Does a Muslim who follows your fatwas and prioritizes them over others' fatwas, as if sanctifying you, fall under the meaning of the noble verse: "They have taken their scholars and monks as lords besides Allah, and [also] the Messiah, son of Mary. And they were not commanded except to worship one God; there is no deity except Him. Exalted is He above what they associate with Him"?

The obligation of the common person is to emulate a trustworthy scholar. It is not permissible for them to deny matters of ijtihad (independent reasoning) or to speak about scholarly issues, whether affirming or denying. There is no harm in emulating someone you trust, but it is not permissible for you to object to someone who adopts a valid opinion among the sayings of the jurists. Adhering to this is in compliance with the words of Allah Almighty: "So ask the people of the message if you do not know." (Quran 16:43) The path to advancement in seeking knowledge begins by adhering to a trustworthy shaykh, studying the minor sciences, and then progressing gradually.