SEEKING MULTIPLE ANSWERS TO THE SAME QUESTION

As Salaamu Alaikum

Question:

If there are two scholars whose knowledge I trust, can I take guidance from both of them? Like if I am still confused after getting the answer from one scholar, so I ask another one or when I need an urgent response then I ask the scholar who is available at the time? Or do I have to ask all my questions to only one scholar?

 

Wa Alaikum As Salaam

Answer:

Bismillahi wa billahi At Tawfeeq

Seeking multiple answers to the same question is not the correct way. This is because when you seek a fatwa from two different Darul Iftaas and get two different answers, naturally this will result in you being confused and not having a satisfactory answer. A person adopting such a methodology runs into a number of problems:

  • The person will have great difficulty in identifying the preferred view.
  • When a person seeks two views from two different scholars and gets one answer for declaring something to be permissible and another declaring it to be impermissible – he/she will most likely not be equipped to understand which view should be adopted.
  • Out of the multiple fatwas he/she will often choose the fatwa that suits his/her own-self [nafs].
  • Often, the person knows from the beginning the answer that he/she wants and continuously seeks fatwas from one scholar after another until he/she gets the fatwa he/she is looking for.
  • May start to doubt or question or lose trust in the Ulama, simply due to a lack of understanding of the issues.

 

The best way to avoid confusion and the trap of one’s own nafs, is to avoid seeking multiple answers in the first place. Instead, one should look for a scholar whose knowledge and practice you are satisfied with. Don’t just ask every single scholar, rather, seek out the one who is known for his knowledge and is trusted by the general Ulama for his accuracy in fatwas, piety, and is from the Ahl al-Sunnah wa’al Jam’aah. Once you have found such a scholar, stick to him and act according to the fatwas he gives you.

And Allah Knows best

Mufti Waheeb Saiyed

30/10/2018