He was asked:

A man was travelling with a group and leading them in prayer. He then experienced a wet dream on a bitterly cold day and feared that the cold would kill him, so he performed dry ablution and led them in prayer. Must he repeat the prayer? Must those who prayed behind him repeat it?

He answered:

This question comprises three issues:

The first:

His dry ablution is permissible, his prayer is valid, and he is not required to perform the ritual bath under these circumstances. The imams agree on this. A hadith concerning this is reported in the Sunan collections:

“ʿAmr ibn al-ʿĀs did this during the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace. While travelling, he performed dry ablution and led his companions in prayer, and this was mentioned to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.”

The same practice is also known to have been reported from Ibn ʿAbbās.

The second:

May he lead those who have performed ablution with water? The majority hold that he may lead them, as ʿAmr ibn al-ʿĀs and Ibn ʿAbbās did. This is the position of Mālik, al-Shāfiʿī and Ahmad, and the sounder of the two positions in the school of Abū Hanīfa. Abū Muhammad’s position is that he may not lead them.