wealth and wayward desires. When such a person fulfils his obligations of enjoining right, forbidding wrong, engaging in jihad, exercising authority, and the like, he will inevitably commit some prohibited acts. He must therefore consider which of the two considerations carries greater weight. If performing what is commanded brings a greater reward than refraining from that prohibited act, he should not abandon it for fear that it may be accompanied by something less harmful. If, however, refraining from the prohibited act brings a greater reward, he should not forfeit that reward in the hope of gaining a lesser reward by fulfilling an obligation. This is determined by the good deeds and sins that the two courses together entail for him. Such is the matter; explaining it in detail would take considerable space.

Every human being on earth inevitably receives commands and prohibitions and must also issue commands and prohibitions. Even someone entirely alone would command and forbid himself, directing himself either towards right or towards wrong. As the Most High says:

“Indeed, the soul is ever prone to evil.”

Commanding means seeking and willing that an action be done; forbidding means seeking and willing that it be left undone. Every living being necessarily has an inner will and desire through which it seeks action from itself and, where possible, from others. For the human being is a living creature who acts by his own will. The children of Adam cannot live without associating with one another. Whenever two or more come together, they must urge one another to do certain things and to refrain from others. Hence, the smallest congregation for prayer consists of two people. As it has been said:

“Two or more constitute a congregation.”

But since this involves participation only in prayer, two suffice, one of them being the imam