What is your opinion regarding a student of knowledge when he encounters the disagreement that exists among scholars? If he follows one opinion, how should he deal with the one who disagrees?
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The questioner : May Allah forgive you, O Shaykh: What is your opinion regarding a student of knowledge when he encounters the disagreement among scholars?
The Shaykh : When?
The questioner : When he encounters a disagreement among scholars on one of the issues, especially if it is a practical issue that he performs daily, for example.
The Shaykh : Yes?
The questioner : So he follows one of the opinions. What is your opinion regarding his speech about the second opinion? Especially since the proponents of the second opinion are great scholars. He does not address those scholars, but rather addresses the opinion itself and its practice. He does not say, "So-and-so among the scholars said such and such about it," but rather he addresses the specific action, saying, "The specific action is such and such?"
The Shaykh : In any case, the weaker opinion must be clarified. The one who clarifies the stronger opinion in his view and presents its evidence, then clarifies the weaker opinion and mentions its evidence and refutes it, because if you want to prefer one opinion, you are required to answer its evidence. As for the weaker opinion, you mention its evidence and refute it. This is for the scholar who derives evidence and exercises independent legal reasoning. As for the layperson or the junior student of knowledge, it is obligatory for him to follow the one he sees as most correct, the one he sees as most correct he follows. Did you understand?
The questioner : But Shaykh, I am speaking about the speech of the proponent of the other opinion. He is following now.
The Shaykh : He does not contradict. For example, if he follows the opinion of prohibition, he does not contradict. If he is a scholar qualified to derive rulings and has researched the evidence and sees that they indicate permissibility, then let him say it is permissible. Then he says, "And the one who said it is permissible cited such and such as evidence, and the answer to it is such and such," so that the matter is complete.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : An oath.
The Shaykh : When?
The questioner : When he encounters a disagreement among scholars on one of the issues, especially if it is a practical issue that he performs daily, for example.
The Shaykh : Yes?
The questioner : So he follows one of the opinions. What is your opinion regarding his speech about the second opinion? Especially since the proponents of the second opinion are great scholars. He does not address those scholars, but rather addresses the opinion itself and its practice. He does not say, "So-and-so among the scholars said such and such about it," but rather he addresses the specific action, saying, "The specific action is such and such?"
The Shaykh : In any case, the weaker opinion must be clarified. The one who clarifies the stronger opinion in his view and presents its evidence, then clarifies the weaker opinion and mentions its evidence and refutes it, because if you want to prefer one opinion, you are required to answer its evidence. As for the weaker opinion, you mention its evidence and refute it. This is for the scholar who derives evidence and exercises independent legal reasoning. As for the layperson or the junior student of knowledge, it is obligatory for him to follow the one he sees as most correct, the one he sees as most correct he follows. Did you understand?
The questioner : But Shaykh, I am speaking about the speech of the proponent of the other opinion. He is following now.
The Shaykh : He does not contradict. For example, if he follows the opinion of prohibition, he does not contradict. If he is a scholar qualified to derive rulings and has researched the evidence and sees that they indicate permissibility, then let him say it is permissible. Then he says, "And the one who said it is permissible cited such and such as evidence, and the answer to it is such and such," so that the matter is complete.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : An oath.