When is it permissible to follow an equally qualified mujtahid? - Questions Archive - IslamQuest is a reference for Islamic questions on the internet

Text
Thematic Category
Question keywords
Question code number

Question

Answer

Question or Answer

Advanced search

Please Wait

Visit
6301

Last Updated: 2012/06/20

Website code number fa9427 Archive code number 75131

group Laws and Jurisprudence|تغییر مرجع

Tag mujtahid|marja|returning|changing|equal

Summary of question

When is it permissible to follow an equally qualified mujtahid?

question

Salamun alaikum, I hope you and fine and my email reaches you in the best of your health. I have a few questions and I would like you to reply to them: I am a muqallid (follower) of Supreme Leader, Grand Ayatollah Khamenei. He is of the view that leaving taqlid of one mujtahid and doing taqlid of another equally qualified one is not permissible, as an obligatory precaution. As far as I know, Grand Ayatollah Sistani has stated in his fatwa that it is permissible to follow an equally qualified mujtahid. Given the fact that Ayatollah Khamenei has exercised precaution in this regard, so I can follow Ayatollah Sistani in this regard since he has an explicit fatwa. Having said that, now my questions are as under: 1. When I turn to Ayatollah Sistani for taqlid in this regard, am I supposed to follow him in any juridical issues of my concern or, as per his fatwa which allows following an equally mujtahid, I can refer to another equally qualified mujtahid or marja such as Grand Ayatollah Saafi Gulpaigani or Grand Ayatollah Makarem Shirazi? 2. As per the fatwa, if I am going to leave following Ayatollah Khameni in the juridical area of fasting and I turn to another mujtahid, is that new mujtahid going to be my marja in all juridical fields (that is to say, will the Supreme Leader be no longer be my marja?) considering that I am following him in all other issues except fasting? In fact, I want to know whether referring to an equally qualified mujtahid concerns only one or few issues or does that mean that he has started following the second mujtahid in all juridical issues completely? 3. If I refer from the Supreme Leader in a single issue to another equally qualified mujtahid, can I, after a while, follow the Supreme Leader once again or am I supposed to stay in taqlid of the second mujtahid for ever? 4. Generally speaking, when it comes to following an equally qualified mujtahid, can one refer to another mujtahid only in one issue or a completely independent jurisprudential chapter such as the entire subject of fasting or the entire subject of praying because praying, let us say, is an independent jurisprudential subject/chapter. 5. In closing, I request you to send me the views of the mujtahids who have been recognized as qualified for taqlid by Jame\'ah Mudarresin (Society of Teachers) of the Islamic Seminary of Qom in regards to issues of referring to another equally eligible and learned mujtahid. I appreciate your kind assistance and thank you in anticipation.

Concise answer

An answer to the foregoing questions by Ayatollah Mahdi Hadavi Tehrani, may Allah grant him long life, is as follows:
1. It is permissible to refer to another equally qualified mujtahid for taqlid and it is obligatory to follow a mujtahid who is the most learned and the most qualified of all the mujtahids. In fact, if the most qualified mujtahid's fatwa is different from other mujtahids' fatwa, the most qualified mujtahid's fatwa has to be acted upon because of his knowledgeableness and competence in inferring divine laws. In case of a difference between two verdicts, the one which belongs to a less qualified mujtahid will lose its value and weight and authority. That is why, we are faced with a number of highly qualified mujtahids all of whom can be followed.
2. When it comes to taqlid of many qualified mujtahid, you can follow anyone of them in any particular issues except for when following one of them results in obvious violation of Islamic laws. That is to say, you do something which is invalid according to all religious authorities.
3. The precaution is that you should follow one mujtahid in one issue except for when acting upon that issue in accordance with another mujtahid's fatwa is based on precaution and it is considered allowable by the first mujtahid.
4. The answer is the same as the answer to question number two.

Question translations in other languages

Comments

Number of comments 0

Thematic Category

Random questions

If a person suffers from brain death, is it permissible to donate his organ? Is the use of organs taken from such patients permissible?

7503 Laws and Jurisprudence 2012/01/15

The opinions of some of the grand religious authorities (jurists) about donating or removing the organ of a patient who suffers from brain death are as under:Office of Grand Ayatollah Khamenei (may Allah grant him long life)
How is Imam Mahdi’s food and clothing?

7616 Traditional 2010/11/22

The imam (aj) lives a normal life just like everyone else. What can be concluded from hadiths about his food and clothing, is that they are at a minimum.Nu’mani, in his book of Gheybah, narrates a hadith from Imam Sadiq (as) and Imam Ridha (as) about Imam Mahdi ...
Like the holy Quran, has the text of the Bible that was sent down from Allah or the sayings of the Prophet Jesus (as) been collected by his companions?

2723 پیامبران و کتابهای آسمانی 2021/03/30
Please define and explain vicious circle (daur) and infinite regression of causes (tasalsul)?

12097 Islamic Philosophy 2013/03/16

A vicious circle is a situation in which an attempt to resolve one problem creates new problems that lead back to the original situation. It is also a fallacy in reasoning in which the premise is used to prove the conclusion, and the conclusion used to prove ...
Did the Prophet and the Imams (PBUT) combine the Dhuhr and Asr prayers?

8534 Laws and Jurisprudence 2010/08/22

Taking note of the Shia and Sunni traditions that have been passed down to us, the Prophet (PBUH) would both combine the Dhuhr and Asr, and the Maghrib and Isha prayers, as well as pray them separately.The Prophet of Islam (PBUH) would at ...
Were the heavens and the earth created in six days or eight days?

