Civil Liability of Religious Preachers for Misstatement of Rulings Leading to Financial Losses

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Associate Professor, Department of Law, Ayatollah Boroujerdi University

2 Assistant Professor, Department of Law, Ayatollah Boroujerdi University

3 Master's degree in private law, Ayatollah Boroujerdi University

10.22081/jf.2025.70466.2866

Abstract

Since ijtihad and the deduction of religious rulings are not possible for everyone, and acting based on precaution (ihtiyat) is often very difficult for ordinary people, the general practice among the devout is to follow a qualified jurist (marjaʿ) in religious rulings. On the other hand, the fatwas of jurists are sometimes expressed in specialized language and require clarification by a preacher or religious expert. In practice, it is observed that these religious experts or preachers may make mistakes in conveying rulings related to financial issues such as khums, zakat, and kaffarat, which can cause financial losses to the legally accountable individual (mukallaf). In some cases, these losses cannot be compensated, even though they result from the negligence, error, or sometimes intentional misstatement by the religious expert. This study, using a descriptive-analytical approach, aims to examine the civil liability of this group of religious preachers. According to jurisprudential and legal principles, if a preacher is negligent or at fault in misrepresenting religious rulings, and the inquirer acts upon this misstatement in good faith and suffers loss, the preacher cannot be exempted from liability based on the rule of ihsan (benevolence). Since the elements of civil liability are fulfilled, the preacher—based on the rules of tasbib (causation), ihtiram (respect for others’ rights), and la darar (no harm)—is responsible and obligated to compensate for the damage caused.

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References

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History

  • Receive Date: 07 December 2024
  • Revise Date: 16 April 2025
  • Accept Date: 30 June 2025

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