SECTION ON PURIFICATION · 94 – THE LEADING OF PRAYER BY SOMEONE IN A STATE OF MAJOR RITUAL IMPURITY (JANĀBAH) DUE TO FORGETFULNESS
233 – It is narrated from Abū Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him): The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) entered (the mosque) for the morning prayer, gestured with his hand for them to remain seated, then came (back), water dripping from his head, and led them in prayer.
234 – From Ḥammād ibn Salama (may Allah be pleased with him): It was narrated with the same chain and meaning as the previous hadith. At the beginning, he pronounced the takbīr (opening declaration of Allah's greatness). At the end, when he led the prayer, he said: “I am also a human; I was in a state of major ritual impurity (janābah) (I forgot).” Abū Dāwūd said: This hadith was narrated by al-Zuhrī from Abū Salama ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān, who narrated from Abū Hurayra. Abū Hurayra said: When the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) stood at the place to lead the prayer, we watched for him to pronounce the takbīr, but he turned and said: “Remain as you are.” Abū Dāwūd said: This hadith was narrated by Ayyūb ibn ʿAwn from Hishām Muḥammad (as a mursal report), who narrated from the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him), who said: The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) pronounced the takbīr, then gestured with his hand to the congregation to remain in their places, went and performed the ritual bath (ghusl). Mālik narrated from Ismāʿīl ibn Abī Ḥakīm, who narrated from ʿAṭāʾ ibn Yasār, that the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) pronounced the takbīr in prayer, thus narrating it. Abū Dāwūd said: Likewise, Muslim ibn Ibrāhīm narrated to us from Abān, who narrated from Yaḥyā, who narrated from Rabīʿ ibn Muḥammad, who also transmitted that the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) pronounced the takbīr.
235 – From Abū Hurayra (may Allah be pleased with him): The iqāmah (call to commence prayer) was given for the morning prayer. The congregation lined up in rows. The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) came out from his house and sat in his place (in the miḥrāb). He remembered that he had not performed the ritual bath (ghusl). He said to the congregation: “Remain in your places.” Then he returned to his house. He came back to us, water dripping from his head, having washed. Meanwhile, we were standing in rows. In the narration of Ayyāsh: We waited for the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) in our rows, without leaving our places, until he returned to us having washed. [187]
EXPLANATION
1 – These noble hadiths indicate that if it becomes apparent that the person leading the prayer (the imam) was without ablution, the prayers of the congregation are also invalidated,
2 – That if the prayer is not commenced immediately after the iqāmah, it is not necessary to repeat the iqāmah,
3 – That if the imam's ablution is nullified, the congregation should wait for the imam as long as there is sufficient time,
4 – That such a situation can befall any imam, regardless of who he is. If it is realized that the imam leading the prayer was in a state of major ritual impurity (janābah), according to Imām al-Aʿẓam (Abū Ḥanīfa), both the imam and the congregation must repeat their prayers. According to Imām al-Shāfiʿī, only the imam must repeat his prayer; it is not obligatory for the congregation to do so. (Maʿālim, vol. 1, p. 159)