Friday, March 13, 2026
Question: If a pure layman—who knows nothing of taqlīd,
commitment, or its conditions—comes asking fatwā in matters relating
to divorce, marriage, transactions, or acts of worship, how should he be
given fatwā? Should he be answered according to the madhhab of the
muftī or otherwise?
Answer (and Allah grants success):
The correct approach here is detailed:
If the layman is asking about something that has already
occurred, he should be given fatwā of its validity and
permissibility, so long as it does not contradict consensus.
If he is asking about something in the future, it is incumbent
upon the muftī to give him fatwā according to what he himself believes to be the ruling in the matter.