The Student of Knowledge's Position Regarding the Disagreement of Scholars

Question:
We are young people who try to exert our efforts and understand the matters of religion, and we ask Allah to help us in that. We have read some religious books dealing with rulings and acts of worship found in the libraries, but we encountered a problem: there is disagreement between some of these books, which caused us some confusion. What is your advice to us? May Allah reward you with good.

Answer:
Books have always contained differences from old times; because opinions and independent legal reasoning differ in branches and rulings. So this is not a novelty, but it is well known. The believer and the student of knowledge seek out the evidence, so whatever is established by evidence is what is obligatory to follow in matters of disagreement. As for what the scholars have agreed upon, their scholarly consensus is a proof.
As for when you find a matter in which they disagreed, whether in Hajj, prayer, transactions, fasting, or otherwise, the student of knowledge looks at the evidence of the two groups or factions. If he finds several opinions, he looks and reflects and does not rush. He looks at their evidence, so whoever has the evidence is the one to be followed. He does not show partisanship for anyone, but looks at the evidence. So whoever has the apparent Qur'an, or the apparent Sunnah, or the principles of the Shari'ah with him, he is preferred over the others. And Allah knows best.