was the better of the two options, yet a stronger opposing consideration prevailed—namely, that Quraysh had only recently embraced Islam and might be driven away by such a change. Accordingly, the potential harm outweighed the benefit.

For this reason leading jurists, among them Imam Ahmad, deemed it commendable for an imam to forgo what he himself regards as preferable if doing so will foster harmony among the worshippers. Take, for example, someone who believes it is superior to separate the witr by ending the two-rakʿah shafʿ with salām and then praying a single rakʿah for witr, but he is leading a congregation that recognizes only a continuous witr. If he cannot move them to adopt what he considers the better practice, the benefit gained by conforming to their view and joining the witr outweighs the benefit of separating it while they dislike praying behind him. The same principle applies if he holds that reciting the basmalah in a low voice is preferable—or reciting it aloud—while the congregation takes the opposite view