The imamate of a man with one eye and one hand

Question

A man who is disabled in one hand and one eye: it is not known whether he performs istinja' properly, and regarding wudu' it is known that one fard is omitted — namely the wiping (mash) of a quarter of the head — and his arms are not washed up to the elbows, and sometimes his feet are not washed up to the ankles either. In such a situation, is it permissible or impermissible to pray behind him, given that there is no one who would lead the prayer better than him?

Answer

Since he cannot complete his wudu' because he does not perform the wiping (mash), it is not permissible to appoint him as imam, whether or not another person more fit for the imamate than him is present. If no other person is present, arrangements should be made for one; for failing to make such arrangements, all the people of the locality are at fault.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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