The ruling on the condition that the khatib and the imam be the same person in Jumu'ah

A message was received for the program from our brother Abdullah Yusuf Abdullah. Our brother says: I read in the book *Fiqh on the Four Schools of Jurisprudence* a view of the Maliki school regarding the conditions for the validity of Jumu'ah, one of which is the imam. And among the conditions for the imam are two: one is that he must be the khatib. If the one who delivered the khutbah is not the one who led the prayer, the prayer is invalid, unless there was an excuse that prevented the imam. I did not find a reference to this condition among the Shafi'is, as I saw in Jumu'ah prayer one person delivering the khutbah and another leading the prayer. What is the answer? Is it true that it is obligatory for the one who delivers the khutbah to be the one who leads the prayer? And if I am a Maliki, how is my prayer? Is it invalid as stated in the Maliki view? Please inform us, may Allah reward you with the best reward, and guide us to follow the correct opinion?
Answer: This is a matter of scholarly disagreement among the scholars, and the correct view is that it is not a condition that the khatib be the imam in the prayer; because the khutbah is separate and has no connection to the prayer. The prayer is separate and the khutbah is separate. The best and the recommended practice (sunnah) is for the one who leads the prayer to also deliver the khutbah, so that he is both the imam and the khatib on Friday, and likewise on the festival. But if it happens that the khatib is unable to do so because he is prevented by an obstacle or something stands between him and it, the prayer is valid. Likewise, if he chooses to lead the prayer and does not deliver the khutbah, but appoints someone to deliver it on his behalf, there is no harm. The correct view is that there is no blame in that; because this is separate, this is an independent act of worship and this is an independent act of worship. So those who permitted the imam to be other than the khatib, there is no harm in that and no problem with it; their view is correct.
So the correct view in this matter is that there is no harm in the imam being other than the one who delivered the khutbah; this is the correct view; because this is an independent act of worship and this is an independent act of worship. But the best and the more preferable is for one person to undertake both, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and the successors after him did. The recommended practice (sunnah) is that the imam be the khatib, but if an obstacle arises and a preventer stops him, and someone other than the khatib leads the prayer, there is no harm.