How is it possible for the general Muslim public to exercise independent legal reasoning in the evidence presented before them? And how can they understand what is in it?

The questioner : How is it possible for the general Muslim public to exercise independent legal reasoning in the evidence presented before them? And how can they understand what is in it?

The Shaykh : The general Muslim public are not obligated in the way you are asking about. Muslims are not obligated to be such that every individual among them is a scholar. The Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) numbered thousands upon thousands, yet among them, aside from the scholars who issued rulings to the masses of the Companions, there were only about two hundred scholars from among the Companions. As for the others, they were not scholars in the true sense of the word. We read in the saying of Allah (Mighty and Majestic): , and we understand from this verse that Allah (Mighty and Majestic) divided the Muslims into two groups: a group of scholars, and another group of non-scholars. He obligated each of these two groups to do what He did not obligate the other group to do. He obligated the non-scholar group to ask the first group (the scholars), and He obligated these people of knowledge not to conceal their knowledge, but to present it to the other group. Thus, in every era, the community has scholars and non-scholars. This is a matter established by this verse. The passage of many long centuries also testifies to this, in that seeking knowledge has not been made obligatory upon every Muslim, except for what is absolutely necessary for him. For example, there is a great difference between knowing the rulings of prayer, the conditions of prayer, the pillars of prayer, and the obligations of prayer, and knowing the rulings of zakah or Hajj. Every Muslim is obligated to pray; therefore, he must know how to pray. Every Muslim, of course, who meets the mentioned condition—being of age and accountable—is obligated to fast; therefore, he must know how to fast. But it is not obligatory for every Muslim to know the rulings of zakah, nor to know the rulings of Hajj, unless he becomes wealthy; then he must know the rulings of zakah. And unless he is able to perform Hajj; then he must know how to perform Hajj.
As for broad knowledge, such as the science of hadith, for example, or the science of tafsir, or the science of fiqh in all its chapters, this is only obligatory upon a group of Muslims. Because it is a collective obligation; if some people fulfill it, it drops off the rest. If this is known, and this—and praise be to Allah—is a matter on which there is no disagreement among Muslims, then your question is not valid from the very beginning, because it is not obligatory upon all Muslims.

The questioner : How can a Muslim exercise independent legal reasoning when, for example, a question is posed before one of the scholars? He must exercise independent legal reasoning in understanding it? When evidence is presented before him, I mean?

The Shaykh : Yes, but I said in detail: if he is able to do so, he makes a comparison. Perhaps you remember the example: So-and-so said regarding a certain issue, "This is my opinion," and the other said the opposite of his view, but he presented a verse from the Book and the Sunnah. Does this require one to be a scholar?

The questioner : Of course, he understood the verse, of course.

The Shaykh : You did not answer me!

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh : In this case, does the layperson need to be a scholar?

The questioner : In order to understand the meaning of the verse?

The Shaykh : The verse—may Allah bless you—the scholar explains it to him. But I will summarize the answer and say: The first scholar did not mention a proof. He said, "This is my opinion." The second said, "Allah said," or he said, "The Messenger of Allah said," the verse or the hadith. It is not necessary to assume that the layperson does not understand it. He may understand it. But if he does not understand it, it is obligatory upon the scholar to make him understand it. So he relies on the scholar for understanding. Which scholar? The first one? The first one did nothing! He said, "This is my opinion." It is the second scholar. So here, there is no need for that direction of the question which implies that every individual among the Muslims must seek the paths of knowledge to become capable of understanding the Book and the Sunnah. No.