when the imam errs, he alone bears the consequences of his error, not the followers. Thus, if an imam prays believing himself to be ritually pure when he is in a state of minor or major ritual impurity, or has a physical impurity on him—and if we hold that he must repeat the prayer because of that impurity, just as he must repeat it because of ritual impurity—then the imam was mistaken in his belief. His error is therefore upon him, and he must repeat his prayer. As for the followers, their prayer is valid, and none of his error falls upon them, as the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, explicitly stated. This is an unequivocal text establishing that their prayer is valid.

The same applies if the imam omits one of the obligatory elements of the prayer on the basis of an interpretation that the follower considers mistaken—for example, if he touches his penis and then prays, undergoes cupping and then prays, omits reciting the basmala, or prays with an impurity on him that the follower does not regard as excusable, and other such cases. At worst, this imam is mistaken—if he is not in fact correct. The follower’s prayer is therefore valid, and none of his imam’s error falls upon him.

Likewise, Ahmad and Abū Dāwūd narrated from Uqba ibn Āmir, may Allah be pleased with him, who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, say: “Whoever leads the people in prayer, observes its proper time, and performs the prayer fully—the reward belongs to him and to them. But if he falls short in any of that, the blame is his and not theirs.” Abū Dāwūd, however, did not include the words “and performs the prayer fully.” The first hadith explains that this shortcoming refers to an error. The implication of his words, “If he errs, the blame is his and not theirs,” is that if he acts deliberately, the ruling is not the same. This is also because the Muslims agree that anyone who omits pillars whose obligatory status is universally accepted should not be followed in prayer.

[Section on Where the Qunūt Supplication Is Performed in the Prayer]

Section

As for qunūt, people hold two extremes and a middle position concerning it. Some maintain that qunūt is performed only before bowing, while others maintain that it is performed only afterward.