Why do scholars not unify fatwas—especially within a single country—by adopting the easiest rulings for individuals (such as shaving the beard and cosmetic surgeries), and the strictest for society (such as uncovering a woman's face and usury), knowing that the jurisprudential schools of thought do not go beyond the sayings of the four imams?
"Issuing fatwas is a serious matter and a great responsibility, for the Mufti signs on behalf of Allah. He must choose what has been attested to by the Quran, the Sunnah, and scholarly consensus, and what aligns with the analogical reasoning of the people of knowledge. He should adopt what is strongest in evidence and soundest in reasoning. It is not for the Mufti to choose whatever he wishes and abandon whatever he wishes; rather, he must act according to the most preponderant opinions. It is an error for scholars to adopt the easiest fatwas in some matters and be stringent in others, without considering what is preponderant and what is less so. Furthermore, the differences among scholars have reasons that cannot be ignored, and the topic of 'al-Jarh wa al-Ta'deel' (discrediting and accrediting narrators) is not as simple as imagined; rather, it is a specialized science concerned with the men who transmit hadith. Allah's law is not a plaything, and discourse concerning it must be confined to the specialized people of knowledge. Whoever speaks about it without knowledge may be speaking on behalf of Allah without knowledge, which is a grave sin."
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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