Don't agree with your marjaa

[j.angel]

Salam everyone,

We know that Marjaas are simply humans like us who have studied our religion (similar to a sheikh but of a higher level). What differs between them and us is their level of knowledge, however we are all humans and any one of us can become a marjaa if they tried and studied. 

We know that human's aren't perfect and can make mistakes, which is why I don't believe that we should follow a marjaa 100%. Just an EXAMPLE, say you follow a marjaa which you consider to be the most knowledgable and there isnt a single other marjaa which you think compares, say for example Khamanie (picked this since a majority of people follow him). Now say he made a ruling that said women going to university is haram because x y and z (a full report on how there is seeing non mahrams, going outside of the house, etc. which may make sense to others) however you are a FIRM beleiver that the thing is not haram and is in fact beneficial (you aren't disagreeing simply because there is someone attractive in your class but instead you seek knowledge).

Of course that example is absurd but I just want to show the comparison between a marjaa saying something is haram vs you firmly believing based on your extensive research that it is not haram. What would you do? Continue following the same marjaa but simply not follow this one fatwa?

[Soldiers and Saffron]

Ws,

For me personally I would trust that even if I do not agree with this one fatwa I would still do my best to obey it, as long as there are more fatwas from the marja that I agree with than there are fatwas that I disagree with, then I follow him.

Do you understand what I mean?

If there are 99 fatwas I understand and agree with, i would still obey the 100th that I do not understand and do not agree with, because as you said what differs them from us is their level of knowledge, while your reasoning and opinion is limited to your level of knowledge, theirs are limited to their level of knowledge.

Also if this is about what I think it is about, then dont dig your own grave. Some wounds to the heart are very hard to heal and the consequences will haunt you and affect you and people around you for a very long time.

[ShiaMan14]

4 hours ago, j.angel said:

Salam everyone,

We know that Marjaas are simply humans like us who have studied our religion (similar to a sheikh but of a higher level). What differs between them and us is their level of knowledge, however we are all humans and any one of us can become a marjaa if they tried and studied. 

We know that human's aren't perfect and can make mistakes, which is why I don't believe that we should follow a marjaa 100%. Just an EXAMPLE, say you follow a marjaa which you consider to be the most knowledgable and there isnt a single other marjaa which you think compares, say for example Khamanie (picked this since a majority of people follow him). Now say he made a ruling that said women going to university is haram because x y and z (a full report on how there is seeing non mahrams, going outside of the house, etc. which may make sense to others) however you are a FIRM beleiver that the thing is not haram and is in fact beneficial (you aren't disagreeing simply because there is someone attractive in your class but instead you seek knowledge).

Of course that example is absurd but I just want to show the comparison between a marjaa saying something is haram vs you firmly believing based on your extensive research that it is not haram. What would you do? Continue following the same marjaa but simply not follow this one fatwa?

Since you used a hypothetical example, please allow me to ask you this question. In your above example, replace Ayatollah Khamenei with 12th Imam (as) - how would you react now?

The point of having an Imam (as) or his representative aka marja is to obey them even when we disagree with him. This is "ita'at".

1 quick example: Malik Al-Ashtar disagreed with Imam Ali (as) about stopping in Siffin when he was close to killing Muawiya BUT he obeyed the Imam (as).

While it's true that marjas are not perfect and make mistakes, our very own 'shias' disagreed and disobeyed imams.

If there is one thing taqleed teaches us, it is how to be obedient in spite of disagreement with our marja.

Edited March 24, 2017 by shiaman14

[Sindbad05]

@IbnSina and @j.angel

I have read from Marajas that if you do a Taqlid of one maraja but hear a thing from another Maraja that is much understandable by you, you can follow that. For example:- if one maraja says that it is necessary that a najs vessel should be washed once and if you wash it three times, it is Mustahab, but there is another Maraja who says that if you wash a Najs vessel once, it is purified. Then you can follow the latter one, there is nothing wrong in it.  

[Soldiers and Saffron]

1 hour ago, Sindbad05 said:

@IbnSina and @j.angel

I have read from Marajas that if you do a Taqlid of one maraja but hear a thing from another Maraja that is much understandable by you, you can follow that. For example:- if one maraja says that it is necessary that a najs vessel should be washed once and if you wash it three times, it is Mustahab, but there is another Maraja who says that if you wash a Najs vessel once, it is purified. Then you can follow the latter one, there is nothing wrong in it.  

 

That is not the case with all fatwas, that is only the case with fatwas where it is mentioned that taqlid of another marja is allowed.

