“If two competent persons exercise independent judgment and differ as to the direction …”

His statement, “If two competent persons exercise independent judgment and differ as to the direction,” means that they have exerted themselves to determine the qiblah.

A competent person in determining the direction of the qiblah is one who knows its evidences, just as a competent scholar in matters of knowledge is one who knows the evidences of that knowledge. With respect to the qiblah, people are either competent persons who know how to infer its direction from its evidences, or followers who do not know and are unaware.

The duty of the follower is to follow another’s judgment. However, it has previously been stated, according to the madhhab, that the person followed must report on the basis of certainty (1).

The correct view is that he may be followed, whether he reports on the basis of certainty or independent judgment.

His statement, “and differ as to the direction,” means that one says, “The qiblah is here,” pointing north, while the other says, “The qiblah is here,” pointing south. Neither of them may follow the other,

because each of them considers the other to be mistaken. This applies when they differ regarding two separate directions.

But if they differ within one direction—differing over the degree of deviation within that same direction—then there is no harm in one following the other. For example, if both face south, but one inclines toward the west and the other toward the east, there is no harm in the one who inclines westward following the one who inclines eastward and inclining eastward with him, or vice versa. This is because deviation within the general direction does not cause harm and does not invalidate the prayer.