What is your opinion of one who attributes certain statements to some trusted scholars to support his own view?
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The questioner : Shaykh, may Allah preserve you: Many people attribute certain statements to some scholars. If this scholar is one whose words are accepted by the people, for example, one of them said that it is permissible for a person to see the thighs of men on television, and he said that such-and-such a scholar said that. What is the position of a person regarding this man who raises such talk about the scholars?
The Shaykh : This issue, as you mentioned, occurs frequently among some people for various reasons. But first: we advise anyone who hears something from any scholar that he disapproves of, that it is obligatory for him to contact the scholar and say: "I have heard that you said such-and-such. Is this true or not?" Either it is true, and he says: "Yes, I said that," in which case there will be a discussion between the questioner and the scholar. Or he says: "This is a lie, I did not say it." If he says: "This is a lie, I did not say it," then the one who heard this statement from a person, which the scholar denied, should contact the one who transmitted this statement from the scholar and say: "I asked him and he denied it," so that he does not spread it among the people. Likewise, he should clarify to those who heard from the one who transmitted it from the scholar that this is not correct. As for if it is true and he discussed it, the truth will become clear to the discussant from what the scholar says.
Second: Regarding those who transmit statements from scholars whose fatwas are accepted and whom people trust, these people are divided into categories. Some have bad intentions; they want to mislead the people and find no way except to attribute this statement to a scholar that the people accept. Do you understand? He spreads this about such-and-such a scholar, for example, saying: "So-and-so said that it is not obligatory for a woman to cover her face from non-mahram men." He spreads it because he wants the woman not to cover her face. But if he said: "I said it," or "So-and-so said it," who is not trusted, it would not be accepted. So he attributes it to a scholar whose words are accepted. This is one case. So what is the intention of this transmitter from the scholar?
The student: Bad.
The Shaykh : It is bad, but his intention is to establish the statement and have people accept it.
Second: His intention may be bad regarding the scholar to whom he attributed the statement, so as to tarnish his reputation among the people. He says: "This scholar says such-and-such. How can he be believed? How can his words be trusted?" and the like. It is known that if people see a strange and reprehensible statement, their trust in this scholar will diminish.
So this transmitter from the scholar has a bad intention. Either his intention is, in the first case, what? To establish the bad statement he wants. Or his intention is what? To tarnish the scholar's reputation so that people do not trust him.
Third: A person may transmit a statement from a scholar, and he is truthful that the scholar said it, but this transmitter made a mistake in presenting the question to the scholar. He presented the question in a way that the scholar understood from it something other than what the questioner intended, because he did not express himself well, for example. It is known that the scholar will issue a fatwa based on what he heard, due to the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): So the person transmits from this scholar incorrectly based on what? Based on his question, where he presented it to the scholar in an unsound way.
Fourth: He presents the question to the scholar and the scholar answers according to the question, but the transmitter misunderstands the answer. So here the mistake is in the questioner's understanding, not in his presentation of the question. Rather, the mistake is in his understanding of the answer. He transmits the answer from the scholar according to what he understood, and thus the error occurs.
So these are four things, all of which are causes of transmission from scholars.
Therefore, I told you at the beginning: If a statement is transmitted from a scholar whose knowledge is trusted, and a person disapproves of it, what is obligatory? Contacting this scholar and reaching an understanding with him.
The Shaykh : This issue, as you mentioned, occurs frequently among some people for various reasons. But first: we advise anyone who hears something from any scholar that he disapproves of, that it is obligatory for him to contact the scholar and say: "I have heard that you said such-and-such. Is this true or not?" Either it is true, and he says: "Yes, I said that," in which case there will be a discussion between the questioner and the scholar. Or he says: "This is a lie, I did not say it." If he says: "This is a lie, I did not say it," then the one who heard this statement from a person, which the scholar denied, should contact the one who transmitted this statement from the scholar and say: "I asked him and he denied it," so that he does not spread it among the people. Likewise, he should clarify to those who heard from the one who transmitted it from the scholar that this is not correct. As for if it is true and he discussed it, the truth will become clear to the discussant from what the scholar says.
Second: Regarding those who transmit statements from scholars whose fatwas are accepted and whom people trust, these people are divided into categories. Some have bad intentions; they want to mislead the people and find no way except to attribute this statement to a scholar that the people accept. Do you understand? He spreads this about such-and-such a scholar, for example, saying: "So-and-so said that it is not obligatory for a woman to cover her face from non-mahram men." He spreads it because he wants the woman not to cover her face. But if he said: "I said it," or "So-and-so said it," who is not trusted, it would not be accepted. So he attributes it to a scholar whose words are accepted. This is one case. So what is the intention of this transmitter from the scholar?
The student: Bad.
The Shaykh : It is bad, but his intention is to establish the statement and have people accept it.
Second: His intention may be bad regarding the scholar to whom he attributed the statement, so as to tarnish his reputation among the people. He says: "This scholar says such-and-such. How can he be believed? How can his words be trusted?" and the like. It is known that if people see a strange and reprehensible statement, their trust in this scholar will diminish.
So this transmitter from the scholar has a bad intention. Either his intention is, in the first case, what? To establish the bad statement he wants. Or his intention is what? To tarnish the scholar's reputation so that people do not trust him.
Third: A person may transmit a statement from a scholar, and he is truthful that the scholar said it, but this transmitter made a mistake in presenting the question to the scholar. He presented the question in a way that the scholar understood from it something other than what the questioner intended, because he did not express himself well, for example. It is known that the scholar will issue a fatwa based on what he heard, due to the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
I only judge according to what I hear.
إنما أقضي بنحو ما أسمعFourth: He presents the question to the scholar and the scholar answers according to the question, but the transmitter misunderstands the answer. So here the mistake is in the questioner's understanding, not in his presentation of the question. Rather, the mistake is in his understanding of the answer. He transmits the answer from the scholar according to what he understood, and thus the error occurs.
So these are four things, all of which are causes of transmission from scholars.
Therefore, I told you at the beginning: If a statement is transmitted from a scholar whose knowledge is trusted, and a person disapproves of it, what is obligatory? Contacting this scholar and reaching an understanding with him.