The Position on Scholarly Disagreement in Fatwas
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Question:
May Allah reward you. This questioner says: What is my position regarding the disagreement among scholars? If a scholar issues a ruling on a matter, and another scholar issues a ruling on the same matter, but his answer differs from the answer of the second scholar, whose opinion should I follow?
Answer:
Allah has not left us to opinions and disagreements; rather, He referred us to the Book and the Sunnah. Allah the Exalted said:[An-Nisa 4:59]. So if you know the evidence, if you have knowledge, then you take from the opinions what is supported by evidence from the Book and the Sunnah, and you reject what is other than that.
As for if you are ignorant and do not know the evidence, then you ask the people of knowledge and do not follow an opinion until you ask the trustworthy among the people of knowledge, and you take what they issue as a ruling for you. As for taking whatever comes to mind from the opinions, from the qualified and the unqualified, and from the ignorant or misguided scholars, this is not permissible. This is never permissible.
If you are able to choose by evidence, then you prefer the opinion supported by evidence. If you are not able, ask the people of knowledge. Allah the Exalted said:[An-Nahl 16:43].
Also, the fatwa has not been left, praise be to Allah, to be neglected or lost. The fatwa has been entrusted to specialized bodies and to muftis. So refer to them and do not refer to the television channels and the nonsense. In them enter the people of misguidance, in them enter the ignorant, and in them enters whatever comes to mind. Do not pay attention to them ever. Yes.
The presenter:
May Allah reward you.
May Allah reward you. This questioner says: What is my position regarding the disagreement among scholars? If a scholar issues a ruling on a matter, and another scholar issues a ruling on the same matter, but his answer differs from the answer of the second scholar, whose opinion should I follow?
Answer:
Allah has not left us to opinions and disagreements; rather, He referred us to the Book and the Sunnah. Allah the Exalted said:
And if you disagree over anything, refer it to Allah and the Messenger, if you should believe in Allah and the Last Day
فَإِن تَنَازَعْتُمْ فِي شَيْءٍ فَرُدُّوهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَالرَّسُولِ إِن كُنتُمْ تُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِAs for if you are ignorant and do not know the evidence, then you ask the people of knowledge and do not follow an opinion until you ask the trustworthy among the people of knowledge, and you take what they issue as a ruling for you. As for taking whatever comes to mind from the opinions, from the qualified and the unqualified, and from the ignorant or misguided scholars, this is not permissible. This is never permissible.
If you are able to choose by evidence, then you prefer the opinion supported by evidence. If you are not able, ask the people of knowledge. Allah the Exalted said:
So ask the people of the message if you do not know.
فَاسْأَلُوا أَهْلَ الذِّكْرِ إِن كُنتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَAlso, the fatwa has not been left, praise be to Allah, to be neglected or lost. The fatwa has been entrusted to specialized bodies and to muftis. So refer to them and do not refer to the television channels and the nonsense. In them enter the people of misguidance, in them enter the ignorant, and in them enters whatever comes to mind. Do not pay attention to them ever. Yes.
The presenter:
May Allah reward you.
Source
بلوغ المرام [36] — alfawzan.live (40:50)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.