If he delivers the sermon while in a state of major ritual impurity, two problems arise:

The first problem is remaining in the mosque. This may be resolved by saying that he performs ablution, thereby removing the problem through that ablution.

The second problem is reciting the Quran while in a state of major ritual impurity. According to the established school, reciting a verse is a condition for the validity of the sermon, while it is forbidden for one in a state of major ritual impurity to recite the Quran. So how can this recitation be valid when it is not sanctioned by the command of Allah and His Messenger? Rather, what applies to it is prohibition. They replied, however, that the prohibition here does not specifically concern reciting a verse during the sermon; rather, it is general. If there were a prohibition stating, “Do not recite the Quran while you are in a state of major ritual impurity during the sermon,” and he nevertheless recited it, we would say that the sermon is invalid, because he has committed a prohibited act within the act of worship itself.

This is correct, but it is at times inconsistent with the established school. They have said that if a man prays in a usurped garment, his prayer is invalid, even though the prohibition of wearing a usurped garment is not specific to prayer but is general. Nevertheless, they say that the prayer is invalid because it is a prohibited garment. The correct view, however, is that prayer performed in a usurped garment is valid.

Likewise, if he performs ablution with usurped water, the well-known position of the school holds that his ablution is invalid, because using usurped water is forbidden.

The second view—and it is the preponderant one—is that it is valid for him to perform ablution with usurped water, although he incurs sin and is liable to compensate its owner.

This issue—that is, the validity, despite sin, of reciting a Quranic verse while in a state of major ritual impurity—strengthens the view we regarded as preponderant: namely, the validity of ablution with usurped water, prayer in a usurped garment, and prayer on usurped land as well.