Also, he asks whether this prayer is valid, that each person prays alone or not, because the imam prayed two units with them, then said the closing salam, and said that each person should pray alone?
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The questioner : Also, he asks whether this prayer is valid, that each person prays alone or not? Because the imam prayed two units with them, then said the closing salam, and each person stood up to pray alone?
The Shaykh : Does this depend on the first question?
The questioner : Yes, indeed.
The Shaykh : The prayer of those who completed four units is valid, but the imam's prayer, in our view, is not valid.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : He must repeat it, even now. Even if he repeats it now, there is no blame on him.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : But is not the congregational prayer dependent on the imam's prayer? So if the imam's prayer is invalid...
The Shaykh : The prayer of the followers is dependent on the imam's prayer, but according to the correct opinion, their prayer is not invalidated by the invalidity of his, unless he did something that invalidates it and they followed him while knowing that his prayer was invalid.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : In that case, their prayer is not valid, because they followed an imam whose prayer they believed to be invalid, and this falls under the category of frivolity and play. But if his prayer was invalidated by a hidden matter that the followers did not know about, then the followers are excused and their prayer is not invalidated by that.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : For example, if he became ritually impure during the prayer and continued in his prayer, even though this is forbidden for him and not permissible, but let us suppose that his soul played with him and he said, "I cannot leave; I am ashamed of the people," and he remained praying, completing his prayer with them while in a state of ritual impurity, then the prayer of the followers is valid. Likewise, if he forgot that he was in a state of ritual impurity and started the prayer with them while in a state of ritual impurity, forgetting, then remembered during the prayer that he was not in a state of ablution, but he continued in his prayer, then the prayer of the followers is valid.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Likewise, if he remembered during the prayer that he was not in a state of ablution and then left his prayer to perform ablution, the prayer of the followers remains valid. If he left behind someone to complete the prayer with them, they complete it behind this substitute. If he did not leave behind anyone, each person prays for himself the remainder of his prayer, or they appoint one of them to complete the prayer with them.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Does this depend on the first question?
The questioner : Yes, indeed.
The Shaykh : The prayer of those who completed four units is valid, but the imam's prayer, in our view, is not valid.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : He must repeat it, even now. Even if he repeats it now, there is no blame on him.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : But is not the congregational prayer dependent on the imam's prayer? So if the imam's prayer is invalid...
The Shaykh : The prayer of the followers is dependent on the imam's prayer, but according to the correct opinion, their prayer is not invalidated by the invalidity of his, unless he did something that invalidates it and they followed him while knowing that his prayer was invalid.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : In that case, their prayer is not valid, because they followed an imam whose prayer they believed to be invalid, and this falls under the category of frivolity and play. But if his prayer was invalidated by a hidden matter that the followers did not know about, then the followers are excused and their prayer is not invalidated by that.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : For example, if he became ritually impure during the prayer and continued in his prayer, even though this is forbidden for him and not permissible, but let us suppose that his soul played with him and he said, "I cannot leave; I am ashamed of the people," and he remained praying, completing his prayer with them while in a state of ritual impurity, then the prayer of the followers is valid. Likewise, if he forgot that he was in a state of ritual impurity and started the prayer with them while in a state of ritual impurity, forgetting, then remembered during the prayer that he was not in a state of ablution, but he continued in his prayer, then the prayer of the followers is valid.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Likewise, if he remembered during the prayer that he was not in a state of ablution and then left his prayer to perform ablution, the prayer of the followers remains valid. If he left behind someone to complete the prayer with them, they complete it behind this substitute. If he did not leave behind anyone, each person prays for himself the remainder of his prayer, or they appoint one of them to complete the prayer with them.
The questioner : Yes.