because it becomes apparent during the prayer that his prayer is invalid—that is, not validly constituted. When the imam’s prayer is invalidated, the follower’s prayer is likewise invalidated, due to the connection between the follower’s prayer and that of the imam, as the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “The imam has only been appointed to be followed.” (1) Nor can his successor continue on the basis of an invalid prayer. This view stated by the author is the well-known position of the school. (2)

The second view within the school, which Shaykh al-Islam and a group of scholars chose, is that he should appoint a successor, and that the follower’s prayer is not invalidated by the imam’s prayer (589). Rather, if the imam’s prayer becomes invalid, only his own prayer is invalidated, while the follower’s prayer remains valid. This view is the correct one.

The reasoning for this is that the basic presumption is the validity of the follower’s prayer, and it cannot be declared invalid except on the basis of sound evidence. The imam’s prayer became invalid according to sound evidence, but the follower entered into obedience to Allah and prayed by Allah’s command. Therefore, his prayer cannot be invalidated except by Allah’s command. So where is the evidence from the Book of Allah, the Sunnah of His Messenger, or the consensus of the Muslims that the follower’s prayer is invalidated by the imam’s prayer? The connections mentioned do not entail that the follower’s prayer becomes invalid when the imam’s prayer is invalidated.

Some scholars cited as evidence that when Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, was stabbed during the dawn prayer, he instructed Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf to lead the people in prayer; and it has not been reported that he restarted the prayer. (3) It is well known that Umar