Reminder: Be Careful Before Calling Something Farḍ

As-salāmu ʿalaykum - a quick reminder about how we speak about rulings in the dīn. We need to avoid being casual or hasty when claiming something is farḍ. Only Allāh and His Messenger ﷺ have the authority to declare an obligation. Scholars don’t invent rulings out of thin air; they try to classify matters based on the revelation we’ve been given. The risk is when a practice that’s actually Sunnah or recommended gets pushed and enforced like it’s mandatory. When that happens, we’re effectively speaking for Allāh without the necessary evidence, and that’s a dangerous place to be. Legislation in the dīn belongs to Allāh alone, and the Qur’ān warns us about overstepping there. Even the early Imams warned against blind following. Imam Abū Ḥanīfah said something like, “Do not accept my opinion unless you know the evidence behind it.” That’s the attitude we should keep: follow the dalīl, not just a person. Consider the beard as an example. Some scholars viewed it as wajib based on their reading of the texts; others called it Sunnah mu’akkadah. There’s legitimate ikhtilāf. That doesn’t mean all views are identical or that the topic is unimportant. You may follow the position you find strongest, but don’t turn your personal conviction into a universal rule for everyone unless the proof is clear and agreed upon. Respecting ikhtilāf means recognizing that scholars differed and not declaring your conclusion to be divine law. The principle is simple: don’t label something farḍ without clear proof, but also don’t dismiss positions scholars took seriously. Seek balance - neither extreme nor negligence - and be open to evidence even if it challenges your view. The Prophet ﷺ warned against arrogance when truth is presented to us.