Question:

Does Al-Majlisi excuse following a legal opinion that has no proof?

Answer:

No, the translation is incomplete and incorrect.

Muhammad Baqir Al-Majlisi writes:

اعلم أن أقبح الذنوب كما يستفاد من الآيات والأخبار الافتراء على الله والرسول والافتراء أن يفتي شخص ليس له أهلية الافتاء وفهم الحكم من الآيات والأخبار بحكم من أحكام الله تعالى ولا ينسبه إلى من له أهلية الافتاء

“Know that the ugliest sin – as it appears from the verses and reports – is lying about God and the messenger (s.) and the lying consists in the fact that someone gives a clarification (fatwa), while he is not capable of giving any clarification (fatwa) nor of understanding the judgment from the verses and reports, with the judgment from the judgments of God, and does not trace it back to anyone who is capable of clarifying it.”

أما لو لم تكن أهلية الفهم لهذا الشخص لكن ينقل الحكم عن عالم خبير بأني سمعت منه هكذا فهذا جائز وبغير هذين الوجهين فإن ما يقوله يعتبر خطأ وصاحبه مذنب وإن وافق الواقع

“However when one is not able to understand, but the judgement was narrated by a knowledgeable person: “That i heard it from him in this way.” Then this is allowed and without these two aspects, what he says is considered wrong and his affiliate is considered sinful, even if it was in accordance with reality.”

إن الله سبحانه وتعالى يقول ومن أظلم ممن افترى على الله كذبا ويقول أيضا ترى الذين كذبوا على الله وجوههم مسودة وحكم تعالى بكفر من يحكم بغير ما أنزل الله تارة وحكم أخرى بظلمهم وثالثة بفسقهم

“God says: “Who is more unjust than he who invented a lie about God?” (6:21) He also says: “Do you see those who lied about God? Their faces are blackened.” (39:60) On one occasion the Exalted One said about those who did not judge with what God has sent down, the judgment of disbelief, and another time of their oppression and a third time of their wickedness.”

وروي بسند صحيح عن عبد الرحمن بن الحجاج أنه قال قال لي أبو عبد الله عليه السلام: إياك وخصلتين فيهما هلك من هلك إياك أن تفتي الناس برأيك أو تدين الله بما لا تعلم

“It was narrated by Abd-ur-Rahman Ibn Hajjaj through a chain, which is authentic (Sahih), that Imam As-Sadiq (a.) said: “Beware of two traits, of which those who perished were thrown into destruction: Beware of giving the clarification (fatwa) to the people with your own opinion or to pursue what you do not know about as a religion of God.”

وروي عن أبي جعفر عليه السلام بسند صحيح أنه قال: من أفتى الناس بغير علم ولا هدى من الله لعنته ملائكة الرحمة وملائكة العذاب ولحقه وزر من عمل بفتياه وقال عليه السلام أيضا: إن من حق الله على العباد أن يقولوا ما يعلمون ويقفوا عند ما لا يعلمون

“It was narrated by Imam Al-Baqir (a.) through a chain that is authentic (Sahih) that he said: “Whoever gave an clarification (fatwa) to the people without knowledge and without guidance from God, the angels of mercy as well as the angels of punishment cursed him and he was caught up in the guilt of those who acted according to his clarification.” He also said: “It is the right of God among His servants to say what they know and stop when they do not know.”

وقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم: من عمل بالمقائيس فقد هلك وأهلك ومن أفتى الناس بغير علم وهو لا يعلم الناسخ من المنسوخ والمحكم من المتشابه فقد هلك وأهلك قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم لأبي ذر رحمه الله: يا أبا ذر إن حقوق الله جل ثناؤه أعظم من أن يقوم بها العباد وإن نعم الله أكثر من أن يحصيها العباد ولكن أمسوا وأصبحوا تائبين

“The Messenger of God said: “The one who acted according to analogies has already plunged himself and others into destruction, and the one who clarifies the people without knowledge (fatwa), while he does not know what is abolishing from what is abolished and what is clear from what is ambiguous, has already plunged himself and others into destruction.” The Messenger (s.) said to Abu Dharr: “O Abu Dharr, the rights of God are mightier than the servants are able to fulfil them, and the gifts of God are more abundant than the servants are able to enumerate them, and yet they pass into the evening and morning in repentance.”

وهذه الجمل الشريفة تشتمل على خصال من مكارم الخصال

“And these noble phrases contain noble qualities.” [Ayn-ul-Hayat, Volume 1 Page 297 – 299]