What Is Meant By Looking For Dispensation In Fatwa
This situation does not automatically fall under sinful “looking for dispensations.” Islam does not require a person to follow the first fatwa they hear, nor the strictest one. It is completely normal—and allowed—for a person to consult more than one reliable scholar or source, especially when one explanation feels unclear or hard to apply. If another view makes more sense to you intellectually and aligns better with your understanding, following it is not sinful. Blameworthy looking for dispensations only occurs when someone knowingly hunts for the easiest opinion while believing it to be wrong. But choosing an opinion because it is clearer, more convincing, or realistically applicable is valid. If you follow a recognized scholarly opinion (for example, on music) and your heart is at ease, then acting on it does not make you sinful. Also, if later in life your understanding changes and you realize that what you were following no longer convinces you, that does not mean you were acting in bad faith before. Humans grow, learn, and reassess. Islam encourages continued learning, not freezing one’s conscience forever. What matters is that at the time you acted, your heart was at peace and your mind accepted it honestly. Seeking clarity is not chasing loopholes. Allah judges sincerity, effort, and conscience—not perfection or hindsight.