Imam Ahmad related that the position of the scholars of Medina is to issue judgment against an absentee, and he said, “This is a commendable position.”

Al-Zarkashi remarked, “Ahmad did not object to the hearing of the claim or to the admission of evidence,” and he quoted the view of the jurists of both Medina and Iraq, indicating that he regarded it as an agreed-upon matter.

A claim may likewise be heard—and judgment rendered—against someone who is not yet legally accountable, in light of the ḥadith of Hind. Should that person later reach the age of legal responsibility after judgment has been pronounced, he is still entitled to present his own proof.