Otherwise, you can pick and chose fatwas left and right for everything you desire and then you are not really following a marja anymore. You are most likely following yourself (soemtimes your nafs) with your own judgement based on your very limited knowledge of whats best, islamically speaking.

Edited March 24, 2017 by IbnSina

[Sindbad05]

53 minutes ago, IbnSina said:

 

That is not the case with all fatwas, that is only the case with fatwas where it is mentioned that taqlid of another marja is allowed.

Otherwise, you can pick and chose fatwas left and right for everything you desire and then you are not really following a marja anymore. You are most likely following yourself (soemtimes your nafs) with your own judgement based on your very limited knowledge of whats best, islamically speaking.

Almost in everything our ulemas are same because their source is same and therefore, it is impossible for anyone to look for different fatwas in every aspect because these teachings are uniform except in places where two hadiths are mentioned for a particular subject and both are found to be authentic in terms of Ilm-e-Rijal and logic. 

[Soldiers and Saffron]

10 minutes ago, Sindbad05 said:

Almost in everything our ulemas are same because their source is same and therefore, it is impossible for anyone to look for different fatwas in every aspect because these teachings are uniform except in places where two hadiths are mentioned for a particular subject and both are found to be authentic in terms of Ilm-e-Rijal and logic. 

That might be so, but what I said regarding following another marjas fatwa still stands, it is only allowed when the marja of whom you follow allows it.

If there is ever a special case, one can simply contact his or her marja, explain the case and see what they say.

[Al Hadi]

11 hours ago, j.angel said:

Salam everyone,

We know that Marjaas are simply humans like us who have studied our religion (similar to a sheikh but of a higher level). What differs between them and us is their level of knowledge, however we are all humans and any one of us can become a marjaa if they tried and studied. 

We know that human's aren't perfect and can make mistakes, which is why I don't believe that we should follow a marjaa 100%. Just an EXAMPLE, say you follow a marjaa which you consider to be the most knowledgable and there isnt a single other marjaa which you think compares, say for example Khamanie (picked this since a majority of people follow him). Now say he made a ruling that said women going to university is haram because x y and z (a full report on how there is seeing non mahrams, going outside of the house, etc. which may make sense to others) however you are a FIRM beleiver that the thing is not haram and is in fact beneficial (you aren't disagreeing simply because there is someone attractive in your class but instead you seek knowledge).

Of course that example is absurd but I just want to show the comparison between a marjaa saying something is haram vs you firmly believing based on your extensive research that it is not haram. What would you do? Continue following the same marjaa but simply not follow this one fatwa?

Alaykum salam

Take my words carefully but i can say that if you know 100% something is halal despite your marja's knowledge you have reached ijtihad in a since at least in that one area. So it's impossible to know for us if something is halal or haram more than a marja especially the most knowledgeable in our eyes. 

2. However taqlid isn't black and white so let's say you did find your  marja has an unreasonable fatwa. You can follow another marja if he is more expert on that area. So if one marja is more expert on muharamat on social issues such as making universities halal and haram you can follow his fatwa making it halal for example if he makes it halal. 

3. If I had ijtihad In an area and said something different from my marja I would follow my marja still as he is the most knowledgeable in other areas because I have researched and found he is the most knowledgeable. However it depends on each case like if I found something was halal and found it to be obvious to the point where i could tell the marja doesn't have social knowledge or some kind of necessary knowledge i would start to doubt and begin looking for another marja as I wouldn't feel this person making such mistakes could be the most knowledgeable. That's if I known for sure this thing was halal and my marja says it's haram like that research I did in gaining ijtihad In this area I saw he was wrong to the point where I felt the most knowledgeable would not have such an opinion or be this wrong then I would think of switching.

Edited March 24, 2017 by Al Hadi

[j.angel]

9 hours ago, shiaman14 said:

with 12th Imam (as)

Well there is where the difference would be... an Imam doesn't make error (we believe them to be infallible... but we don't think that about a marjaa). 

[j.angel]

3 hours ago, Al Hadi said:

taqlid isn't black and white

For each fatwa there is usually always another marjaa who says the opposite. The two marjaas are both studying the exact same books, etc. but at the end of the day it's about how they comprehend the information. Just like how in English class we would all read the same books and write essays on our thoughts, our teacher who studied English for years may have a specific view, but it doesn't mean they're 100% right if we have also read the book and noticed something else. They are humans just like us. 

