Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: Once the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came for prayer. When he said the takbir, he then turned back from there. The Prophet (peace be upon him) gestured to the people to remain as they were. Then he went away. When he returned, drops of water were dripping from his head. He led the people in prayer. After finishing the prayer, he said: "I was in a state of janabah (major ritual impurity) and I had not remembered to perform ghusl (ritual bath)."

Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) began the prayer, he said the takbir, and we also said the takbir following him. Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) signaled to those present to remain as they were, so we remained standing until the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came to us. He had performed ghusl and water droplets were dripping from his head. The narrator named Abdulwahab has narrated this in the opposite manner.

Sayyiduna Bakr bin Abdullah Muzani (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) began the prayer, he said the takbeer, and the people behind him also said the takbeer. Then the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) broke the prayer and signaled to his companions to remain as they were, so they remained standing. When the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) returned, drops of water were dripping from his head. The narrator named Abdulwahab states: We also give a fatwa according to this.

Sayyiduna Wabisa (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: He performed the prayer standing alone behind the row, so the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) ordered him to repeat the prayer.

Sayyiduna Wabisa (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: A man performed the prayer standing alone behind the row, so the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered him to repeat the prayer.

Sayyiduna Bara’ bin Azib (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) led the people in prayer while he was not in a state of ablution. The people completed their prayer, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) repeated that prayer.

The same narration is also transmitted with another chain, however, in it are these words of yours: "When the imam leads the people in prayer, and at that time he is unknowingly in a state of impurity (without ablution), then the people's prayer will be valid and the imam will repeat that prayer."

Sayyiduna Bara’ bin Azib (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates this statement of the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):“If an imam, out of forgetfulness, leads people in prayer while in a state of major impurity (janabah), then the prayer of those people will be valid, but the imam should perform ghusl and repeat his own prayer. Similarly, if he (out of forgetfulness) leads the prayer without ablution (wudu), then the same ruling will apply.”The narrator named Isa bin Ibrahim has transmitted these very words.

Saeed bin al-Musayyib narrates: The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) once led the people in prayer while in a state of major ritual impurity (janabah) (forgetfully). The Prophet (peace be upon him) repeated his prayer, and the people also repeated their prayers. This narration is mursal, and the narrator named Abu Jabir is considered unreliable in hadith.

Asim bin Damrah narrates regarding Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him): Once, he (by mistake) led the people in prayer while in a state of major ritual impurity (janabah), so Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) repeated the prayer and instructed the people to repeat the prayer as well. The narrator of this narration is Amr bin Khalid, who is Abu Khalid al-Wasiti (the one who transmitted Musnad Imam Zaid from Imam Zaid), and he is abandoned in hadith; Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal declared him a liar.