Benefit 65: What does this statement actually mean:

«إيَّاكَ أنْ تتكلمَ في مسألةٍ ليسَ لكَ فيها إمامٌ» “Beware of speaking about a matter concerning which you have no imām”? We hear this statement being thrown around, but what does it really mean, and when does it actually apply? ● FIRSTLY: This statement is ascribed to imām Aḥmad raḥimahullāh: Al-Maymūni (one of the Companions of imām Aḥmad) said: قال لي أحمد: يا أبا الحسن، إياك أن تتكلم في مسألة ليس لك فيها إمام. “Aḥmad said to me: 'O Abul Ḥasan, beware of speaking about an issue concerning which you have no imām.' ” [Siyar A’lām An-Nubalā' (11/296)] ● SECONDLY - Its meaning: ٠ We must follow the path of the righteous predecessors and beware of opposing them. ٠ A student of knowledge should not deduce rulings of his own if he has not reached the level of Ijtihād. ● THIRDLY - Its application: In terms of agreement and disagreement, Deen related matters are categorised into three types: (i) Masaa'il Al-Ijmā’ (issues of unanimous agreement/concensus) (ii) Masaa'il Al-Khilāf (issues of partial differing, but the evidences support one side) (iii) Masaa'il Al-Ijtihād (issues where there's no clear evidences) Thus: ٠ If there's no scope for differing in the matter, like Masaa'il Al-Ijmā’, then we say: «إيَّاكَ أنْ تتكلمَ في مسألةٍ ليسَ لكَ فيها إمامٌ» ٠ And if the scholars differed in a matter, we confine our search for the truth to their opinions in that matter, without introducing a new opinion of our own. Sheikhul Islām ibn Taymiyyah raḥimahullāh said: «كلُّ قولٍ ينفردُ بهِ المتأخرُ عنِ المتقدمينَ، ولمْ يسبقْه إليهِ أحدٌ منهم، فإنهُ يكونُ خطأً» “Any statement made by a latecomer that is distinct from the earlycomers, which none of them preceded him in that, then it is wrong.” [Majmū’ Al-Fatāwā (21/291)] Similarly, Ash-Shāṭibi raḥimahullāh said: « يجبُ على كلِّ ناظرٍ في الدليلِ الشرعيِّ مراعاةُ ما فهمَ منه الأوَّلونَ، وما كانوا عليه في العملِ به، فهو أحرى بالصوابِ، وأقومُ في العلمِ والعملِ» “It is obligatory upon every person who examines the legal evidence to take into account what the predecessors understood from it, and how they acted upon it, for it is more correct and more upright in terms of knowledge and action.” [Al-Muwāfaqāt (3/289)]