Which of them is in the right: the elderly man who was an Imam, or the young Imam appointed by the Endowments Department, concerning the issue of presenting jurisprudential disagreements about hand placement after bowing, in front of the general public?

The handling of religious matters, such as the issue of qabd (placing hands below the navel) and irsal (letting hands hang loose) after bowing in prayer, relies on assessing benefits and harms, and adhering to the Prophetic guidance and understanding of the religion. If matters conflict, we prioritize the greater of two benefits or avert the greater of two harms. It is permissible to forgo the better option for the sake of unification and solidarity, as Imam Ahmad did. Both the Imam and the congregants must show gentleness and open-mindedness, especially since this is a secondary, disputed issue that does not warrant condemnation or denunciation.