Excusable person leading in prayer Fatwa No: 86673
- Fatwa Date:16-11-2003
If a person has to make a fresh Wudu at the time of each prayer because he can't keep his Wudu for long then is he allowed to lead the people in prayer (considering that he is an excusable person)?
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.
The scholars differed in opinion regarding an excused person, like a person who suffers from incontinence of urine and the like, leading other people who do not suffer from any of these in the prayer.
The Hambali and Hanafi Schools are of the view that it is not valid for the excused person to lead people who do not suffer from incontinence of urine and the like in prayer.
However, the Maaliki (in their most known opinion) and the Shafi'i Schools (in their most correct opinion) are of the view that it is permissible for people who do not suffer from incontinence of urine and the like to be led in prayer by an excused person because the latter is himself excused for this abnormality, then anyone who prays behind him is also excused. This opinion is the most correct one.
Therefore, it is disliked for the excused person to lead others in prayer unless they are excused like himself.
Allaah Knows best.