{"id":2194,"date":"2014-03-09T07:22:02","date_gmt":"2014-03-09T11:22:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fiqhulislam.com\/?p=2194"},"modified":"2014-03-09T07:22:02","modified_gmt":"2014-03-09T11:22:02","slug":"dislike-salaf-giving-religious-verdicts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fiqhulislam.com\/?p=2194","title":{"rendered":"The Dislike of the Salaf with Regards to Giving Religious Verdicts"},"content":{"rendered":"
\nThe Dislike of the Salaf with Regards to Giving Religious Verdicts\"images<\/a><\/b>\n<\/div>\n

By Imam Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali<\/b>
\nThis is similar to the hatred of the Salaf al-Salih (the Pious Predecessors) that a person should put himself forward to give religious verdicts (fatawa) and to crave them, and to hasten to it, and to do it in excess. Ibn Lahi\u2018ah reports from \u2018Ubayd Allah ibn Abi Ja\u2018far in\u00a0mursal<\/i>\u00a0form from the Prophet (upon him blessings and peace) that he said, \u201cHe who is boldest from you in giving religious verdicts will be the boldest in proceeding to the Fire.\u201d \u2018Alqamah states, \u201cThey used to say, \u2018The boldest of you in giving religious verdicts is the one having the least knowledge.\u2019\u201d
\nBara\u2019 once said, \u201cI met a hundred and twenty of the Ansar from the Companions of Allah\u2019s Messenger (upon him blessings and peace) and when one of them was asked about a matter there was not a single man amongst them except that he wished that his brother would suffice him (by answering).\u201d In a narration there occurs the addition, \u201c\u2026so this one would refer it to another, and he would refer it to someone else until it would eventually return to the first one.\u201d It is reported on the authority of Ibn Mas\u2018ud, may Allah be pleased with him, who said, \u201cThe one who gives a religious verdict to the people about everything that he is asked is indeed insane.\u201d
\n\u2018Umar ibn \u2018Abd al-\u2018Aziz was asked about a question and replied, \u201cI am not one who is bold about giving religious verdicts.\u201d He also wrote to one of his governors, \u201cBy Allah I am not one who craves giving religious verdicts as long as I can find a way to avoid it.\u201d
\nIbn Yaminah said, \u201cThis affair is not for those who love that the people should have need of them; rather this affair is only for those who love that someone can be found to take their place.\u201d It is also reported from him that he said, \u201cThe most knowledgeable of people concerning religious verdicts is the one who is most often silent, and the most ignorant of people about them is the one who speaks the most with regard to them.\u201d
\nSufyan al-Thawri once said, \u201cWe reached the scholars and they used to hate answering questions and giving religious verdicts until they could find no way out except to give a verdict. But if they were relieved of having to do so then that was more beloved to them.\u201d
\nImam Ahmad once said, \u201cHe who puts himself forward to give religious verdicts has put himself forward to something very serious, unless he is forced through necessity.\u201d It was said to him, \u201cThen which is better for him: to speak or to remain silent?\u201d He said, \u201cIt is more beloved to us that he should withhold.\u201d It was said, \u201cBut if there is a necessity?\u201d So he started saying, \u201cNecessity! Necessity!\u201d And he said, \u201cIt is safer for him to withhold.\u201d
\nSo those who give religious verdicts should realize that they are transmitting Allah\u2019s orders and prohibitions and that he will be made to stand to account and be questioned about it. Al-Rabi\u2018 ibn Khaytham said, \u201cO giver of religious verdicts! Look and see how you are giving verdicts.\u201d \u2018Amr ibn Dinar said to Qatadah when he sat to give religious verdicts, \u201cDo you realize the affair that you have fallen into? You have come between Allah and His worshippers and say, \u2018This is correct and this is not correct.\u2019\u201d\u00a0It is also reported from Ibn al-Munkadir that he said, \u201cThe scholar enters between Allah and His creation, so let him look and see how he enters between them.\u201d
\nWhen Ibn Sirin was asked about anything pertaining to the permissible and forbidden his color would change and he would alter so that he would not seem to be the same person.\u00a0When Ibrahim al-Nakha\u2018i was asked about something, displeasure would appear on his face and he would say, \u201cCould you not find someone else to ask other than me?\u201d He also said, \u201cI spoke and if I had found any way out I would not have spoken, and indeed a time when I am the scholar of Kufah is an evil time.\u201d
\nIt is related that Ibn \u2018Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, said, \u201cYou ask us for religious verdicts in such a manner that it is as if we are people who are not going to be questioned about the verdicts that we give you.\u201d\u00a0It is also reported from Muhammad ibn Wasi\u2018 who said, \u201cThe first of those who will be called to account are the scholars.\u201d It is reported about Malik, may Allah have mercy on him, that when he was asked about a matter it was as if he were standing between the Paradise and the Hell-Fire.
\nOne of the scholars also said to a person who used to give religious verdicts, \u201cWhen you are asked about a matter then do not let your concern be to escape and find a way out for the questioner, but rather to escape and save your own self.\u201d\u00a0Another said, \u201cIf you are asked about a matter then first ponder. If you find a way out of it then speak, otherwise remain silent.\u201d The sayings of the pious predecessors about this are too many to quote and gather.
\nFrom\u00a0The Evil of Craving for Wealth and Status pg.26-29<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Dislike of the Salaf with Regards to Giving Religious Verdicts By Imam Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali This is similar to the hatred of the Salaf…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_editorskit_title_hidden":false,"_editorskit_reading_time":0,"_editorskit_is_block_options_detached":false,"_editorskit_block_options_position":"{}","footnotes":""},"categories":[33,57,24,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2194","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-articles","category-motivators","category-tazkiyah","category-uncategorized","wpcat-33-id","wpcat-57-id","wpcat-24-id","wpcat-1-id"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fiqhulislam.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2194","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fiqhulislam.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fiqhulislam.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fiqhulislam.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fiqhulislam.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2194"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.fiqhulislam.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2194\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fiqhulislam.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2194"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fiqhulislam.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2194"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fiqhulislam.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2194"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}