Guidance to Those Who Are Lax in Issuing Fatwas
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
Your Eminence! Some people are lax in issuing fatwas for some of the brothers. What is your guidance for such people, O Shaykh?
Answer:
It is obligatory for the mufti to fear the consequences of issuing a fatwa, to fear Allah, and not to issue a fatwa except based on knowledge. He should fear Allah and strive to say nothing except based on knowledge. The matter of a fatwa is great, and its danger is significant. It is narrated in a mursal hadith from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said: And Allah the Exalted says: [Al-A'raf: 33], thus making speaking about Allah without knowledge higher in rank than shirk (associating partners with Allah) due to the magnitude of the danger.
And regarding Satan, He said: [Al-Baqarah: 169], informing us that Satan commands us to speak about Allah without knowledge.
So it is obligatory for the student of knowledge to fear speaking about Allah without knowledge, to fear Allah in his fatwa, and not to present anything except based on knowledge and insight in what he rules upon.
The presenter: May Allah reward you.
Your Eminence! Some people are lax in issuing fatwas for some of the brothers. What is your guidance for such people, O Shaykh?
Answer:
It is obligatory for the mufti to fear the consequences of issuing a fatwa, to fear Allah, and not to issue a fatwa except based on knowledge. He should fear Allah and strive to say nothing except based on knowledge. The matter of a fatwa is great, and its danger is significant. It is narrated in a mursal hadith from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said:
The boldest of them in issuing fatwas are the boldest of them in entering the Fire
أجرأهم على الفتيا أجرأهم على النارSay, "My Lord has only forbidden immoralities - what is apparent of them and what is concealed - and sin, and oppression without right, and that you associate with Allah that for which He has not sent down authority, and that you say about Allah that which you do not know."
قُلْ إِنَّمَا حَرَّمَ رَبِّيَ الْفَوَاحِشَ مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا وَمَا بَطَنَ وَالإِثْمَ وَالْبَغْيَ بِغَيْرِ الْحَقِّ وَأَنْ تُشْرِكُوا بِاللَّهِ مَا لَمْ يُنَزِّلْ بِهِ سُلْطَانًا وَأَنْ تَقُولُوا عَلَى اللَّهِ مَا لا تَعْلَمُونَAnd regarding Satan, He said:
He only orders you to evil and immorality and to say about Allah what you do not know.
إِنَّمَا يَأْمُرُكُمْ بِالسُّوءِ وَالْفَحْشَاءِ وَأَنْ تَقُولُوا عَلَى اللَّهِ مَا لا تَعْلَمُونَSo it is obligatory for the student of knowledge to fear speaking about Allah without knowledge, to fear Allah in his fatwa, and not to present anything except based on knowledge and insight in what he rules upon.
The presenter: May Allah reward you.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.