11552 Quranic Studies 2011/05/14

God, the Glorified, has used the word 'qaddara' (measure) for sustenance and the term 'khalaqa' (created) for the heavens and the earth. That is, within these four days, sustenance needed for life on earth was measured, not created. With this explanation the confusion concerning the creation of ...
Do Shiites differentiate between Allah and Imams?

7952 Traditional 2012/10/11

Like all other schools, Shiite school has been encountering extremist groups that are called by different names such as ghulāt (exaggerators), muqassera and nawasib and which have, in the course of history, created difficulties for Shiites and their Imams. Shiite Imams made continuous efforts to protect Shiites ...
How much distance must be traversed in order for us to have to shorten the prayer (qasr)? For people that live in America what is the basis for establishing a shortened prayer: Do we use the end of the actual city or do we use the walls of the city?

8889 Laws and Jurisprudence 2009/11/24

This question doesn’t have a brief answer. Please click on the detailed answer. ...
Which surah is Surah Bani Israel?

16269 Quranic Studies 2009/11/25

The seventeenth surah of the Quran, is Surah Bani Israel which contains 111 verses. This surah is also known as surah ‘Isra’ and ‘Subhan’. The reason for naming this surah ‘Bani Israel’ is because in this surah, the different stages and states of Bani Israel have been mentioned ...
Doesn’t there seem to be a discrepancy between the first verse of surah Anfāl, which allocates the ownership of all war spoils to Allah (swt) and the prophet, and verse 41 of the same surah which only entitles them to one fifth of the spoils?

6398 Exegesis 2011/12/20

First of all, from a logical perspective, ‘anfāl’ and ‘war spoils’ aren't equal, and aside from this point, it must be said that from a one point of view, everything in the entire universe belongs to Allah (swt), but from another point view, some material endowments, without Allah’s ...

How is Prophet Adam’s (A.S.) creation (about 5,764 years ago) make sense when fossils found from human beings are almost 25 million years old?

151985 Exegesis 2012/01/15

There is no inconsistence between these two. If we have heard that Prophet Adam has been created six to seven thousand years ago, this might refer to a different and new generation of human beings which started with Prophet Adam (A.S.) and might ...
Is lobster, clam, oyster and octopus halal?

109952 Laws and Jurisprudence 2012/02/18

Eating lobster, clam, oyster and octopus is haram. According to religious resources regarding halal and haram meat, there are general rulings and numerous standards; for instance, a set of rulings has been given for land animals, sea creatures, birds and so on.The condition for halal meat sea ...
Why are shrimps halal and crabs haram? What makes one of them halal and the other halal despite the fact that both of them are from the same category?

107769 Philosophy of Religion and Law 2012/03/18

Although all Islamic laws are a result of the benefits or disadvantages and harms that back them, and there is a particular reason behind each and every one of them, discovering the exact reason in detail for every one of them is extremely difficult. The most we ...
What is meant by Sidratul-Muntaha that the Quran has mentioned?

107347 Exegesis 2010/04/07

This question doesn’t have a brief answer. Please click on the detailed answer. ...
Is there any problem in sweeping and cleaning one”s house at night?

105760 Hadith 2015/06/07

1. Having conducted a research into Hadith (scriptural) sources, we found out that the narrations about cleaning, dusting and sweeping a house are absolute and unrestricted in the sense that they include both day and night. There is nothing to indicate that dusting and cleaning are forbidden ...
Can a Sunni girl get married to a Shia man and why? Please list the reasons.

102926 Philosophy of Religion and Law 2009/04/20

The popular viewpoint amongst Shia scholars and jurisprudents is that a Shia man can get married to a Sunni woman, but there is a difference of opinion regarding the marriage of a Sunni man with a Shia woman; most scholars see it as impermissible.The reasons behind the first ...
What is the definition of "Muslim" according to the Quran?

90202 Exegesis 2010/04/06

According to the Quran a Muslim is one who has absolutely surrendered to Allah and his commands and believes in pure Tawhid (the oneness of God) that isn't tainted with any Shirk and this is why the Almighty has introduced Prophet Abraham as a true ...
Why hasn’t Imam Ali (a.s.) been mentioned in the Holy Quran?

88643 Exegesis 2008/05/11

One should be aware that although the imam’s names, )especially Imam Ali’s(, haven’t been mentioned in the Quran, nevertheless, their names, )especially Imam Ali’s(, can be found in the Prophet’s sayings. One very good example is the hadith of Ghadir which is considered the official announcement of the appointment of ...
Why do we the Shia pray at three times while the Quran tells us to pray at five times?

80520 Laws and Jurisprudence 2010/08/14

The reason the Shia perform their prayers in three times is the Quranic verses and traditions on the matter. Although the Quran has mentioned that prayer is wajib several times and hasn’t gone into the details, it has spoken of its times: “Maintain the prayer from the sun's ...
What is the way of preventing Ehtelam (having wet dream) during sleep?

66769 Laws and Jurisprudence 2015/01/05

According to Islamic teachings and experience of others, for decreasing concupiscence and preventing Jinabat, please refer to the following recommendations: 1. Avoid dreaming and try to make yourself busy with good things such as reading books (non-sexual ones), heavy exercise, etc. Moreover, remember that idleness can lead ...

Links

Developed by AfarineshWeb

Thematic Category

Random questions

Popular

Links