And, by agreement of the four imams, his judgment, once issued, may not be overturned, nor may he be prevented from ruling or issuing fatwas on that basis, nor may anyone be prevented from following his opinion.

Anyone who says that such restrictions are permissible has opposed the consensus of the four imams—indeed, the consensus of the Muslims—as well as opposing Allah and His Messenger. For Allah Most High says in His Book:

“O you who believe, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you. If you disagree over anything, refer it to Allah and the Messenger, if you believe in Allah and the Last Day. That is best and leads to the best outcome.”

Allah thus commands the believers to refer their disputes to Allah and the Messenger, which means referring them to the Quran and Sunnah.

Whoever says, “No one may refer disputed matters to the Quran and Sunnah; rather, Muslims must follow our opinion rather than the other,” without providing evidence recognized by Islamic law—such as evidence from the Quran and Sunnah—to establish the correctness of his opinion, has opposed the Quran, the Sunnah, and the consensus of the Muslims. Such a person must be called upon to repent and punished as others like him are punished.

If the issue is one disputed among Muslim scholars, and someone adheres to one of the two opinions, no argument based on evidence recognized by Islamic law—such as the Quran and Sunnah—has been brought against his opinion, and the proponent of the other opinion has no such evidence to refute it, then, by the consensus of the Muslims, the person who lacks proof establishing the correctness of his opinion has no right to restrain the one who argues on the basis of evidence recognized by Islamic law. Rather, he has allowed Muslims to be barred from holding the opinion that accords with the Quran and Sunnah, and required people to follow the opposing opinion without any evidence recognized by Islamic law that obliges them to follow this opinion and forbids them to follow the other. He has thus cast off religion; he must be called upon to repent and punished