Sayyiduna Abu Bakrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) once pronounced the takbir for the Fajr prayer, then he gestured to the people (to remain in their places), then he departed. He performed ghusl (ritual bath). He returned, and drops of water were dripping from his head. He led the people in prayer. (Imam Ibn Hibban, may Allah have mercy on him, says:) The statement of Sayyiduna Abu Bakrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) led them in prayer means that the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) did so by pronouncing the takbir anew. It does not mean that the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) returned and continued from where the previous prayer was left off, because it is impossible that the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) would leave, perform ghusl, and all the people would remain standing in their state without an imam, until the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) returned. Whoever uses this narration as evidence that continuing a prayer (bina) is permissible, it is necessary for him not to consider the standing of the followers without an imam as invalid, for a duration as long as the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) had left, performed ghusl, and returned, and during which the followers did not recite (Qur'an). So, when it is correct to negate the permissibility of what we have mentioned, then it will also be established that continuing a prayer (bina) during the prayer is not permissible. And it will be necessary for those people to consider recitation behind the imam as obligatory, because one of these two matters must be necessary: either they will consider it permissible for the followers to stand during the prayer without any recitation and without an imam, for the duration we have mentioned, or they will direct those followers to what we have mentioned, that they must recite behind the imam, even if the imam is not standing in front of them.