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The_Savior_from_Spiritual_Error, page : 78
Imam over every difficult case-while the preacher is traveling there and
back the person concerned may have died, and the journey will have been
fruitless. For instance, if a man is in doubt about the qiblah,² the only course
open to him is to pray according to his independent judgment. If he were to
go to the city of the Imam to obtain a knowledge of the qiblah, the time of
prayer would be past. As a matter of fact, prayer fulfils the law even when
directed to what is wrongly supposed to be the qiblah. There is also the
saying that the man who is mistaken in independent judgment receives a
reward, but the man who is correct a twofold reward; and that is the case in
all questions left to independent judgment.
Another example of the same is in giving alms to the poor. A man by his
independent judgment will often suppose the recipient poor although he is
really rich and hides his wealth. The alms giver is not punished for this,
though he was mistaken; he is liable to punishment only for the motive
leading him to make to give alms”.
1[3] Al-Ghazali refers to a well-known story about Mu`adh b. Jabal. Muhammad, on appointing
him as judge in the Yemen, questioned him about the principles on which he would
back the person concerned may have died, and the journey will have been
fruitless. For instance, if a man is in doubt about the qiblah,² the only course
open to him is to pray according to his independent judgment. If he were to
go to the city of the Imam to obtain a knowledge of the qiblah, the time of
prayer would be past. As a matter of fact, prayer fulfils the law even when
directed to what is wrongly supposed to be the qiblah. There is also the
saying that the man who is mistaken in independent judgment receives a
reward, but the man who is correct a twofold reward; and that is the case in
all questions left to independent judgment.
Another example of the same is in giving alms to the poor. A man by his
independent judgment will often suppose the recipient poor although he is
really rich and hides his wealth. The alms giver is not punished for this,
though he was mistaken; he is liable to punishment only for the motive
leading him to make to give alms”.
1[3] Al-Ghazali refers to a well-known story about Mu`adh b. Jabal. Muhammad, on appointing
him as judge in the Yemen, questioned him about the principles on which he would