that should he pray ahead of his imam without any necessity, he must repeat the prayer—whereas the former ruling is the authoritative, established view of his school.

The scholars are unanimously agreed that it is impermissible for a congregation, deliberately, to have its imam standing behind it. Anyone who can see or hear his imam, is aware of the imam’s bowing and rising, and is positioned behind him, may validly follow him in every prayer except Friday, whether or not the rows that join him to the imam are physically contiguous, provided he bows and prostrates with the imam and is not confused about the imam’s movements. It makes no difference whether a river or a road lies between the two or nothing at all.

In Mālik’s view the imam may not stand on an elevation unless some of the followers are with him on that same level and the rest are below. A person who ends up praying alone behind the row is not required to repeat his prayer.

The imam ought not to pronounce the opening takbīr until the rows are aligned and straight. Should he speak briefly between the iqāmah (the second call) and the opening takbīr, that causes no harm, God willing.

It is recommended that the imam of a congregation—whether of a town or a clan—stand up from his place once he has concluded the prayer with the taslīm. If he is praying with his household or with others in his home or at his camp, he may either stand—this is our preference—or remain seated. It is related from Mālik that he would not stay in his spot, whether at home or in the mosque, after finishing a congregational prayer in which he had been the imam.

If someone, while unaware, leads the people in prayer in a state of major ritual impurity or without ablution, this does not harm the congregation; their prayer remains valid, for they are not charged with knowing what is hidden from them about his condition. Should he do so deliberately, however, he invalidates their prayer according to Mālik and most of his companions, and he must in every case repeat his own prayer. Some scholars of Medina hold that the congregation bears no liability whether his lapse was forgetful or intentional, because they are not required to know what is concealed from them.

When the intention of the imam and that of the follower differ—whether between two obligatory prayers or between an obligatory prayer and a voluntary one—the prayer, according to