The Impact of Issuing Fatwas Without Knowledge and Advice Regarding Fatwas

The Shaykh:
May Allah greet you and bless you.

The questioner:
Honorable Shaykh, this questioner, Abu 'Abdullah, says: In our current time, some people and some students of knowledge have become bold in issuing fatwas without knowledge. What is the impact that results from this? May you be rewarded. We also seek advice regarding fatwas. May Allah reward you with good.

The Shaykh:
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his Companions. A fatwa is informing about the ruling of Allah and His Messenger without compulsion, unlike a judicial ruling, which is informing about the legal ruling with compulsion. The status of a fatwa is great. Some of the Salaf said, "The boldest of you in issuing fatwas is the boldest of you in entering the Fire." The scholars of the Salaf, despite their righteousness and high status, would decline to issue fatwas and would not rush into them. Each of them wanted the question to go to someone else so that he would be safe, out of their concern for the purity of their conscience. However, people need fatwas. This has two cases. The first case is when the matter is general for the Ummah or for individuals. In such cases, only the competent authority entrusted with issuing fatwas, such as the Department of Ifta, the Permanent Committee, or the Council of Senior Scholars, should issue a ruling after deliberating and issuing a decision or fatwa.
As for individual matters that people need and specific incidents concerning individuals, the person involved should approach someone he trusts in their knowledge and religion and ask them. Allah the Exalted said: The people of knowledge are the scholars. Therefore, a student or a beginner in knowledge should not ask a scholar; rather, he should ask the scholars so that his conscience is cleared by that, and he avoids guessing in fatwas. If someone is asked, the questioner is in his charge, and he bears the responsibility, so he should not issue a fatwa except based on knowledge and insight. He should not guess in fatwas. A person is safe if he is not qualified to issue fatwas; he should not enter into them. Even if he is qualified, if there is someone better than him and more knowledgeable, he should refer the question to him. This was the way of the Salaf and Khalaf of this Ummah who follow the methodology of the Salaf. As for what has spread now, where everyone issues a fatwa on every issue, even if it concerns the fate of the Ummah, this is a great danger. 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him), despite his high status and abundance of knowledge, was a righteous Caliph who would gather the Muhajireen, the Ansar, and the elders of Badr to present to them matters that required consideration and reflection, due to the severity of the matter of fatwas. A fatwa is not a trivial matter. As for what has become common now with the internet and websites, where everyone issues a fatwa, this is a great danger for the mufti, the one seeking the fatwa, and those who read or hear his fatwas. So the Muslim should fear Allah and prefer safety whenever possible. He should know his own standing and not involve himself in what he has no knowledge of. The one who does not have knowledge should say, "Allah knows best," and not issue a fatwa. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), when asked about something and no revelation had come to him regarding it, would wait until the revelation came down, and then he would issue a fatwa. Similarly, if a scholar does not have an immediate answer, he should delay the response until he reviews the words of the scholars and confirms their caution regarding the fatwa. Yes.

The presenter:
May Allah reward you