It is not required that the khatib be the imam in the prayer

Q: I read in the book *Fiqh on the Four Schools* a view of the Maliki school regarding the conditions for the validity of Jumu'ah, one of which is that the imam must be the khatib, and if someone other than the one who prays delivers the khutbah, the prayer is invalid, unless there is an excuse preventing the imam. I did not find a reference to this condition among the Shafi'i school, as I have seen in some mosques during Jumu'ah prayer one person delivering the khutbah and another leading the prayer. What is the answer, and what is the ruling on my prayer if I am a Maliki?

A: This issue is a matter of scholarly disagreement among the scholars, and the correct view is that it is not required for the khatib to be the imam in the prayer, because the khutbah is separate from the prayer.
It is better for the one who leads the khutbah to be the one who leads the prayer, and likewise for the 'Id, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and the rightly guided caliphs all did. However, if it happens that the khatib is unable to do so because an obstacle prevents him from praying, the prayer is valid. Likewise, if he prays but does not deliver the khutbah by his own choice and finds someone to deliver it on his behalf, the correct view is that there is no harm in that. May Allah grant success.