The Ignorant Mufti

Question

There is a certain man with us named Khuda Bakhsh — he issues fatwas, although he does not even know Arabic. Every year he eats up the children’s school money, and then stands before his community with his palms joined together and says: “Brothers! I have spent the school money on myself and will not be able to repay it — please forgive me it,” and the poor fellows, being left with no choice, forgive him, knowing that he will not pay it back anyway.

Answer

An ignorant man’s issuing of a fatwa without having acquired knowledge through proper investigation is not a fatwa at all, but misguidance and leading others astray; calling such a person a mufti is likewise ignorance and misguidance. And upon the one who exposes his private parts (satr) before everyone, a curse has come in the noble hadith.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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