the invalidity of his companion's prayer, and that he has become solitary (fard). This is according to the narration which states that the prayer of both the Imam and the follower is invalidated due to the invalidity of the prayer of his companion, because he has become solitary. According to the supported narration, each of them intends individual prayer and completes his prayer. It is possible that he only judged their prayer to be invalid if they completed the prayer as they were without annulling the intention, for the follower believes that he is following one in a state of ritual impurity, and the Imam believes that he is leading one in a state of ritual impurity. As for the ablution, perhaps Imam Ahmad, may Allah have mercy on him, only meant by his statement "they perform ablution" so that their prayer might be valid in congregation, since neither of them is permitted to follow the other or lead him while believing in his ritual impurity. Perhaps he ordered that as a precaution; whereas if they pray individually, then ablution is not required for either of them, because the certainty of purity exists in each of them, and the ritual impurity is doubted, and certainty is not removed by doubt.

Section: It was transmitted from Ahmad, may Allah have mercy on him, regarding an Imam who led people in prayer, then two witnesses testified on his right that he had committed ritual impurity, and the Imam and the rest of the followers denied it: He repeats, and they repeat. This is because their testimony is an affirmation which is given precedence over the denial, due to the possibility of their knowledge of it, despite its hidden nature from him and the rest of the followers. His saying "they repeat" is because when some of the followers know of the ritual impurity of their Imam, repetition becomes obligatory upon everyone, according to the stated text. It is possible that the repetition is restricted to the one who knew, not others, according to what has preceded. And Allah knows best.