Explanation of the hadith: (If the judge rules and strives in his judgment and is correct, he has two rewards, and if he errs, he has one reward). And the continuation of the warning against adjudicating by man-made laws.

The Shaykh : Therefore, the matter requires precision. A scholar may strive in his independent legal reasoning and be sincere in it, yet err; he is still rewarded by the saying of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him): . And the one who follows this scholar, because he is a scholar qualified to derive rulings, bears no sin whatsoever, as long as this follower is unable to perform independent legal reasoning to the level of that scholar. Following a scholar without knowing his evidence is a dire necessity that is unavoidable. Therefore, we find that the Imams themselves would follow a scholar without knowing his evidence at times. Why? Because the matter overwhelmed them and they did not find within themselves what would guide them to the truth in the issue, so they would follow a Companion if they found a report from him, or a scholar who preceded them, or a scholar of their time whom they believed to be knowledgeable. So, when this follower follows that scholar, he follows him because he is a scholar qualified to derive rulings, even if that scholar qualified to derive rulings is wrong, and consequently the follower is wrong. Just as the scholar qualified to derive rulings is not sinful but rather rewarded, so too is the follower, exactly. But on the contrary, if we assume a person who is not qualified to derive rulings issues a ruling based on his own opinion, he is wrong even if he hits the truth. And the one who also follows him or follows his opinion is wrong even if he hits the truth. Why? Because he followed someone whom it is not permissible to follow. If we understand this detail, then if a person follows a knowledgeable man, and this follower knows that the ruling brought by this scholar is not from his own source, not from his Lord, but rather from his own personal opinion—like what some people do today in permitting riba (usury or interest), and this will come in the hadith —we have been hearing fatwas (scholarly legal rulings) for several years or more permitting riba (usury or interest) through juristic circumlocution. If this person follows a Muslim while knowing that riba (usury or interest) is forbidden by the explicit text of the Book and the Sunnah, and knowing that what this person is permitting is the riba (usury or interest) forbidden by the Book and the Sunnah, and he follows this one who permits riba (usury or interest), then that contradicts the fact that sovereignty belongs to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) alone.
My aim in this final word regarding the warning against associating partners with Allah (Mighty and Majestic) is that we not direct our enthusiasm, when we speak about sovereignty belonging to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) alone, solely to fighting earthly laws. Because it is clear even to the general public that any Western law coming to us from the lands of disbelief and misguidance is misguidance. But we must direct our enthusiasm to laws that have become part of our lives, which have no connection to the Book of our Lord or the hadith of our Prophet, and to which we are subject. Why? Because we know they did not come from Europe, for example, but rather sprang from our own land. Is this an excuse for us to follow them without the Shari'ah (Islamic sacred law) of Allah (Mighty and Majestic)? No, because that verse: was revealed regarding the Christians who follow their priests and monks. This verse was not revealed regarding the Christians who adopted a law that came to them from outside their land. So it does not matter whether the law that contradicts the Shari'ah (Islamic sacred law) of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) sprang from our land or came from the lands of our enemies; both are contrary to the Shari'ah (Islamic sacred law) of Allah (Mighty and Majestic). It is not permissible for a Muslim to submit to such a system, whether it is—as you heard the classification used today, whether it is Eastern or Western—and I say: whether it is Eastern or Western or earthly, meaning from our land. The fact that the ruling is issued from our land does not justify it being a Shari'ah (Islamic sacred law) for us, if we know that it is contrary to the Shari'ah (Islamic sacred law) of our Lord (Blessed and Exalted is He). This is a sensitive and very important point, because we have tried many preachers who are enthusiastic about researching sovereignty belonging to Allah (Mighty and Majestic), and this is a matter of great importance because it relates to tawhid (the oneness of Allah). But this sovereignty for Allah (Mighty and Majestic) has not become clear in the minds of many callers to Allah. The one who is enthusiastic about fighting Western earthly laws is not enthusiastic about fighting laws that contradict the Shari'ah (Islamic sacred law) of Islam because they are from us. And what is the difference between this and that? So we have tried some preachers, and after he delivered a very important sermon on the topic of tawhid (the oneness of Allah) in sovereignty for Allah (Mighty and Majestic) and His uniqueness in that, when he was reminded of some violations of the Book and the Sunnah, he ended up negating all that sermon he delivered with that enthusiasm yesterday, saying, "By Allah, our madhhab (school of jurisprudence) is such and such; what I did is my madhhab (school of jurisprudence)." So where did the Book and the Sunnah remain? So we hold fast to the Book and the Sunnah to fight the sovereignty that comes to us from the lands of the disbelievers, which is contrary to the ruling of Allah (Mighty and Majestic). But if it springs from our land, there is no harm in it, and we actually cling to it because it came from an Islamic land or from a Muslim. So means that if this permitting and forbidding comes from us, it is followed, but if it comes from outside, it is not followed. This distinction is formal and superficial and has no value in Islam whatsoever. Therefore, I warn and repeat that we must understand that sovereignty belonging to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) contradicts any legislation that is contrary to Islam, whether it is earthly, Eastern, or Western. We must be sincere in our worship of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), so we do not worship except Allah, and we do not worship Allah except with what His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) legislated for us.
These two phrases, "We do not worship except Allah, and we do not worship Allah except with what the Messenger of Allah brought," are the summary of the Muslim's statement: "I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah." So you affirm the oneness of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) in your worship, thereby realizing the meaning of "There is no god but Allah," and then you worship Allah with what your Prophet brought, thereby realizing your statement "I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah."
So if you follow other than him, you have not been sincere in following your Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and consequently you have not been sincere to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) in His worship. This is related to the explanation of this first characteristic from which the Messenger (peace be upon him) warned his ummah (the Muslim community) by saying: .