not pure, during part of the prayer, and he remembered? He said: "It pleases me that they restart the prayer." I said to him: "Should he say to them, 'Restart the prayer'?" He said: "No, rather he should turn away and speak, and they should restart the prayer themselves." Ibn 'Aqil said: There is another narration from Ahmad, may Allah have mercy on him, that if the followers know [of it], they may continue their prayer. Al-Shafi'i said: They may continue their prayer, whether he knew of it or the followers knew of it; because what has passed of their prayer is valid, so they may build upon it, just as if he stood up for a fifth rak'ah and they prompted him but he did not return. Our view is that he followed someone whose prayer is invalid, with knowledge by both or one of them, which resembles the case of following a woman [as an Imam]. This is only excused when ignorance persists for both of them due to consensus, and because it is difficult for the followers to repeat the prayer when ignorance persists due to their dispersion, unlike when they know [of it] during the prayer. If some of the followers know while others do not, the explicit text indicates that the prayer of all is invalidated, though it is more appropriate that the invalidation be limited to those who knew, and not those who were ignorant; because it is a nullifying factor specific to him, so the invalidation is specific to him, just like his own ritual impurity.

Section: If any other conditions are lacking regarding the Imam, such as the sutrah (barrier) or facing the qibla, he is not excused in relation to the follower, because such matters are rarely hidden, unlike ritual impurity and impurity. Likewise, if his prayer is invalidated due to omitting a pillar (rukn), their prayer is invalidated. Ahmad explicitly stated this regarding one who omits the recitation: he repeats [it], and they repeat [it], and likewise for one who omits the takbirat al-ihram (opening takbir).

Section: If it is invalidated due to an act that nullifies prayer: if it is intentional, it invalidates the prayer of everyone. If it is unintentional, it does not invalidate the prayer of the followers. [Ahmad explicitly stated regarding laughter that it invalidates the prayer of the Imam, but does not invalidate the prayer of the followers]. Furthermore, there are two narrations from Ahmad regarding one who is overtaken by ritual impurity (hadath): one of them is that the prayer of the followers is invalidated, because it is an occurrence that invalidated the Imam's prayer, so it invalidated the prayer of the followers, just like omitting a condition. This ruling regarding the condition has been established by what was reported from Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, that he led the people in the Maghrib prayer, but they did not hear his recitation.