one of them is that it is from his companion. Each of them has the right to pray, and he does not have the right to follow his companion in prayer. The analogy (qiyas) of the school suggests the permissibility of that, and this is the school of Abu Thawr, because each of them believes in the validity of the other's prayer. For his obligation is to face the direction toward which he has turned, so the difference in his direction does not prevent his following him, just like those praying around the Kaaba while encircling it, or those praying during a state of intense fear. Ahmad has explicitly stated the validity of praying behind someone who prays in fox skins, if he interprets the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): "Any hide that is tanned is purified." This is despite the fact that Ahmad does not consider them to be pure. It differs from the case where each of them believes that his companion has committed a hadath (breaking of wudu), because in that case, he believes in the invalidity of his purity, such that if it were to become clear to him with certainty that he himself had hadath, he would be required to repeat the prayer. Here, his prayer is valid both apparently and inwardly, such that if it were to become clear to him with certainty that there was an error, he would not be required to repeat it; thus, they are distinct. As for if one of them inclines to the right and the other inclines to the left, while they are in agreement regarding the direction, there is no disagreement in the school that one of them may follow the other, because the obligation is to face the direction, and they have agreed upon it.

136 - Issue: He said: "And the blind man shall follow the most trustworthy of them in his own opinion."

This means if two mujtahids differ regarding the Qibla, and there is a blind man with them, he shall practice taqlid of the one who is most trustworthy to him, which is the one who is more knowledgeable according to him, the most truthful in speech, and the most diligent in his taharri (investigation); because he is closer to the truth. The same ruling applies to the sighted person who does not know the proofs and is unable to learn them before the time for prayer expires; his duty is also taqlid, and he shall imitate the one who is most trustworthy to him. If he imitates the one of lower status (mafdul), the apparent [meaning] of al-Khiraqi's words is that his prayer is not valid, because he abandoned that which he believes to be most likely the truth, so it was not permissible for him, just like the mujtahid if he abandons the direction of his ijtihad. The better view is that it is valid, and this is the school of al-Shafi'i, because he has followed a proof that he would have been permitted to follow had he been alone. Likewise, it is the same if there is another with him, as if they were equal. His [personal] opinion is of no consideration; for if he were to believe that the one of lower status is correct, that would not prevent him from imitating the one of higher status. If they are equal in his estimation, he may imitate whichever of them he wishes, like the layman with scholars in other legal rulings.