Of the sayings of the Predecessors on Fatwa

* Muhammad ibn Al Munkadir (may Allah bestow mercy on his soul) said: (Indeed, a scholar is between Allah (may He be Exalted) and His Creatures, so behold how does he interfers in between).

* Ibn Mas`ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: (Verily, the one who gives verdict to people in all they ask him about is crazy. He also said: The protection of a scholar is to say: "I do not know," but if he does not say it, he has made a mistake).

* Husayn Al Asady (may Allah bestow mercy on his soul) said: (Some of you give verdict about an issue, and if `Umar ibn Al Khattab had been asked about, he would have gathered the people of Badr to give a verdict about."

* Muhammad ibn `Ajlan (may Allah bestow mercy on his soul) said: The protection of a scholar is to say: "I do not know," but if he does not say it, he has made a mistake).

* Bishr Al Hafy (may Allah bestow mercy on his soul) said: (Whoever likes to be asked, he is not entitled to be asked).

Ash-Sha`by (may Allah bestow mercy on his soul) said: (I do not know half of knowledge).

* Once Ash-Sha`by was asked about an issue and he said: (I do not know it). It was said to him: Are not you ashamed? He said: Why should I be ashamed of something which angels did not feel shy about when they said: "We have no knowledge except what is what you have taught us)." [Surat Al Baqarah: 32].

* Sa`id ibn Jubayr (may Allah bestow mercy on his soul) said: (Woe to those who say to things which he does not know: I know).

* Scholars said: (Ibn `Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) was asked about ten issues, and he would answer one and keep silent about nine).

* Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: (A true jurist is the one who does not cause people to despair of Allah's Mercy, does not secure them against the torment of Allah, does not facilitate the disobedience of Allah, and does not leave the Qur'an for the sake of something else. There is no goodness in worship about which a person does not know. There is no goodness in knowledge which a person does not understand. There is no goodness in a reading that has no contemplation).

* Some people said: (The Companions used to avoid four things: Imamate, will, deposit, and giving a Fatwa. Others said: The quickest to Fatwa was the lesser in knowledge, and the most pious is the most hateful to it).

* Ibn Al Qayyim (may Allah bestow mercy on his soul) said: (A Mufti or a ruler cannot master Fatwa and judging with the truth without two kinds of understanding:

1- Understanding reality and Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence), and deducing the correct incidents with proofs and signs until he encompasses everything.

2- Understanding what should be done in reality according to his understanding from the words of Allah written in His Book against reality then apply one of them to the other).