a little bit as a precaution, so that his preponderance of opinion may increase, unless he fears the time will expire, or it is the time of the ʿAṣr prayer during cloudy weather, for it is recommended to hasten it, because of what Burayda narrated, who said: We were with the Messenger of God, peace and blessings of God be upon him, on a military expedition, and he said: "Hasten the ʿAṣr prayer during cloudy weather, for whoever misses the ʿAṣr prayer, his deeds are rendered void." Narrated by al-Bukhārī and Ibn Mājah. Its meaning—and God knows best—is to hasten it when its time of performance has entered, based on certainty or a preponderance of opinion, and that is because its preferred time in the winter season becomes narrow, so there is fear of its expiration.

Section: Whoever is informed by a trustworthy person based on knowledge acts upon it, because it is a religious report, so the statement of a single person is accepted in it, like a narration. If he informs him based on his own ijtihād, he should not follow him in it, but rather perform ijtihād for himself until he reaches a preponderance of opinion, because he is capable of performing the prayer through his own ijtihād, so he should not pray based on the ijtihād of another, just like in the case of uncertainty regarding the qibla. The sighted person, the blind person, and the one confined in a place who is capable of reaching a conclusion through reasoning are all the same, because they are equal in the possibility of estimating by the passage of time, as we have explained. So whenever he prays in these situations and it becomes clear that he coincided with the time or after it, it is sufficient for him, because he performed what was obligated upon him and he was addressed to perform it. If it becomes clear that he prayed before the time, it is not sufficient for him, because the address to perform the prayer and the cause of the obligation were found after his action, so its ruling is not dropped by what was found before it. If he prays without evidence while in doubt, his prayer is not sufficient, whether he was correct or incorrect, because he prayed while in doubt regarding a condition of the prayer without evidence, so it is not valid, just as if the qibla was uncertain to him and he prayed without ijtihād.

Section: If he hears the adhān from a trustworthy person who is knowledgeable of the time, he may follow him, because the apparent state is that he does not call the adhān except after the time has entered, so it is treated like his report. The Prophet, peace and blessings of God be upon him, said: "The muʾadhdhin is a trustee." Narrated by Abū Dāwūd. Were it not that he is to be followed and referred to, he would not be