What is the ruling on a person with a permanent state of ritual impurity leading the prayer?
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The questioner : Shaykh, may Allah forgive you, what is your opinion regarding a person with a permanent state of ritual impurity leading the prayer?
The Shaykh : We hold that the leading of the prayer by a person with a permanent state of ritual impurity is valid, and that it is permissible for him to be the imam for those whose state of ritual impurity is not permanent. This is due to the generality of the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):Sunan Ibn Majah 980Sahih (Darussalam). As long as this man’s prayer is valid and is accepted by Allah, his prayer is also valid for others. If the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) permitted people to pray behind one who is unable to stand, even though standing is a pillar of the obligatory prayer, and indeed commanded them to sit following their imam, then the same applies to this case.
Therefore, the correct view is that the principle supported by the evidence of the Shari'ah, in our opinion, is: "Whoever’s prayer is valid, his leading of the prayer is valid". Even the open sinner who shaves his beard, or the smoker of tobacco, their leading of the prayer is valid. The one who backbites people, his leading of the prayer is valid. This is the principle we see the evidence of the Shari'ah indicating: "Whoever’s prayer is valid, his leading of the prayer is valid". Nothing is excluded from this except what the Shari'ah has excluded, such as a woman leading men. For a woman to lead men is forbidden, and the prayer is not valid:Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2262Sahih (Darussalam) If we appoint a woman to lead us in our prayer, we will not succeed.
Do you understand? So we state this principle: "Whoever’s prayer is valid, his leading of the prayer is valid, except for what the Shari'ah indicates as prohibited, such as a woman leading men".
The Shaykh : We hold that the leading of the prayer by a person with a permanent state of ritual impurity is valid, and that it is permissible for him to be the imam for those whose state of ritual impurity is not permanent. This is due to the generality of the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
The people should be lead by the one who is most well-Versed in recitation of the Book of Allah
يؤم القوم أقرؤهم لكتاب اللهTherefore, the correct view is that the principle supported by the evidence of the Shari'ah, in our opinion, is: "Whoever’s prayer is valid, his leading of the prayer is valid". Even the open sinner who shaves his beard, or the smoker of tobacco, their leading of the prayer is valid. The one who backbites people, his leading of the prayer is valid. This is the principle we see the evidence of the Shari'ah indicating: "Whoever’s prayer is valid, his leading of the prayer is valid". Nothing is excluded from this except what the Shari'ah has excluded, such as a woman leading men. For a woman to lead men is forbidden, and the prayer is not valid:
A people will never succeed who give their leadership to a woman.
لن يفلح قومٌ ولَّوا أمرهم امرأةDo you understand? So we state this principle: "Whoever’s prayer is valid, his leading of the prayer is valid, except for what the Shari'ah indicates as prohibited, such as a woman leading men".