The Ruling on Issuing Fatwas Without Knowledge and Guidance for Those Who Engage in Fatwas

Question:
This is Mubarak al-Juhdali from Jeddah. He says: We would like to hear from you, Honorable Shaykh, advice for the general public and for those who delve into every small and large matter in issues of creed and fatwas, since we hear from time to time that there are people there who issue fatwas while being students of knowledge, or imams of a mosque, or even less than that.

Answer:
This is forbidden. It is not permissible for a person to issue fatwas unless he has the qualification for issuing fatwas, meaning that he is among the scholars known for knowledge, piety, and caution for himself and for the questioner. Then he issues a fatwa. As for the ignorant person, the beginner student of knowledge, and the one who pretends to be a scholar who has not studied under scholars but rather studied on his own or from his books, it is forbidden for these people to issue fatwas to people; because they waste themselves and waste people. A fatwa is not undertaken by anyone except one who is qualified for it, and one to whom the fatwa has been assigned and appointed for it. As for anyone who enters into it, whoever they are, who claims to be a student of knowledge, or that he heard such and such, or that he read a fatwa by so-and-so, or the like of that, this is not permissible. This is a great danger for the mufti and for the one seeking a fatwa. Yes.

The presenter:
May Allah reward you