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Fatwa CenterA Layman Is Not Sinful in Imitating the Scholars Whom He Trusts
Question
Assalamualikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuhu respected Scholars. In fatwa no. 264595 you have said that Tawassul is a matter of Ijtihaad (personal reasoning) in which the difference of opinion is acceptable. Now those laymen Muslims following a madhab in which Tawassul is practiced, do we have to warn them of Tawassul? Do we say to them what you are doing is wrong? Does this come under disturbing the position of the madhab? If someone(laymen) is shaving the beard because he is a follower of Shafi madhab. In this case I think we don't go to them and tell them that what you are doing is wrong. If that is the case then do we also not warn of Tawassul? Jazakallahu Khair
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad 
is His slave and Messenger.
You are a layman, and your obligation is to imitate the scholars whom you trust.
You do not have the right to denounce others in matters of Ijtihad, because there is no objection to matters of Ijtihad, as stated by the jurists.
Whoever imitates a scholar who issues a Fatwa that Tawassul is permissible and is of the view that shaving the beard is only disliked [Makrooh] and not forbidden, then this layman who imitates him is free of sin and he should not be denounced.
Yes, if it was said to the one who shaves the beard, you should let your beard grow in order to avoid the difference of opinion, and your view is that it is only a Sunnah, then the Sunnah should be followed and not abandoned, then this is good.
As for the issue of Tawassul, there is no denial in it. Rather, the person who has reached the rank of weighing the Islamic texts between what is preponderant and what is less preponderant, then he should clarify what is preponderant with its evidence, and the layman is permitted to follow the scholars whom he trusts.
For more benefit on Tawassul by virtue of the Prophet, and permissible and prohibited Tawassul, please refer to Fatawa ">11669, 16690, 17593, ">81681, 142097, 264595, 284374, 419992, and 89076.
Allah knows best.
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