[1] Scholar Behind My View Is More Knowledgeable Than the Scholar Behind Yours

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Imam Ash-Shawkaanee, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

فاعلم أنه إذا وقع الخلاف بين المسلمين في أن هذا الشيء بدعة او غير بدعة ، أو مكروه او غير مكروه ، او محرم او غير محرم ، او غير ذلك ، فقد اتفق المسلمون : سلفهم وخلفهم ، من عصر الصحابة الى عصرنا هذا – وهو القرن الثالث عشر منذ البعثة المحمدية – أن الواجب الاختلاف في أي أمر من أمور الدين بين الأئمة المجتهدين : هو الرد الى كتاب الله سبحانه ، وسنة رسوله الناطق بذلك
الكتاب العزيز ( ٤ : ٥٩ فإن تنازعتم في شيء فردوه إلى الله والرسول ( ومعنى الرد الى الله سبحانه : الرد الى كتابه
ومعنى الرد إلى رسوله ال : الرد الى سنته بعد وفاته وهذا مما لا خلاف فيه بين جميع المسلمين . فإذا قال مجتهد من المجتهدين
هذا حلال . وقال الآخر : هذا حرام : فليس
أحدهما أولى بالحق من الآخر وإن كان اكثر منه علماً ، أو اكبر منه سنا ، او اقدم منه عصراً لأن كل واحد منهما فرد من أفراد عباد الله ، ومتعبد بما في الشريعة المطهرة، مما في كتاب الله وسنة رسوله ، ومطلوب منه ما طلب الله من غيره من العباد . وكثرة علمه وبلوغه درجة الاجتهاد او مجاوزته لها لا يسقط عنه شيئاً من الشرائع التي شرعها الله لعباده ، ولا يخرجه من جملة المكلفين من العباد

Know that when differing arise among Muslims regarding whether this thing (matter) is a Bidah or not a Bidah, (something) disliked or not disliked, prohibited, or not prohibited, or other than that, there is a consensus among Muslims (i.e. their scholars) —both the early generations and those that followed, from the era of the Companions to the present day, which is the thirteenth century since the advent of the Prophethood—that the obligation in any differing – in any issue among the issues of the religion – between Imams of Ijtihad is to refer back to the Book of Allah, the Exalted, and the Sunnah of His Messenger, as stated in Allāh’s Book:

فَإِن تَنَٰزَعْتُمْ فِى شَىْءٍ فَرُدُّوهُ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ وَٱلرَّسُولِ

And if you disagree among yourselves over anything then refer it back to Allāh and the Messenger. [An-Nisa 59]

The meaning of referring back to Allah, the Exalted, is to refer to His Book, and the meaning of referring to His Messenger, peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him, is to refer to his Sunnah after his passing. This is a matter about which there is no differing among the Muslims.

If a Mujtahid among the Mujtahideen says that this (thing) is lawful while another says this (thing) is unlawful, neither is any of the two more entitled to the truth than the other, even if he possesses more knowledge, older, or closer to the (early era of Islam). This is because each of them is a servant of Allāh among the servants of Allāh, (required) to worship (Allāh) based on what is found in the pure Sharia- that which is found in Allāh’s Book and the Sunnah of His Messenger, and what is required of him is required of other than him among Allāh’s servants. His abundant knowledge, the attainment of the level of Ijtihad, or even surpassing it, does not exempt him from any of the religious laws legislated by Allah for His servants, nor do they exclude him from those who have reached the age in which one is held accountable for his actions among the servants (of Allāh).

Sharh As-Sudoor Bi-Tahreem Raf Al-Qubur pages 1-2