Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi's response to Can you provide information on whether it is written in Quran and Hadith that a Mujtahid should be alive, or if this is a rule made by scholars? Additionally, could you explain the disadvantages of following a dead Mujtahid?

Can you provide information on whether it is written in Quran and Hadith that a Mujtahid should be alive, or if this is a rule made by scholars? Additionally, could you explain the disadvantages of following a dead Mujtahid?

Can you provide information on whether it is written in Quran and Hadith that a Mujtahid should be alive, or if this is a rule made by scholars? Additionally, could you explain the disadvantages of following a dead Mujtahid?

Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi, Sayyed Mohammad al-Musawi is originally from Iraq and heads up the World Ahlul Bayt Islamic League in London. Other than being involved in various humanitarian projects, he frequently responds to... Answered 2 years ago

Quran says: Ask those who have the knowledge if you don't know. فاسألوا أهل الذكر إن كنتم لا تعلمون Sura Al-Anbiyaa, verse 7. Obviously we can not ask a dead scholar no matter how high was his knowledge.

Mujtahid must be alive to understand the exact situation of any matter then deduct the Islamic rule of it from Quran, Sunnah, Aql and Ijmaa'.

Sunni Muslims follow dead Shaikhs like Abu Hanifa, Shafi'ee, Malik and Ibn Hanbal. Even Salafi or Wahabi sects follow Ibn Taymiyyah. All of them died before many centuries and never witnessed nor knew about our current issues. Following dead scholar does not fulfill the need of guidance at all because full guidance needs full knowledge about the situation which is with a living eligible scholar not with a dead scholar.

All Hadeeths asking us to refer to the scholars never asked to refer to dead scholars but living scholars who can be asked and who can reply after understanding the situation.

'Wassalam.

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