[notme]

16 minutes ago, j.angel said:

Well there is where the difference would be... an Imam doesn't make error (we believe them to be infallible... but we don't think that about a marjaa). 

True, marjae are not infallible, but they have studied all their lives and are expert. You'd have to put a lot of time into research and contemplation before you could even begin to dispute one ruling. 

But following blindly is condemned in the Quran. If you suspect a fatwa is flawed, it's better to err on the side of caution, but definitely do research it. If you find compelling evidence of error, please point it out to the scholar. I'm sure he will appreciate being corrected if he is in error.

[Hassan-]

Unfortunately you can't follow another fatwa under sayed Sistani unless he says so. However if you do extensive research and came to realize he isn't the most knowledgable, you can switch your marja to who you think is the most knowledgable. You can also ask the ahlul khibra to tell you who the most knowledgable is, and take their word.

[emceemo40]

17 minutes ago, Hassan- said:

You can also ask the ahlul khibra to tell you who the most knowledgable is, and take their word.

Who are Ahlul khibra?

[Hassan-]

13 minutes ago, emceemo40 said:

Who are Ahlul khibra?

Those who are knowledgable in Islamic jurisprudence, in other words the sheikhs and syeds.

 

btw why do our posts need to be approved by a mod in this section of the forums?

Edited March 24, 2017 by Hassan-

[Al Hadi]

1 hour ago, j.angel said:

For each fatwa there is usually always another marjaa who says the opposite. The two marjaas are both studying the exact same books, etc. but at the end of the day it's about how they comprehend the information. Just like how in English class we would all read the same books and write essays on our thoughts, our teacher who studied English for years may have a specific view, but it doesn't mean they're 100% right if we have also read the book and noticed something else. They are humans just like us. 

I understand but that's not what I meant by not black and white and on a side note reading the book thing isn't that valid because these people actually give arguments for what they view. And in their Kharij classes they work on trying to defeat the other scholars opinions and showing logically with evidence how there interpretation is better. This is how it is done with marjas. Also it isn't the case with every fatwa they have the opposite. Not at all they agree on many. 

Now what I meant by black and white was there is a way for you to escape. As in you don't have to follow one marja in all areas. You can follow another marja in another area if you find he is more knowledgeable in those areas. Like muharamat, maybe he is more knowledgeable in fasting for example so you would follow him there. This is what I meant if you read everything in my above post you will see that I mentioned this. 

Edited March 24, 2017 by Al Hadi

[ShiaMan14]

2 hours ago, j.angel said:

Well there is where the difference would be... an Imam doesn't make error (we believe them to be infallible... but we don't think that about a marjaa). 

So I think you are saying that you would obey the Imam even if you disagreed him.

Would it not be fair to say that you not trusting Imam's (as) infallibility as much as you are trusting his knowledge and decision based on this knowledge.

Exact same thing applies to the marja. Unless they issue an edict in direct contradiction of the Quran, you should obey even if you disagree.

Yes, I am fully aware that they are normal men who can and do make mistakes. However, the most valuable thing they teach us is "ita'at" ie obedience.

[j.angel]

2 hours ago, Hassan- said:

extensive research and came to realize he isn't the most knowledgable

For someone who has a language barrier that isn't really possible. Most people follow Sistani because "he's arab" (I've asked various sheikh's why they follow them and that was the response I've heard!). However, wasn't he born in Iran and just grew up in Iraq?

Sistani also says it's haram to switch marjaas... however i feel that is similar to the Druze rule that says you can't switch religions. That for example would be a ruling which someone may not agree with.

[Hassan-]

6 minutes ago, j.angel said:

For someone who has a language barrier that isn't really possible. Most people follow Sistani because "he's arab" (I've asked various sheikh's why they follow them and that was the response I've heard!). However, wasn't he born in Iran and just grew up in Iraq?

Sistani also says it's haram to switch marjaas... however i feel that is similar to the Druze rule that says you can't switch religions. That for example would be a ruling which someone may not agree with.

Sayed Sistani says you can switch marjas if you think there is someone else that's more knowledgable then him. Go ask the sheikhs for their opinions on who they think is the most knowledgable, and see which marjas they tell you. There's many sheikhs in Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal.

[Al Hadi]

3 hours ago, j.angel said:

For someone who has a language barrier that isn't really possible. Most people follow Sistani because "he's arab" (I've asked various sheikh's why they follow them and that was the response I've heard!). However, wasn't he born in Iran and just grew up in Iraq?

