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 fatwa 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.