If a disputed issue is mentioned to a layperson, is he required to hold one of the opinions?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : If two scholars disagree before a layperson on a fiqh issue, and we ask the layperson, "What do you believe, the opinion of this one or the opinion of that one?" and he says, "I do not know which is the truth," is that sufficient?
The Shaykh : I mean, must I believe? How? I do not believe in anything.
The questioner : It is all.
The Shaykh : So he has doubt. I do not believe in this or that. He must believe in this or that, otherwise he remains hesitant. And if this is what is within his capacity, then[Al-Baqarah 2:286]
The questioner : I am on the truth.
The Shaykh : I do not think that anyone would not have a preference in their mind, a preference of one opinion over another. I do not think so. He must have a preference, either based on the scholar, or based on the evidence he has heard if he has some understanding, or based on what his heart finds peace with.
The Shaykh : I mean, must I believe? How? I do not believe in anything.
The questioner : It is all.
The Shaykh : So he has doubt. I do not believe in this or that. He must believe in this or that, otherwise he remains hesitant. And if this is what is within his capacity, then
Allah does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity
لَا يُكَلِّفُ اللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَاThe questioner : I am on the truth.
The Shaykh : I do not think that anyone would not have a preference in their mind, a preference of one opinion over another. I do not think so. He must have a preference, either based on the scholar, or based on the evidence he has heard if he has some understanding, or based on what his heart finds peace with.
Source
قناة «فضيلة الشيخ محمد بن صالح العثيمين»، [734] إذا ذُكرت للعامي مسألة خلافية، فهل يلزمه اعتقاد أحد القولين؟ - ابن عثيمين — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.