Seeking Knowledge and Following Scholars
This subtopic gathers questions on seeking religious knowledge and its obligation. It also covers the schools of law, following one scholar over another, scholars' qualifications, and the sources of legislation.
Questions readers ask here:
- What is the ruling on one who is ignorant of the necessary Sharia rulings related to worship?
- How did the Salaf treat their shaykhs, and what should be done when a scholar enters the mosque?
- What should be done when there is doubt about something being forbidden or permissible?
- What is the difference between Sharia and Fiqh?
Whether a particular hadith is authentic belongs under Hadith and Authenticity.
193 questions
Is it permissible to postpone investigating and looking into questions related to matters that occurred during prayer or ablution for two months, with the intention of verifying them later?
Is the original ruling on manners one of recommendation, or does it require a disindicator to divert it from an original obligation to a recommendation? And can the narrator's saying, "The Prophet commanded us," indicate recommendation, or does the word "commanded us" necessarily imply obligation? And does all of this include the ruling on the practices of the Fitra?
Is it permissible for someone who adheres to the Hanbali school of thought to adopt rulings from other schools of thought that are easier for him, out of fear of obsessive doubts (waswas), and is this considered blameworthy seeking of dispensations (tatabbu' al-rukhas)?
What did Imam Ibn Kathir mean by his statement: "as in the great Musnad" in his Tafsir, and was he referring to Imam Ahmad's Musnad or another?
Is it permissible to adopt the view of a trustworthy scholar if it contradicts the preponderant opinion and evidence, for the sake of desire rather than necessity?
What is the average monthly rate for reading books on Islamic law, and what is the proportion of specialized to general books read?
Does obsessive whispering prevent the one afflicted by it from clarifying the most correct view on a specific issue to others? And what is the ruling on praying behind an imam who does not adhere to the correct prophetic ablution?
How can one reconcile the Hadith "Seeking knowledge is an obligation upon every Muslim" with considering knowledge—such as medicine and other fields essential for the well-being of worldly affairs—a communal obligation (fard kifaya)?
What is the ruling on delivering lectures and speeches after the obligatory prayers in the mosque when I am 15 years old?
Does Al-Shafi'i's book "Al-Umm" encompass the entire Shafi'i madhhab as it was during the Imam's lifetime? Is this book sufficient for a comprehensive understanding of the madhhab? And are there other books authored by Al-Shafi'i?
Is the declaration of God's ruling by scholars accompanied by authority, or is it merely a declaration, leaving the choice to whoever wishes to be guided and whoever wishes to go astray?
Is it permissible to issue a fatwa based on general Islamic principles and legal evidence, such as the hadith "There shall be no harm nor reciprocating harm," and the interpretations of scholars thereof, to derive worldly rulings like the impermissibility of disturbing neighbors with loud singing?
Why is there no room for ijtihad in some issues, such as the prohibition of intoxicants (khamr) and usury (riba)? What is meant by "qat'i al-thubut wa al-dalalah" (definitive in authenticity and meaning)? And what is the difference between these and matters that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, commanded, and the Companions understood as recommended, such as dyeing one's hair (al-ikhtidhab)?
What is the ruling on describing Imam Malik's statement regarding سلس ( سلس البول - urinary incontinence or سلس الريح - flatulence incontinence) as "منكر" (reprehensible or objectionable), knowing that his madhhab (school of thought) is authoritative and strong?
How sound is Imam Ahmad's statement, "Whoever claims there is a consensus is a liar," which is mentioned in Al-Muhalla by Ibn Hazm? And if it is sound, how can consensus be a source of legislation when it has not been formed? And has consensus ever been formed at any time, and are there books that compile these consensuses?
What is the authenticity of Dr. Ruqayyah Al-Muhareb's research on the issue of female wetness, which was presented to Sheikh Ibn Uthaymeen and reviewed by him before his death?
What is the meaning of Athari and Zahiri Fiqh?
Is it forbidden for a layperson to contradict scholars? And why?
Did God obligate His servants through reason, or by simply believing in transmitted texts? And is the statement of Ibn Jarir or Imam al-Sadiq in Fatwa No. 2073 considered a product of reason?
How can one balance seeking religious knowledge and performing acts of worship and supererogatory prayers with studying, which requires a great deal of time and effort? And is abandoning supererogatory acts to save time for studying considered one of the excuses for which a Muslim receives the reward of what he used to do?
Is adopting the easier of the scholarly opinions in jurisprudential matters—such as one who omits a condition of prayer out of ignorance, or the emission of semen due to contemplation, or madhi (pre-seminal fluid) affecting one's clothes, or praying with a ritually impure garment out of forgetfulness—considered an impermissible pursuit of dispensations? And what is the meaning of the hadith: "Whenever the Messenger of Allah was given a choice between two matters, he would always choose the easier of the two, as long as it was not a sin"?
Is it permissible to switch to another, more lenient madhhab regarding prayer if a worshiper makes a mistake in their prayer due to ignorance of what invalidates it, while they were following the Maliki madhhab?
Is the door of Ijtihad closed to only the understanding of the Righteous Predecessors regarding religion, making it a ceiling that must not be exceeded, and thus it is impermissible for contemporary scholars to exercise Ijtihad in understanding Islam?
Will Allah hold me accountable for a fatwa that I transmitted by mistake, after having misunderstood it from a website and not knowing of its error?