Al-Zuhri said regarding an Imam who is afflicted by blood, has a nosebleed, or finds madhy (pre-seminal fluid): He should depart and say: "Complete your prayer." Al-Shafi'i said, in the latter of his two opinions: The preferred choice is for the people to pray individually if that happens. Perhaps Ahmad's hesitation was only regarding the succession (istikhlaf), not the validity of the followers' prayer, for he has explicitly stated that the prayer of the followers is not invalidated by the Imam's laughing, so this is even more deserving [of being valid]. If each group of the followers brings forward an imam for themselves and he leads them in prayer, the analogy of the Madhhab is that it is permissible, which is also the school of Al-Shafi'i. The scholars of opinion (Ashab al-Ra'y) said: Their prayer is entirely invalidated. Our view is that they have the right to pray individually, so they have the right to bring forward a man [to lead them], just as in the situation of starting the prayer. If some of them bring forward a man and the rest pray individually, it is permissible.

Section: As for the one who is overtaken by ritual impurity (hadath), his prayer is invalidated and he is obliged to restart it. Ahmad said: "It pleases me that he performs ablution and restarts." This is the opinion of Al-Hasan, Ata, Al-Nakha'i, and Makhul. There is another narration from Ahmad that he performs ablution and continues [from where he left off]. This is reported from Ibn Umar and Ibn Abbas, based on what is reported from Aisha, that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Whoever vomits or has a nosebleed during his prayer, let him depart, perform ablution, and continue from what has passed of his prayer." From him, there is a third narration: If the impurity is from the two passages, he restarts, and if it is from elsewhere, he continues; this is because the ruling on the impurity of the passage is more severe, and the report only mentions continuing for that which comes out from elsewhere, so that which is not of its meaning cannot be attached to it. The correct view is the former, based on what Ali ibn Talq reported: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "If one of you passes wind during his prayer, let him depart, perform ablution, and repeat his prayer." Reported by Abu Dawud and Al-Athram.