Sistani also says it's haram to switch marjaas... however i feel that is similar to the Druze rule that says you can't switch religions. That for example would be a ruling which someone may not agree with.

ya there are shaykhs I met who don't know what they're talking about either. Sistani let's you switch if you want I can help you with this if your struggling you can pm me again if you want. it doesn't mean I'll try to change you but if you have questions I can try to answer them and give you sources so it's up to you.

i was in your position just a few months back always followed sistani never took it too seriously when I did and started asking people I started to doubt. sistani says in his Arabic minhaj al saliheen that you can change if you find one marja as the most knowledgeable. 

9. If a Mujtahid, who is followed by a person dies, his category will be the same as when he was alive. Based on this, if he is more learned than a living Mujtahid, the follower who has a general notion about the variation in the day to day Masae'l, must continue to remain in his taqlid. And if the living Mujtahid is more learned, then the follower must turn to him for taqlid. The term 'taqlid' used here implies only an intention to follow a particular Mujtahid, and does not include having acted according to his fatwa.

http://www.sistani.org/english/book/48/2116/

Based on this sistani is saying when a mujtahid is alive and your following him if you find one who is more knowledgeable you switch to him even if it's him himself. Which ever shaykh told you otherwise has no idea what their talking about. The shaykhs I had who followed sistani and who knew I followed him NEVER Told me I couldn't switch according to sistani when I told them I was thinking of researching other mujtahids to follow. Sistani says you have to follow the most knowledgeable so if you find that to be someone else you can follow him. He says you can't follow someone else if you think that most knowledgeable happens to be him but otherwise you can.

ps: your right according to his biography he is Iranian not Arab. His family is from sistan, Iran another name for it in Persian is sijistan. They moved to Mashhad eventually and I believe sistani began his studies there. You can Read more here on the bio on his website.

http://www.sistani.org/english/data/2/

 

Edited March 24, 2017 by Al Hadi

[Soldiers and Saffron]

5 hours ago, j.angel said:

For someone who has a language barrier that isn't really possible. Most people follow Sistani because "he's arab" (I've asked various sheikh's why they follow them and that was the response I've heard!). However, wasn't he born in Iran and just grew up in Iraq?

Sistani also says it's haram to switch marjaas... however i feel that is similar to the Druze rule that says you can't switch religions. That for example would be a ruling which someone may not agree with.

I do not know where you are getting your information from.

He is most certainly not arab, anyone who would follow him just because they think his arab is not only a fool but an ignorant fool. As the brother above said, he is from Sistan, thus the title/family name Sistani, just like Khomeini was from Khomein.

One says you are free to cherry pick fatwas left and right, the other one says its haram to switch marja.

Where the heck are you guys getting your information from really? I hope for the sake of God that you do not act based on the information you have gotten from your information sources that you have so far.

[Al Hadi]

44 minutes ago, IbnSina said:

I do not know where you are getting your information from.

He is most certainly not arab, anyone who would follow him just because they think his arab is not only a fool but an ignorant fool. As the brother above said, he is from Sistan, thus the title/family name Sistani, just like Khomeini was from Khomein.

One says you are free to cherry pick fatwas left and right, the other one says its haram to switch marja.

Where the heck are you guys getting your information from really? I hope for the sake of God that you do not act based on the information you have gotten from your information sources that you have so far.

I gave her a reference to his website and never said she could cherry pick. I said in the areas a mujtahid is the most knowledgeable you follow him. I hope there isn't a misunderstanding here. No you can't cherry pick left and right if that's what you understood from me then forgive me for the errors I may have made that's not what I meant.

Edited March 25, 2017 by Al Hadi

[Guest silasun]

Ayatollah Khamenei doesn't say it's haram for a woman to go to university. He actually encourages it. But if you commit haram as a result of going there then obviously it's haraam to go to university.

Remember that Islamic laws are in line with the human fitrah - God isn't commanding us to perform useless actions.

With regards to changing marja' on a specific issue, please see this post and the comments below. It's not as difficult as often made out.

It is a misunderstanding that one is not allowed to switch their taqlid on certain issues.

http://www.14publications.com/articles/following-multiple-maraja-in-different-subjects/

[Guest silasun]

The Qom Society of teachers introduced a number of scholars, following any of whom would be halal. This includes:

Makarim Shirazi, Khamenei, Sistani and Khorasani.

So one's duty is fulfilled if they follow any of these scholars according to the group.

