A Comment on the Statement That Opposing Views Must Be Respected

Question:
This questioner says: Honorable Shaykh, what is your comment on the statement of some people that one must respect the other opinion, even if it explicitly contradicts the texts of the Book and the Sunnah?

Answer:
Yes, this statement has become widespread now. It is as if they want people to go to whatever opinions they like, and that they are not restricted to an opinion that agrees with the Book and the Sunnah. This is undoubtedly invalid and misguidance. It is not permissible to respect the other opinion in the sense that it is considered valid and regarded as a Shari'ah ruling. Rather, it is considered an error if it contradicts the evidence, and it is an error, and it is not permissible to act upon it.
Because the imams (may Allah have mercy on them) all say: If our statements contradict the statement of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), then take the statement of the Messenger and leave our statements. Allah (Mighty and Majestic) says: The Muslims have no role model except the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). There is no other role model alongside the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) from among the people of statements.
The role model is the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) . As for the Imams and jurists, their opinions are only taken if they agree with the saying of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). As for the one who contradicts, his opinion is not accepted, and his view is rejected. It is not respected in the sense that it is considered a Shari'ah ruling and not refuted. So if the meaning of respect is that it is considered valid while it is an error, then this is an invalid statement. But if the meaning of respect is that it does not harm its holder if his intention was truth but he did not hit the mark, then this does not harm him, because he is seeking the truth but was not successful. However, his saying is not taken, but he is not harmed or spoken about with disparagement. This is if he is from the people of ijtihad, from the people of knowledge and insight.
Scholars are not infallible, except the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him); they are not infallible. So the one who errs, his error is left and his mistake is clarified, but he is not subjected to criticism, because he is a mujtahid. And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: If the judge exerts his judgment and is correct, he has two rewards, and if . The intention is to clarify the truth and know the truth, not to criticize individuals. Except if this person is an innovator or a misguidance.
Then his state is clarified. The scholars clarified the states of the narrators, the narrators of hadith, they clarified their states, and they clarified the criticized ones, and they clarified the accepted ones, and they clarified those who do not memorize the hadiths accurately, there is a deficiency or flaw in their memorization or their accuracy, they clarified this as advice to the Ummah. This is from the category of advice to the Ummah. Yes.