Fatwa is one of the most important religious tasks in Islam and scholars bear the responsibility of it; however, it is a joint work between a mustafti (a questioner) and a mufti (a scholar). The mufti issues his fatwa depending on what the questioner asks him. Thus, people who seek Fatwa must be sincere, correct, objective, precise and honest when presenting their questions.
Regarding the guidelines and ethics of Fatwa seekers, Dr. Salah As-Sawi, secretary general for the Assembly of Muslim Jurists in America (AMJA), stated:
1- The desired result of seeking Fatwa is erasing ignorance or eliminating a doubt; it is not merely constraint or wasting time.
2- Precisely describe the Fatwa and be honest when presenting it, because the Fatwa scholar is a captive of the Fatwa seeker, and the more clear and precise the Fatwa is presented, the more clear and useful the solution or the answer would be.
3- Be objective when seeking the Shari`ah ruling and counseling and avoid seeking legality for personal whims, because true designated tasks necessitate that the designated person should negate his own self and forget about his personal interests in order to be an honest servant of his Lord.
4- Follow the Fatwa scholar whom one believes is counseling with the ruling ofShari`ah and the judgment of Allah. The means for this is to seek the most knowledgeable and the most pious Shari`ah scholars when he finds differences among them, and this is known through publicity and circulation.
5- Be precise when seeking evidence, and do not be insistent on it if the Fatwa scholar does not mention it.
6- Avoid roving about between Fatwa scholars, in order not to become confused. The individual should seek the Fatwa counseling with whom there is trust in his faith and knowledge, followed by trust in his counsel, and if he is not convinced, then he could seek another more knowledgeable Fatwa scholar, and so on, until he feels that his request has been satisfactorily answered.
7- Avoid asking proscribed questions, about which knowledge would not avail nor ignorance would be harmful, and upon which there would not be any action and that would open up doors for argumentation and dispute.
8- Avoid having the intention to ask hard and complicated questions to the Fatwa scholar, in order to test, embarrass, or make him appear ignorant in front of people.
9- Avoid asking questions when answering them would raise hostility against Fatwa scholars, which would necessitate that the issue is not raised in public.
10- Avoid asking questions that would expose some organizations or individuals to the temptation of controversy, except with something that must be strongly addressed, like grave innovations on whose bases loyalty to Allah The Almighty and hostility for His sake are governed.
11- Avoid launching offensives with some Fatwas against others, or involving Fatwa scholars in arguments and disputes that they are not part of or have no knowledge of its dimensions.
12- Understand the Fatwa scholars` silence and their avoidance for answering or ignoring them in some cases, and not press them for answers, because some issues necessitate silence or being ignored.
13- Choose the best time to ask Fatwa questions. For example, it is not convenient to ask a Fatwa scholar while he is talking with others, or while he is temporarily in a bad mood, or feeling angry, sad, or cheerful.
14- Respect and appreciate Fatwa scholars, by addressing them politely and praying to Almighty Allah for them when they are first contacted.