The book of the elegance of knowledge among the wise | Episode (20) | The danger of scientific fatwas

0:00 In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

0:03 “Is he who payeth adoration in the watches of the night, prostrate and standing, bewaring of the Hereafter and hoping for the mercy of his Lord, (to be accounted equal with a disbeliever)? Say (unto them, O Muhammad): Are those who know equal with those who know not? But only men of understanding will pay heed.” (39:9)

0:10 The Splendor of Knowledge according to the Sages.

0:16 By Dr. Hamzah Ibn Fayi' Al Fathi.

0:21 May Allah preserve him.

0:27 The Gravity of Religious Legal Opinions (Fatwa).

0:30 Imam 'Abd al-Rahman Ibn Abi Layla, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

0:36 Who passed away in the year 83 AH:

0:40 "I encountered 120 of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, in this mosque.

0:47 There was not one of them who, when asked about a hadith or a legal ruling,

0:51 did not wish that his brother would suffice him in answering it."

0:54 Yet, matters have devolved to the point where people who claim knowledge today rush forward,

1:00 venturing to provide answers to issues

1:03 that, had they been presented to 'Umar Ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him,

1:06 he would have gathered the veterans of Badr to consult them.

1:10 Issuing a fatwa is a grave matter, for it is a signature on behalf of Allah.

1:15 This is why the pious were so apprehensive of it;

1:18 they understood its consequences and wished for others to spare them the burden.

1:23 They would defer to one another to avoid the difficulty and to prioritize safety.

1:27 The safety of the scholar and the student alike

1:30 lies in guarding the tongue and protecting the heart,

1:33 and in fearing the All-Knowing King.

1:35 Thus, there should be no signing off, no declaring things lawful, and no declaring things forbidden,

1:39 especially when one is deficient in expression

1:42 and hesitant in judgment,

1:44 fearing to be definitive and falling into error.

1:47 How many errors and sins have been swept up by those who speak impulsively and are quick to claim knowledge,

1:53 merely to appear beneficial,

1:55 those who have not given knowledge its due weight.

1:58 A fatwa has its boundaries and its sanctity.

2:01 The salaf,

2:03 who were the people of true knowledge

2:05 and contemporaries of the revelation,

2:07 were the most cautious and the most fearful of signing

2:11 on behalf of the Almighty Creator without knowledge.

2:13 Allah the Exalted says:

2:15 “Say: My Lord forbiddeth only indecencies, such of them as are apparent and such as are within, and sin and wrongful oppression, and that ye associate with Allah that for which no warrant hath been revealed, and that ye tell concerning Allah that which ye know not.” (7:33)

2:19 "Whatever is apparent of it and what is concealed,"

2:22 "and sin and injustice without right,"

2:25 "and that you associate with Allah,"

2:28 "and that you associate with Allah,"

2:30 "that for which He has not sent down authority,"

2:34 "and that you say about Allah that which you do not know."

2:39 This is in contrast to those who came after the preferred generations,

2:44 who rushed toward issuing fatwas

2:46 and were hasty in seeking prominence,

2:48 especially in our later times,

2:50 until ignorance spread and the calamity grew great.

2:53 Pseudo-scholars appeared,

2:55 and people became confused and bewildered

2:58 as a result of this audacity in matters of knowledge,

3:00 the intrusion into the sanctuary of its majesty,

3:03 and the lack of fear regarding its consequences.

3:05 And Allah is the One whose help is sought.

3:07 Among the ways the early generations honored the fatwa and recognized its severity

3:11 is that 'Umar, may Allah be pleased with him,

3:13 would gather the virtuous veterans of Badr for momentous affairs.

3:17 He would not rush to answer or express an opinion,

3:20 nor would he provide a hasty signature,

3:22 because he knew the limitations of the individual in intellect and precision.

3:26 Thus, he found reassurance in the collective intellect, awareness, and consensus of the majority.

3:30 And peace.

The book of the elegance of knowledge among the wise | Episode (20) | The danger of scientific fatwas

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