to some of the Companions—or someone who touches his penis or eats camel meat without performing ablution, then learns that ablution is obligatory in such cases. In these and similar cases, must he make up the missed acts of worship? There are two positions within the school of Ahmad and elsewhere.

The underlying question is whether a revealed ruling becomes binding upon a legally accountable person before he has had the opportunity to hear it. There are “three views” within the school of Ahmad and elsewhere. One holds that it becomes binding in all cases; another holds that it does not become binding in any case; and a third distinguishes between an address that abrogates an earlier ruling and one that introduces a ruling—as with those who face the qiblah (direction of prayer).

The correct view, supported by the scriptural evidence, is that a revealed ruling does not become binding upon anyone before he has had the opportunity to hear it. Thus, he is not required to make up the missed acts in the cases mentioned or others like them. Moreover, they agree that he bears no sin, for Allah has pardoned this community for mistakes and forgetfulness. If this is so regarding the attribution of sin, how much more so regarding declaring someone an unbeliever?

Many people may grow up in places and times in which much of the knowledge conveyed by the prophets has faded away, until no one remains to convey the Book and wisdom with which Allah sent His Messenger. Such a person consequently does not know much of what Allah sent His Messenger with, and there is no one there to convey it to him. A person in this situation does not become an unbeliever.

For this reason, the imams agree that someone who grew up in a remote desert region, far from people of knowledge and faith, and who has only recently embraced Islam, is not judged an unbeliever for denying any of these manifest rulings established by mass transmission until he learns what the Messenger brought. Hence the hadith states:

“A time will come upon people when they will know neither prayer nor zakat nor