Praise be to Allah.
This issue covers two things:
1 – Rulings on which there is scholarly consensus, in which case we accept that consensus and do not ignore it.
2 – Matters concerning which the scholars differed on the ruling. Here we look at the evidence quoted for the various opinions, and we follow that which is closest to the Qur’aan and Sunnah as it appears to us, following the words of Allaah (interpretation of the meaning):
“(And) if you differ in anything amongst yourselves, refer it to Allaah and His Messenger, if you believe in Allaah and in the Last Day”
[al-Nisa’ 4:59]
Referring to Allaah means referring to His Book, and referring to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) means referring to his Sunnah.
In doing so, we seek the help of the work done by qualified, trustworthy scholars in differentiating between the various opinions and suggesting which are most likely to be correct, such as Imam al-Nawawi, Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr, Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah, Ibn al-Qayyim, Ibn Katheer, Ibn Rajab al-‘Asqallaani, al-Shawkaani and others; and contemporary scholars such as Muhammad ‘Abd al-Rahmaan al-Mubaarakfoori, Muhammad al-Ameen al-Shanqeeti, ‘Abd al-Rahmaan al-Naasir al-Sa’di, ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Baaz and Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen, may Allaah have mercy on them all.
And Allaah knows best.
Comment