ISLAM AND THE WEST - 63

 The point is that there are only two ways of following Deen. One is that one learns it systematically and becomes a religious scholar, and then acts upon his own knowledge. The second is that if one is engaged in a vocation that does not leave him sufficient time to learn Deen systematically, then he finds a scholar who has both authentic knowledge and integrity of character, and follows that scholar in matters of religion. Once a person makes his best effort to find such a scholar and follows them, they have fulfilled their obligation as specified in the Noble Qur’an, as not everyone of us can become religious scholars because then there will be no doctors, nurses, teachers, in this world. It is a ruling of Shariah that a person who makes his best effort to find a scholar with knowledge and integrity and then follows them, then if that scholar makes an honest mistake, both the scholar and the follower will not be penalized for it on the Day of Qiyamah(Doomsday) as long as they acted in good faith.