A fatwa or courage is: Information about the judgment of Allah Almighty on a religious issue that was asked about and issued by a qualified scholar based on religious evidence (such as the Quran and Sunnah), and the predecessors used to defer the fatwa and refer it to those who were older than them for fear of making a mistake that could harm both the mufti and the questioner. Hence, those who dare to issue a fatwa are daring the fire! This is because the mufti conveys from Allah and His Messenger, and daring to do so may lead to misguidance and causing others to go astray, as Allah Almighty said: "So ask the people of the reminder if you do not know." Surah An-Nahl, verse (43).
Unfortunately, some of the imams, preachers, and even some school teachers, due to their limited knowledge of religious rulings (as they practice a profession that does not require extensive jurisprudence), I say: They issue fatwas about things they do not know, or they hesitate to say "I do not know," or they believe they know while they do not know that they do not know! Allah Almighty said: "And do not pursue that of which you have no knowledge. Indeed, the hearing, the sight, and the heart - all those will be questioned." Surah Al-Isra, verse (36).
Issuing a fatwa is a precise religious science that requires jurisprudence, in-depth study, and broad culture, whereas leadership, for example, has memorization as its main pillar; similarly, preaching is fundamentally about presence to influence the worshippers and it is an art that is sometimes taught in institutes and universities.
The conclusion: Since we are (thanks be to Allah) in a country with an Ifta authority that may be as old as the kingdom itself and has distinguished, sufficient scholars capable of clarifying what was obscure for us (the Muslim community), why not resort to it to issue fatwas on our religious matters? And in all honesty, I say that the doors and phones of the Ifta authority are open to everyone, and I have had more than one experience of how easy it is to reach the muftis, especially by phone, to clarify what had been unclear to me regarding matters of my religion and my worldly life, avoiding asking those who I might believe are knowledgeable while they are not, and avoiding answers that may contradict each other for one reason or another.
And our final invocation is that praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds.
