allah the Exalted says:[Al-Baqarah 2:286].
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : So they are commanded to appoint an imam for themselves and to follow their imam, and they did appoint an imam for themselves and followed their imam. The fact that the imam remembered his state of impurity is a matter concerning himself; it is obligatory for him to restart the prayer from the beginning. As for the ma'mums, they do not restart the prayer from the beginning; rather, they continue with their prayer, complete it, and build upon what has passed of their prayer, whether they completed it individually, or they appointed one of them, or the departing imam appointed one, as in this issue the brother asked about. Their doing so is correct, if Allah wills, and there is no blame on them. And this opinion is the stronger position because it has a stronger rationale.
The questioner : Yes, but if, for example, the wudu' is broken during the prayer, there is nothing wrong with that.
The Shaykh : Likewise, if the imam's wudu' is broken during the prayer, if they appoint someone to lead them, they complete it behind this person who was appointed. And if they do not appoint anyone, they appoint one of them or complete it individually.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : The second question.
The Shaykh : ... building upon it.
The questioner : Or building upon it, because he wrote "building upon it."
The Shaykh : Or "building upon it."
The questioner : Not "writing building upon it" upon the rak'ah that the first imam had prayed, and the reason for the first imam's leaving the prayer was the absence of wudu', and he remembered that after the first rak'ah. So is the prayer valid, or do we void that rak'ah and perform another rak'ah? Please inform us, may Allah guide you?
The Shaykh : There is a difference of opinion among the scholars regarding this issue. Some of them hold that it is obligatory for the ma'mums in this situation to restart the prayer from the beginning.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Because their imam's prayer is not valid, and if the imam's prayer is not valid, the ma'mums' prayer is not valid, except if he remained unaware of his state of impurity until the prayer ended, in which case the ma'mums' prayer is valid. This is one opinion. The second opinion is that the ma'mums' prayer is valid in this situation, because the ma'mums are excused as they were not aware of the imam's state of impurity, and they are not held accountable for what they do not know, for Allah the Exalted says:
Allah does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity
لا يكلف الله نفسا إلا وسعهاThe questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : So they are commanded to appoint an imam for themselves and to follow their imam, and they did appoint an imam for themselves and followed their imam. The fact that the imam remembered his state of impurity is a matter concerning himself; it is obligatory for him to restart the prayer from the beginning. As for the ma'mums, they do not restart the prayer from the beginning; rather, they continue with their prayer, complete it, and build upon what has passed of their prayer, whether they completed it individually, or they appointed one of them, or the departing imam appointed one, as in this issue the brother asked about. Their doing so is correct, if Allah wills, and there is no blame on them. And this opinion is the stronger position because it has a stronger rationale.
The questioner : Yes, but if, for example, the wudu' is broken during the prayer, there is nothing wrong with that.
The Shaykh : Likewise, if the imam's wudu' is broken during the prayer, if they appoint someone to lead them, they complete it behind this person who was appointed. And if they do not appoint anyone, they appoint one of them or complete it individually.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : The second question.