What is your opinion on many people today issuing fatwas without knowledge?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : There is a question, no problem. There is also another question. We find many people issuing fatwas without knowledge, and we ask Allah for safety from this. This matter is very, very, very widespread.
The Shaykh : You are right. Unfortunately, this is not permissible. Allah says, as mentioned today in the sermon, His saying:[Al-Isra 17:36]. So whoever issues a fatwa without knowledge, let him take his seat in the Fire. It is not permissible. Most students of knowledge today are like this, unfortunately. This is part of the arrogance that has afflicted students of knowledge in this time. Because they made the path of knowledge easy and thought it was simple, that one who does not know how many hadiths or reads how many books has become the scholar of the world. So he issues fatwas, declares things lawful and forbidden as he pleases. This is a calamity of the age.
The questioner : Regarding…
The Shaykh : The great scholars, when one of them was asked about something, would refer the questioner to someone else, even though he was a great scholar. Because he is responsible for what he takes on. If he is asked, he answers, and he must bear the consequence of that answer, whether good or evil. Therefore, they were scrupulous and did not dare to speak about knowledge. And so it should be in this time, especially for us, those who claim to follow the Salaf, or to act according to the hadith, or to defend the Sunnah. Where we say:
"All good is in following those who came before, and all evil is in the innovation of those who came after." It is not just that following the Sunnah means saying, "This is a Sunnah, this is a bid'ah (religious innovation)." But in everything, in their morals, in their behavior. And among what we are discussing is that they were scrupulous about rushing to answer and would refer the question to someone else. It should be like this in this time as well, so that we truly realize that we are followers of the Salaf. Is that clear?
The questioner : Is that clear?
Another questioner : And this Shaykh, does this count as concealing knowledge?
The Shaykh : How?
The questioner : It does not count as concealing.
The Shaykh : No, but if the matter is restricted and no one else answers, it is obligatory for him to answer.
The Shaykh : You are right. Unfortunately, this is not permissible. Allah says, as mentioned today in the sermon, His saying:
And do not pursue that of which you have no knowledge. Indeed, the hearing, the sight and the heart - about all those [one] will be questioned.
ولا تقف ما ليس لك به علم إن السمع والبصر والفؤاد كل أولئك كان عنه مسئولاThe questioner : Regarding…
The Shaykh : The great scholars, when one of them was asked about something, would refer the questioner to someone else, even though he was a great scholar. Because he is responsible for what he takes on. If he is asked, he answers, and he must bear the consequence of that answer, whether good or evil. Therefore, they were scrupulous and did not dare to speak about knowledge. And so it should be in this time, especially for us, those who claim to follow the Salaf, or to act according to the hadith, or to defend the Sunnah. Where we say:
"All good is in following those who came before, and all evil is in the innovation of those who came after." It is not just that following the Sunnah means saying, "This is a Sunnah, this is a bid'ah (religious innovation)." But in everything, in their morals, in their behavior. And among what we are discussing is that they were scrupulous about rushing to answer and would refer the question to someone else. It should be like this in this time as well, so that we truly realize that we are followers of the Salaf. Is that clear?
The questioner : Is that clear?
Another questioner : And this Shaykh, does this count as concealing knowledge?
The Shaykh : How?
The questioner : It does not count as concealing.
The Shaykh : No, but if the matter is restricted and no one else answers, it is obligatory for him to answer.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.