✅ Answer: Understand the following narrations:

سَأَلَ أَخَاهُ مُوسَى بْنَ جَعْفَرٍ عَنِ الْإِمَامِ أَحْدَثَ فَانْصَرَفَ وَ لَمْ يُقَدِّمْ أَحَداً مَا حَالُ الْقَوْمِ قَالَ لَا صَلَاةَ لَهُمْ إِلَّا بِإِمَامٍ فَلْيُقَدَّمْ بَعْضُهُمْ فَلْيُتِمَّ بِهِمْ مَا بَقِيَ مِنْهَا وَ قَدْ تَمَّتْ صَلَاتُهُمْ

📚 Al-Faqih, Vol. 1, p. 403

Ali ibn Ja'far asked Musa ibn Ja'far (peace be upon him) about a congregational prayer leader who performs an act that breaks his wudu during the prayer and withdraws from the prayer but does not bring anyone forward (to continue the prayer). What is the situation and duty of the followers? The Imam said: 'They have no prayer except with a prayer leader. So one of them must go forward and pray the rest of the prayer with them, and their prayer is complete (and correct).'

قَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ مَا كَانَ مِنْ إِمَامٍ تَقَدَّمَ فِي الصَّلَاةِ وَ هُوَ جُنُبٌ نَاسِياً أَوْ أَحْدَثَ حَدَثاً أَوْ رَعَفَ رُعَافاً أَوْ أَزّاً فِي بَطْنِهِ فَلْيَجْعَلْ ثَوْبَهُ عَلَى أَنْفِهِ ثُمَّ لْيَنْصَرِفْ وَ لْيَأْخُذْ بِيَدِ رَجُلٍ فَلْيُصَلِّ مَكَانَهُ

📚 Al-Faqih, Vol. 1, p. 402

The Commander of the Faithful (peace be upon him) said: 'Any congregational prayer leader who leads a group but was in a state of janabah and forgot, or an act that breaks his wudu occurs to him (during the prayer), or he has a nosebleed during the prayer, or he finds distress or pressure in his stomach, he should place his garment over his nose (an indication that he has a nosebleed) and withdraw from the prayer and take a man by the hand to lead the rest of the prayer in his place.'

✅ According to the two narrations above, if the prayer leader's wudu is broken during the prayer or if he realizes that he did not have wudu, he must withdraw from the prayer and bring one of the followers forward to lead the rest of the prayer for them. If the prayer leader does not do this, one of the followers should go forward as the prayer leader and continue the prayer and complete it.

✅ Also, pay attention to the following narration:

Zurarah said: 'I asked Imam Baqir or Imam Sadiq (peace be upon them both) about a man who leads a group in two units of prayer and then informs them that he does not have wudu.' The Imam said: 'That group should complete their prayer because there is no guarantee on the Imam.'

📚 Al-Faqih, Vol. 1, p. 406

✅ According to the above hadith, if the prayer leader informs them during the prayer that he does not have wudu, the followers can continue the rest of the prayer by themselves. However, if the first two hadiths are acted upon and the prayer leader takes someone's hand and brings him forward, or if one of the followers goes forward by himself to continue the prayer with him, it is better and more certain.

✅ Also, pay attention to the following narration:

Sulayman ibn Khalid said: 'I asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) about a man who leads a group in prayer and an act that breaks his wudu occurs to him, and for the continuation of the prayer, he brings forward a man who has not caught up with one unit of the prayer. What should he do?' The Imam said: 'He should not bring forward a person who has not caught up with one unit of the prayer. Rather, he should take the hand of another person and bring him forward.'

📚 Tahdhib, Vol. 3, p. 42

✅ In another hadith, Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said: 'When an act that breaks the wudu occurs to a prayer leader during the prayer, it is not appropriate to bring anyone forward to continue the prayer except a person who has caught up with the establishment of the prayer.'

📚 Faqih, Vol. 1, p. 402

✅ This means he should bring forward someone who has been present from the beginning of the prayer.

✅ Of course, if a person who has missed one or two units of the prayer is brought forward, their prayer is not invalid, and there are rulings for it that will be presented if needed.

✅ In the case of the death or sickness of the prayer leader during the prayer, a ruling has been transmitted in the narrations for one of the followers to go forward to continue the prayer.

✅ Note: All the required Shiite religious rulings are found in the authentic Shiite narrational books, especially the four books, either specifically or generally, and there is no need or place for following the opinions of others. So, O group of lovers of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them), for action, take the words of your Imams and act on the command of your Imams, so that when you are honored with visiting them and you are busy reciting the great Ziyarah in front of their noble graves and you say:

«عَامِلٌ بِأَمْرِکُمْ آخِذٌ بِقَوْلِکُمْ»

'I act on your command and I take your words,'

you have spoken the truth and the Imam will confirm you.

Do not be deceived by those who want to cut our hands off from the words of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) with sophistry, for Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said in a hadith:

�فَخُذُوا بِهَا وَ أَنَا بِنَجَاتِكُمْ زَعِيمٌ �

'Take our (hadiths) and act on them, and I am the guarantor and responsible for your salvation.'

📚 Al-Kafi, Vol. 2, p. 186

Congregational prayer