بـسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
Question:
If the imam is unsure whether his clothes have become
polluted, and he does not leave the prayer, since it is only a doubt, then when
he finishes praying, he finds some filth on his garment, what is the ruling?
And should he leave the prayer in this situation, due to only a doubt, or
should he wait until he has prayed?
Answer:
If the worshipper is in doubt as to the presence of some
pollutant on his garment while praying, it is not permissible for him to
abandon the prayer, whether he is the imam or a worshipper being led by
the imam, or he is praying alone. He must complete his prayer, and if he
finds after that, that there is some pollutant on his garment, there is no
obligation on him to make up for it, according to the most authoritative
opinion, because he was not aware of its presence until after the prayer.
It has been reported authentically from the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wasallam) that he removed his shoes during the prayer when Jibril
informed him that there was some filth on them, and he did not repeat the first
part of the prayer, instead, he continued to pray. And Allah is the giver of
success.
Shaykh `Abdul-`Azeez Bin Baz
~
Source: Fatawa
Islamiyah, Vol. 2, p.40, DARUSSALAM|FatwaIslam.Com