Source: http://www.jameehmodarresin.org/

[Soldiers and Saffron]

11 hours ago, Al Hadi said:

I gave her a reference to his website and never said she could cherry pick. I said in the areas a mujtahid is the most knowledgeable you follow him. I hope there isn't a misunderstanding here. No you can't cherry pick left and right if that's what you understood from me then forgive me for the errors I may have made that's not what I meant.

I know brother, I was not referring to you.

[iCambrian]

@j.angel

The most conservative approach

Would be to follow your marja, regardless of if he may be wrong.  He is more likely to be more knowledgeable of Islamic law, that a regular joe.

A more moderate approach

In the event that your marja is likely incorrect on a matter (which happens), It would be more reasonable to not follow the marja on that one issue. In the event that the marja were incorrect, and you were aware of this, then following that marja would be a sin.

An alternative,

it would be more reasonable to go with another marja who is more knowledgeable of a topic, if you recognize that your own marja may not be the most knowledgeable in that area.

Which of these approaches is the most correct, really just depends on your perspective. Marja are experts in theology. Which is great, but you also have to understand that they arent necessarily experts in topics outside of theology. Understanding truth is something that can only be discovered by examining and having knowledge of multiple perspectives and fields of knowledge.

For example, a geologist may have one perspective on something he or she observes.  And they may be the most knowledgeable geologist in an entire country.  But a geologist, though great in knowledge, can develop a false view, if they lack an understanding of say...biology.  And this is just the way it is, you really need a collection of experts from various fields, backgrounds and perspectives to fully understand things.

Edited March 25, 2017 by iCambrian

[iraqi_shia]

On 3/24/2017 at 0:02 AM, j.angel said:

Salam everyone,

We know that Marjaas are simply humans like us who have studied our religion (similar to a sheikh but of a higher level). What differs between them and us is their level of knowledge, however we are all humans and any one of us can become a marjaa if they tried and studied. 

We know that human's aren't perfect and can make mistakes, which is why I don't believe that we should follow a marjaa 100%. Just an EXAMPLE, say you follow a marjaa which you consider to be the most knowledgable and there isnt a single other marjaa which you think compares, say for example Khamanie (picked this since a majority of people follow him). Now say he made a ruling that said women going to university is haram because x y and z (a full report on how there is seeing non mahrams, going outside of the house, etc. which may make sense to others) however you are a FIRM beleiver that the thing is not haram and is in fact beneficial (you aren't disagreeing simply because there is someone attractive in your class but instead you seek knowledge).

Of course that example is absurd but I just want to show the comparison between a marjaa saying something is haram vs you firmly believing based on your extensive research that it is not haram. What would you do? Continue following the same marjaa but simply not follow this one fatwa?

What value is the opinion of someone who knows less?

I mean consider any situation, when is is rational to follow the less knowledgeable over the more knowledgeable?

If it doesnt make sense to the less knowledgeable, so what? 

[j.angel]

2 hours ago, iraqi_shia said:

What value is the opinion of someone who knows less?

As someone had previously stated one marjaa may be more specialized in an area than another. In any given company a manager will know what each department does, but an employee there will know the more technical stuff. Irrelevant example but the best thing i can think of after a day of work.

[j.angel]

7 hours ago, iCambrian said:

Marja are experts in theology. Which is great, but you also have to understand that they arent necessarily experts in topics outside of theology. Understanding truth is something that can only be discovered by examining and having knowledge of multiple perspectives and fields of knowledge.

Thanks for your answer, one of the best. Thanks!

[Al Hadi]

1 minute ago, j.angel said:

As someone had previously stated one marjaa may be more specialized in an area than another. In any given company a manager will know what each department does, but an employee there will know the more technical stuff. Irrelevant example but the best thing i can think of after a day of work.

so you understand you can change now right if you want?

pm me if you have any questions on any of this or if you want help in your research I can point you to some ways and sources or answer any questions you might have.

 

[Lion33]

I have noticed a lot of people having problems with taqlid. From my own personal experience I have learned that yes you do taqlid but you shouldn't interpret everything being commanded in a literal sense. Its more important to think in a general way and use critical thinking and I have found that the scholars respect you more if you this anyways...

[j.angel]

6 hours ago, Yama Nemati said:

being commanded in a literal sense

I think that if there was one (or two) marjaas to follow then it would make more sense, but when you have for example 10  all studying the same books and everyone has their own perception is where problems start. Imagine there were 10 Imams alive at the same time and each had their own commands... at the end of the day you're going to start doubting and everything gets too complicated.

