the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 'Allah will not take away knowledge by removing it from people (from their hearts). Rather He will take away knowledge by taking away the scholars, then when there are no scholars left, the people will take the ignorant as their leaders. They will be asked questions and they will issue verdicts without knowledge, thus they will go astray and lead others astray.'"  

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ يَقْبِضُ الْعِلْمَ انْتِزَاعًا يَنْتَزِعُهُ مِنَ النَّاسِ وَلَكِنْ يَقْبِضُ الْعِلْمَ بِقَبْضِ الْعُلَمَاءِ فَإِذَا لَمْ يُبْقِ عَالِمًا اتَّخَذَ النَّاسُ رُءُوسًا جُهَّالاً فَسُئِلُوا فَأَفْتَوْا بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ فَضَلُّوا وَأَضَلُّوا  

"The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 'Whoever is given a Fatwa (verdict) that has no basis, then his sin will be upon the one who issued that Fatwa.'"  

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ مَنْ أُفْتِيَ بِفُتْيَا غَيْرَ ثَبَتٍ فَإِنَّمَا إِثْمُهُ عَلَى مَنْ أَفْتَاهُ  

"The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 'Knowledge is based on three things, and anything beyond that is superfluous: a clear Verse, an established Sunnah, or the rulings by which the inheritance is divided fairly.'"  

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ الْعِلْمُ ثَلاَثَةٌ فَمَا وَرَاءَ ذَلِكَ فَهُوَ فَضْلٌ آيَةٌ مُحْكَمَةٌ أَوْ سُنَّةٌ قَائِمَةٌ أَوْ فَرِيضَةٌ عَادِلَةٌ  

"When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ sent me to Yemen, he said: 'Do not pass any judgment or make any decision except on the basis of what you know. If you are uncertain about a matter, wait until you understand it fully, or write to me concerning it.'" (Maudu')  

لَمَّا بَعَثَنِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِلَى الْيَمَنِ قَالَ لاَ تَقْضِيَنَّ وَلاَ تَفْصِلَنَّ إِلاَّ بِمَا تَعْلَمُ فَإِنْ أَشْكَلَ عَلَيْكَ أَمْرٌ فَقِفْ حَتَّى تُبَيِّنَهُ أَوْ تَكْتُبَ إِلَىَّ فِيهِ  

"I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: 'The affairs of the Children of Israel remained fair until Muwalladun emerged among them - the children of female slaves from other nations. They spoke of their own opinions (in religious matters) and so they went astray and led others astray.'"  

سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ لَمْ يَزَلْ أَمْرُ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ مُعْتَدِلاً حَتَّى نَشَأَ فِيهِمُ الْمُوَلَّدُونَ أَبْنَاءُ سَبَايَا الأُمَمِ فَقَالُوا بِالرَّأْىِ فَضَلُّوا وَأَضَلُّوا