Is the questioner considered an unlearned person (ammiy), and when is he considered a mujtahid (independent interpreter of Islamic law)? How does he seek a fatwa from his heart, and what should he do to obtain a fatwa, given that he is a medical student who has read about fatwas and their differences?
The inquirer has two situations:
The first is that he is qualified to examine the religious evidence and the sayings of scholars. In this case, he must weigh and balance between the different opinions.
The second is that he is not qualified, but rather an unlettered person. In this case, he must seek a from someone he trusts among the people of knowledge and piety. He is not obliged to adopt all the views of a specific Imam, but he must be wary of seeking out concessions. Adopting the more cautious approach is better. There is no harm in following a deceased scholar, according to the more preponderant opinion.
As for "seeking a fatwa from the heart," this is directed towards those with sound innate dispositions regarding matters that are unclear to them, concerning what is lawful and unlawful, or righteousness and sin, for which no text has been revealed. It does not mean abandoning the pursuit of knowledge and asking its people.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/101856
Where this answer came from
- Source platform
- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 101856
- Added here
- . This is when the answer was added to El Fatwa, not the fatwa's date.
- Text
- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
- Read the full ruling
- Read the full answer on Ftawy