[2] Issues Related to Fatwa – Pay Close Attention to Safeguard Yourself in This era

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

In The Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.

Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:

Judges are three types: one will go to Paradise and two to Hell. A man who knows the truth and judges with it will enter paradise; a man who knows the truth but judges with the opposite of it will enter the fire, and a man who judges for the people based on ignorance will enter the fire. [1]

Amr Bin Al-Aas, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that he heard Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, saying: “If a Mujtahid gives a verdict according to the best of his knowledge and his verdict is correct, he will receive a double reward, and if he gives a verdict according to the best of his knowledge and his verdict is wrong, even then he will get a reward”. [2]

A Mujtahid is not deprived of reward. The judgement of a non-Mujtahid is different from that of a Mujtahid. Shaikh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy upon him, said that the one who speaks about the religion without knowledge and out of ignorance (is guilty of) lying and sinning. The one who intentionally speaks to oppose the truth is threatened with entry into the fire of hell, as opposed to the one who speaks based on permissible Ijtihad, for indeed he strives, fears Allah as much as he is able, desires to seek knowledge as much as he was able, speaks for the sake of Allah, knows the stronger proof and speaks based on that. This person is given two rewards if he is correct; but if he is mistaken, he receives one reward. A Mujtahid can be correct or mistaken. [3]

[1] Abu Dawud 3573
[2] al-Bukhari Number 7352
[3] Arba’una Haditha Fee Usul Al-Fiqh. pages 32-33