Is it permissible to rely on fatwas from individuals whose level of Sharia knowledge is unknown?

For a follower (muqallid) consulting a mufti, there are two ways: The first is for him to ascertain himself that the mufti is a learned and just scholar, based on indicators such as his sitting to teach in designated places. The second is for a reliable expert to inform him of this. Therefore, do not rely on the fatwa of a person unless an expert has directed you to him. The situation differs between someone who issues a fatwa and someone who transmits the fatwa of another; in transmission, it is sufficient to verify the authenticity of the fatwa and its attribution to its author through a just person. Religious institutes and universities graduate potential mujtahids, not actual ones. This means that a graduate may be capable of extracting rulings and fatwas from the books of scholars, and if he is just, it is permissible to rely on him in transmitting a fatwa or the doctrines of scholars.