Guidance on asking muftis for fatwas given their large number and the scarcity of scholars
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Question:
Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success. In the contemporary era, muftis have multiplied, while scrupulous scholars have become few. What is your guidance for one who wishes to ask about matters of his religion? Whom should he ask, and whom should he avoid?
Answer:
Yes, there is no doubt that this is the case. Those who are bold in issuing fatwas have increased, and they compete and race to do so without fear of Allah or a sense of responsibility before Allah, Mighty and Majestic. This results either from ignorance regarding the fatwa, or from a love of fame, even at the expense of the religion?
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) informed us that Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) said: [An-Nahl 16:43] Ask whom you wish, but ask the people of knowledge specifically, for they are the people of knowledge, for they are the doctors and they are the ones who have the answer from the revelation.
But many people say, "We do not want to ask the scholars because they are strict. These are strict ones." He goes to ask, may Allah forgive him, and he says, "They have no knowledge or anything. These have leniency, and they have breadth of knowledge." He thinks that this is from the breadth of their knowledge. I do not think that this is from the breadth of their ignorance; it is not from the breadth of their knowledge.
When a person needs to ask a question, he asks the people of knowledge, the people of knowledge who are known in the town, especially those to whom fatwas are attributed, those who are known for the fear of Allah and known for knowledge. So he asks them. And the Muslims will not, and will not lack, one to issue fatwas for them if they strive to do so, even by contact if you are far from him, by contact through means of communication. But if you ask whoever comes along, every self-styled scholar and every ignorant person, that is the danger. "They issued fatwas without knowledge." Look, be careful:Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2652Sahih (Darussalam) They went astray themselves and led the questioners astray.
But if the questioner intentionally goes to these people, he is a partner with them in the sin. However, if he is not intentional and thought they were scholars and asked them, then the sin is on the mufti alone. The mufti bears this; the questioner is in his debt, and Allah will ask him about it on the Day of Resurrection, and the questioner will dispute with him before Allah on the Day of Resurrection.
It is obligatory for the Muslim to fear Allah and not ask except the people of knowledge. He does not ask only those who agree with his desires. He says, "These have leniency, and those have restriction, and they have strictness, and they have, and they have." Yes.
Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success. In the contemporary era, muftis have multiplied, while scrupulous scholars have become few. What is your guidance for one who wishes to ask about matters of his religion? Whom should he ask, and whom should he avoid?
Answer:
Yes, there is no doubt that this is the case. Those who are bold in issuing fatwas have increased, and they compete and race to do so without fear of Allah or a sense of responsibility before Allah, Mighty and Majestic. This results either from ignorance regarding the fatwa, or from a love of fame, even at the expense of the religion?
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) informed us that
Allah does not take this knowledge by plucking it out, extracting it from the breasts of men, but rather He takes knowledge by the death of the scholars, until when no scholar remains, the people take ignorant heads, and they issue fatwas without knowledge, so they go astray and lead others astray.
الله لا يقبض هذا العلم انتزاعا ينتزعه من صدور الرجال، وإنما يقبض العلم بموت العلماء، حتى إذا لم يبقى عالم اتخذ الناس رؤوسا جهالا فأفتوا بغير علم فضلوا وأضلواSo ask the people of the message
فَاسْأَلُوا أَهْلَ الذِّكْرِBut many people say, "We do not want to ask the scholars because they are strict. These are strict ones." He goes to ask, may Allah forgive him, and he says, "They have no knowledge or anything. These have leniency, and they have breadth of knowledge." He thinks that this is from the breadth of their knowledge. I do not think that this is from the breadth of their ignorance; it is not from the breadth of their knowledge.
When a person needs to ask a question, he asks the people of knowledge, the people of knowledge who are known in the town, especially those to whom fatwas are attributed, those who are known for the fear of Allah and known for knowledge. So he asks them. And the Muslims will not, and will not lack, one to issue fatwas for them if they strive to do so, even by contact if you are far from him, by contact through means of communication. But if you ask whoever comes along, every self-styled scholar and every ignorant person, that is the danger. "They issued fatwas without knowledge." Look, be careful:
the people begin to ask the ignorant leaders, so they give their verdict without knowledge. They will go astray and lead the people astray.
رؤوسا جهالا افتوا بغير علم فضلوا واضلواBut if the questioner intentionally goes to these people, he is a partner with them in the sin. However, if he is not intentional and thought they were scholars and asked them, then the sin is on the mufti alone. The mufti bears this; the questioner is in his debt, and Allah will ask him about it on the Day of Resurrection, and the questioner will dispute with him before Allah on the Day of Resurrection.
It is obligatory for the Muslim to fear Allah and not ask except the people of knowledge. He does not ask only those who agree with his desires. He says, "These have leniency, and those have restriction, and they have strictness, and they have, and they have." Yes.
Source
شرح إغاثة اللهفان من مصائد الشيطان لابن القيم، الباب الثالث في انقسام أدوية أمراض القلب إلى قسمين : طبيعية وشرعية — islamhouse.com (38:47)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.