كن مجتهدا مفكرا.. ولا تقلد أحدا تقليدا أعمى! .. ولا تكن (خروفا) في قطيع غنم

Is it permissible to follow a mufti who says that prayer, fasting, pilgrimage, self-defense, or surrender to the enemy are not obligatory? Is following a mufti permissible? How do we distinguish a qualified mujtahid from a non-mujtahid? How can we verify the validity of their fatwas? Political and Jurisprudential Following The solution to the problem of distinguishing a qualified mujtahid from a non-mujtahid lies in abandoning blind imitation and considering the fatwa or opinion of each speaker without regard to their name, identity, or title. Instead, we should focus solely on the evidence they present, whether they are a senior or novice scholar. Many fatwas and opinions of senior scholars lack legal basis and are founded on rumors, weak hadiths, or flimsy interpretations. This contrasts with the fatwas or opinions of novice students, who often present stronger and better arguments supported by solid evidence. Therefore, we must abandon blind imitation and consider the opinions and statements, as Imam Ali (peace be upon him) said: "Look at what is said, not who said it." Rafid Al-Shibli: Doesn't this necessitate studying the principles of jurisprudence, some hadith, and of course grammar, morphology, rhetoric, and logic? Otherwise, who can evaluate the evidence and compare it? I am not advocating blind imitation, but I hope you will explain your method for weighing the different fatwas. Writer Ahmed Al-Kateb: Rafid Al-Shibli, my dear brother, Islam is clear, well-known, agreed upon, and found in the Holy Quran. Those called jurists don't bring anything new, as most of their fatwas are self-evident and, according to them, cannot be blindly followed. However, the discussion revolves around the new fatwas that some of them sometimes issue, which contradict explicit verses in the Quran, such as suspending Friday prayers and linking them to the permission of the absent, infallible Imam. Is it permissible to blindly follow them in this matter, for example? Or should we refer to the Holy Quran and read Surah Al-Jumu'ah, which contains no reference to the Imam, the infallible Imam, his permission, or the permission of his special representative? This is because God Almighty says: "When the call to prayer is made on Friday," and He did not stipulate any of the other conditions that the deviants fabricated and linked the individual obligation of prayer to a phantom person who was not born and does not exist. Any ordinary person who reads the Quran can understand that these so-called mujtahids are clinging to superstitions and myths and contradicting the Book of God. There are many examples, such as the obligation of Khums on profits, which is not found in the Quran, the Sunnah of the Prophet, or the biography of Imam Ali, and the suspension of jihad and even defense against foreign occupation, as Sistani did. Is it permissible to follow him? Finally, there is the fatwa he issued permitting the insemination of a married woman with a sterile man with the sperm of a stranger while she is under her husband's guardianship. Or the issue of the permissibility of having intercourse with an infant girl, and his claim that imams can abrogate the Quran and the Sunnah. These are matters that an average person with basic education can understand. Should they then suspend their intellect and blindly follow a deviant individual who claims to be a mujtahid (one qualified to exercise independent legal reasoning)? Iqbal Aldaula Alnawab We are meant to have someone who does not speak from personal desire, but only from divine revelation, because we live in an age of technology and the pursuit of truth through precise scientific methods. Sadiq Abu Jaafar Does this equation apply to doctors? Because we would seek treatment for a single illness from multiple doctors, visiting different medical schools and, if necessary, even health institutes, due to the possibility that one of the doctor's assistants might possess a genius surpassing that of their professor. We would continue searching and going around in circles until God Almighty decrees healing or death for the patient. Writer Ahmed Al-Kateb Sadiq Abu Jaafar: The concept of following a religious authority cannot be measured by simply referring to doctors, engineers, or experts in any field. This is because a person does not blindly follow them. Rather, they seek out the expert and consider their opinion. If a person suffers from a minor ailment and a doctor tells them that a limb must be removed, they do not readily agree. Instead, they doubt the doctor's statement and consult another to confirm it. They do not consider the doctor's words to be divine revelation. In contrast, following a religious scholar (mujtahid) in matters of religion leads to complete submission. One does not question or refute their rulings, even if they believe the scholar's fatwa contradicts the Quran, reason, science, and human nature. This is despite the fact that the mujtahid is neither a prophet ...