Fatwa ID: 06921
Answered by: Shaykh Ayat Hamid
Question:
If a layman gets along well with a scholar of Ahl-us-Sunnah wal-Jamaat and has full trust on him, but the scholar/Alim is not a Mufti but a Maulana. Can the layman consult the scholar for anything he does not know and act on his rulings? The scholar is deemed to guide him properly. As long as he can take responsibility to solve his case alone and give him ruling he will do so. In case he is unsure on something or cannot take responsibility regarding a ruling, he will present the case in his way of understanding in front of a Mufti with whom he gets along well and will revert back to the layman after knowing correct ruling.
Is it sufficient for the layman to turn towards the scholar for everything with regard to all his lively matters and act according to his opinion?
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
It is reported that Rasulullah(s.a.w) said that there is no envy except in two: a person who God has given wealth and he spends it in the right way, and a person whom Allah has given wisdom (i.e. religious knowledge) and he gives His decisions accordingly and teaches it to the others.
Saheeh Al Bukhari
An individual who has completed education in the Islamic sciences and has graduated as an Alim should have enough understanding of the shariah to aid the everyday muslim through most matters pertaining to the shariah, and he should have the building blocks set to locate and present these issue of religion when asked of him.
The situation that you have presented is a good one, you know an Alim whom you consult and trust, this Alim aides in locating solutions to issues presented to him by you and this Alim is in contact with a Mufti in regards to issues that he may not be sure about or requires further clarification, and thus continuing to consult this Scholar/Alim will be permissible.
Only Allah (عز و جل) knows best.
Written by Shaykh Ayat Hamid
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
دار السلام – صحيح البخاري ١٤٠٩
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى، حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى، عَنْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي قَيْسٌ، عَنِ ابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ ” لاَ حَسَدَ إِلاَّ فِي اثْنَتَيْنِ رَجُلٌ آتَاهُ اللَّهُ مَالاً فَسَلَّطَهُ عَلَى هَلَكَتِهِ فِي الْحَقِّ، وَرَجُلٌ آتَاهُ اللَّهُ حِكْمَةً فَهْوَ يَقْضِي بِهَا وَيُعَلِّمُهَا
