the prayer behind him is valid. As for our evidence, it is what Jabir narrated, saying: "I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) on his pulpit saying: 'No woman shall lead a man in prayer, and no sinner (fajir) shall lead a believer, unless he overpowers him with authority, or he fears his whip or his sword.'" Narrated by Ibn Majah (6). This is more specific than their hadith, so it is required to give it precedence. We apply their hadith in the cases of Friday prayers and the Eids (7), as it is general, so acting upon it in its place fulfills the indication of its meaning (8). Their qiyas (analogy) is invalidated by the case of the hermaphrodite (khuntha) and the illiterate person (ummi). It is narrated from Habib ibn 'Umar al-Ansari, from his father, who said: I asked Wathila ibn al-Asqa' and said: "Shall I pray behind a Qadari?" He said: "Do not pray behind him." Then he said: "As for me, if I were to pray behind him, I would repeat my prayer." Narrated by al-Athram. Regarding the statement of al-Khiraqi: "or he gets drunk," he means whoever drinks something that intoxicates him, from any drink whatsoever; one should not pray behind him due to his wickedness (fisq). He specified it by mention, among (9) all other sinners, because of Ahmad’s explicit text regarding it. Abu Dawud said (10): I asked (11) Ahmad, and it was said to him: What if the imam gets drunk? He said: "Do not pray behind him at all." A man asked him, saying: "I prayed behind a man, then I learned that he gets drunk, shall I repeat it?" He said: "Yes, repeat it." He asked: "Which of the two is my prayer?" He said: "The one you prayed alone." Another man asked him: "I saw a man who is drunk, shall I pray behind him?" He said: "No." He asked: "Shall I pray alone?" He said: "Where are you? In the desert? The mosques are numerous." He said: "I am in my shop." He said: "Walk past it to another of the mosques." As for the one who drinks from nabidh...