Congregational Prayer and Its Virtue
Man Lā Yaḥḍuruh al-Faqīh|Volume 1|Book 1|Chapter 57
وَ سَأَلَ جَمِيلُ بْنُ دَرَّاجٍ أَبَا عَبْدِ اَللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ اَلسَّلاَمُ: عَنْ إِمَامِ قَوْمٍ أَجْنَبَ وَ لَيْسَ مَعَهُ مِنَ اَلْمَاءِ مَا يَكْفِيهِ لِلْغُسْلِ وَ مَعَهُمْ مَاءٌ يَتَوَضَّئُونَ بِهِ فَيَتَوَضَّأُ بَعْضُهُمْ وَ يَؤُمُّهُمْ قَالَ «لاَ وَ لَكِنْ يَتَيَمَّمُ اَلْإِمَامُ وَ يَؤُمُّهُمْ إِنَّ اَللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ جَعَلَ اَلْأَرْضَ طَهُوراً كَمَا جَعَلَ اَلْمَاءَ طَهُوراً.
Jamil ibn Darraj asked Imam Jafar ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq عليه السلام about an Imam who becomes ritually impure (junub) and does not have enough water to perform the full ritual bath (ghusl), while the rest of the congregation has water to perform ablution (wudu). He asked whether some of them should perform wudu and then allow the Imam to lead. Abu Abdullah عليه السلام replied: "No, but the Imam should perform tayammum (dry ablution) and lead them, for Allah سبحانه وتعالى, the Mighty and Majestic, has made the earth a purifier just as He has made water a purifier”.
- Ṣaḥīḥ al-Faqīh