[iraqi_shia]

15 hours ago, j.angel said:

As someone had previously stated one marjaa may be more specialized in an area than another. In any given company a manager will know what each department does, but an employee there will know the more technical stuff. Irrelevant example but the best thing i can think of after a day of work.

But that is not what is being discussed.

The title is "Don't agree with your marjaa"

This implies the follower, the one with less knowledge, is disagreeing with the one with more knowledge. 

How can that ever be right?

 

[Abu Hadi]

 

3 hours ago, j.angel said:

I think that if there was one (or two) marjaas to follow then it would make more sense, but when you have for example 10  all studying the same books and everyone has their own perception is where problems start. Imagine there were 10 Imams alive at the same time and each had their own commands... at the end of the day you're going to start doubting and everything gets too complicated.

There are some marjaa, such as Sayyid Fadlallah(ra), who allow you to follow another marjaa' for any issue. He is one of the rare ones in that. If you didn't follow him during his lifetime, though, you cannot switch to him now. 

Also, during the early days of the IRI(Islamic Republic of Iran) there was a discussion which almost became a reality, of having the WF(Wilayat Al Faqih) be a committee rather than an individual person. The logic was that a committee of very highly learned and adl(just) scholars would be less prone to error than a single individual. This idea was ultimately discarded, and there are problems with committee also, such as what if they didn't come to a consensus or near consensus on an important issue, committees are less efficient at making quick decision vs a single individual and there are some times where quick decisions are necessary, etc. 

The WF(Wilayat Al Faqih) or marjaa' is not the official representative of Imam Mehdi(a.f.s) as there were individual representatives in the time of Ghaib Al Sughra(the lesser occultation). They make decisions based on their learning and their knowledge and most also consider precedent (decisions made by highly knowledgeable scholars of the past). Those are the tools they use, they don't have a special relationship with the Imam(a.f.s) in an official sense, nor do they have alim al ghaib(knowledge of the unseen). 

While there is a small hazard in following a marjaa' (i.e. he may make a mistake), there is an much greater hazard in other forms of emulation.  If we want to follow someone, the only other choices we have are following less knowledgeable scholars (which doesn't make sense), or following ourselves. Unless we are also highly knowledgeable and adl(just), then it also doesn't make sense to follow ourselves, since because of our own biases and desires are much more prone to error than say a marjaa' would be. 

Of course, if we had direct access to our Imam(a.f.s) or an official representative of the Imam, like was the case during Ghaib Al Sughra, of course those would be much better options and every sincere person (sincere meaning their intention in their religion is niyyah of Qurba(to get closer to Allah(s.w.a) thru following the religion in the correct way in which He(s.w.a) wants us to) would take that option. 

Unfortunately at the present, we don't have those options, so marjaa' is the best option available. If your current marjaa' doesn't say you have to follow the 'most learned', then you have a choice. Please read the section in the resalat of your marjaa' entitled 'Marjaiyyat and Taqlid' (emulation and the jurist) or equivalent title. Most people skip this part because there are no ruling on specific issues in it, but it is a very important section to understand if you want to follow your marjaa' correctly. 

You have the choice which marjaa' to follow. But once you make a decision, you need to follow thru, according to the one you chose. 

IMO. 

 

 

Edited March 26, 2017 by Abu Hadi

[iCambrian]

3 hours ago, iraqi_shia said:

But that is not what is being discussed.

The title is "Don't agree with your marjaa"

This implies the follower, the one with less knowledge, is disagreeing with the one with more knowledge. 

How can that ever be right?

 

Have you never been in a situation in which you have had a more correct idea of something, over an expert?

[iraqi_shia]

1 hour ago, iCambrian said:

Have you never been in a situation in which you have had a more correct idea of something, over an expert?

There are levels to knowledge. Then there is qualification and confirmation of the knowledge.

If I have higher knowledge, then I shouldn't be asking them for advice, they should be asking me.

In this context, we are saying that we have a religious expert. They are trained, and have been recognised as the most knowledgeable by their peers. If a layperson disagrees with the expert, trained, qualified opinion, should they act on their own opinion, or go with the expert? 

Its like if a child does not know how to do maths, they are given a sum say -2 x 3. They have never seen a sum like this and think the negative sign is not significant and say the answer is 6. The teacher, the expert in maths, says the negative sign is important, and the answer is -6. 

There is no scenario where less knowledge overrides more knowledge.

Allah says "...Are those who know and those who do not know equal?” Only those possessed of reason will remember." 39:9