Issuing a Fatwa Without Proper Research

Question

What is the ruling on stating a religious matter speculatively (on conjecture), without having researched and verified it, given that sometimes, upon investigation, it turns out to be correct, and sometimes it turns out to be wrong?

Answer

To state a religious ruling without research is not correct. Abu’l-Faraj and others relate a marfu‘ report (i.e., one attributed to the Prophet ﷺ): [ar]مَنْ أَفْتَى النَّاسَ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ لَعَنَتْهُ مَلَائِكَةُ السَّمَاءِ وَمَلَائِكَةُ الْأَرْضِ[/ar] “Whoever gives people a fatwa without knowledge, the angels of the heavens and the angels of the earth curse him” (thus in…

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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