because God says of him, “And he was among the unbelievers” [al-Baqarah 2:34]. What bears on all this will come in the discussion of forgetfulness in this chapter, God Most High willing.
Section, or Rather Continuation, on Whether the Validity or Invalidity of the Follower’s Prayer Depends on the Prayer Leader’s Prayer
The scholars disagreed over whether the valid constitution of the follower’s prayer depends on the validity of the prayer leader’s prayer.[92] Some considered it dependent, and others considered it independent. I hold the latter view, even though the follower follows the leader in what he is commanded to follow him in.
This is why they disagreed about the case of a prayer leader who led prayer while in a state of major ritual impurity, when the followers only learned of it after the prayer. Those who hold the prayers interdependent said that the followers’ prayer was invalid. Those who hold them independent said that their prayer was valid, which is my position. Some distinguished between a leader who knew of his major ritual impurity and one who had forgotten it. They said that if he knew, the followers’ prayer was invalid, and if he had forgotten, their prayer remained valid.
Continuation on the Inward Application
“God charges no soul beyond its capacity” [al-Baqarah 2:286]. It is beyond a person’s capacity to know what is in another’s soul or to have comprehensive knowledge of another’s states.
Notes
[92]
(This wording was reordered in accordance with the newer edition, making clear how the question connects with the account of the legal positions that follows.)
