for it. Since that is the case, he commenced it in a manner permitted by the Sacred Law, and it is one of the obligatory acts of worship from which one may not withdraw except on the basis of clear evidence or necessity. Here, however, there is neither clear evidence nor necessity, for the preceding hadiths (1) may refer to the case of one who finds water before commencing the prayer; and when a possibility exists, the inference is invalidated.
- Allah, Most High, says: “And do not nullify your deeds.” [Muhammad 47:33] The prayer in which he is presently engaged is a righteous deed that he began with legal permission, so he may not invalidate it except on the basis of evidence—and there is no clear evidence.....
This issue is problematic, because acting on the side of caution is impossible in it. If it is said, “The more cautious view is that the prayer is invalidated,” it may be replied: “The more cautious course is not to withdraw from an obligatory prayer.”
A comparable case in which caution is impossible is the well-known view of Abu Hanifah: the time for the afternoon prayer does not begin until the shadow of everything becomes twice its length (2), whereas the majority of scholars hold that the preferred time ends when the shadow of everything becomes twice its length (3).
Thus, if it is said, “The more cautious course is to delay it until the shadow of everything becomes twice its length,” then, according to the majority, you are sinful. And if it is said, “The more cautious course is to perform it earlier,” then, according to Abu Hanifah, you are sinful.
In that case, it is necessary to examine the matter closely in order to determine which of the two views is better supported by the evidence.