Musaafir taking the place of the Imaam in Salaah

QUESTION:-

A Musaafir reads Salaah behind a resident Imaam and the Imaam’s Wudhu breaks. The Imaam the  appoints a Musaafir to lead the Salaah in his place. Will he read full Salaah, or will he terminate the Salaah as he is a Musaafir and performs Qasr?

ANSWER:-

If a Musaafir takes the place of the resident Imaam (and leads the congregation) in the case where the Imaam’s Wudhu is nullified, then the Salaah of the residents (Muqeems) will be nullified. Hence, a Musaafir should not be appointed as the Imaam in such an instance.

إذَا اسْتَخْلَفَ مُسَافِرًا فَقَامَ فَاقْتَدُوا بِهِ بَطَلَتْ صَلَاةُ الْمُقِيمِينَ دُونَ الْمُسَافِرِينَ الْمُدْرِكِينَ. وَهَذَا ظَاهِرٌ وَنَظِيرُهُ مَا لَوْ كَانَ الْخَلِيفَةُ مَسْبُوقًا فَقَامَ بَعْدَ فَرَاغِ صَلَاةِ الْإِمَامِ وَتَابَعُوهُ تَبْطُلُ صَلَاةُ الْمَسْبُوقِينَ وَاللَّاحِقِينَ دُونَ الْمُدْرِكِينَ (تبيين الحقائق ص151 ج1)

ALLAH TA’ALA KNOWS BEST!

ANSWERED BY:

Maulana Ahmed Saeed

Date: 11 Dhul Qa’dah 1444 / 01 June 2023

CHECKED AND APPROVED BY:

Mufti Mohammed Desai