BENEFIT 139: Students of knowledge are not allowed to refute anyone unless preceded by a scholar?!

Questioner: Has any scholar preceded you in your refutation? Sheikh Yusuf al-Jazaa'iri: You firstly need to validate this principle; that one does not refute an individual unless they have been preceded by a scholar. You need to prove this principle and cite evidence from the Qur'an and Sunnah validating it before setting this as a requirement. I am not refuting the likes of Imam Ash-Shafi'i or a prominent scholar from the past in order for me to require a precedent from his era. I am criticising a person from this time; someone present in our time who has committed reprehensible acts. Are we saying that a student of knowledge cannot clarify this unless he is preceded by a scholar?...This is not a requirement! For example, if I, as a small student of knowledge, were to refute someone without being preceded by a scholar, the refutation is automatically rejected? I want you to answer. If now, for example, I or you or any student of knowledge criticises a scholar, without being preceded by any scholars, but he does so with evidence, would his statement be accepted? Provide me with evidence that it is necessary for a scholar to precede you in this matter! Questioner: We don't have evidence. Sheikh: If we don't have evidence, then it is permissible, and the truth is accepted from them. May Allah bless you. Sheikh Rabee was asked, and Sheikh Yahya also, and others from the scholars were asked, if a student of knowledge criticises and refutes a scholar, without any other scholar preceding him, is his criticism accepted? They said yes. If, for example, no scholars refutes him and a student of knowledge refutes with evidence, his statement is accepted. I have the fatwa in audio form; the fatwas of Sheikh Rabee and Sheikh Yahya in this matter, and I have quoted them in "Misbah Adh-Dhalam"...The Fatwa was on the same matter; can a student of knowledge refute a scholar who is older than him? They said yes, he refutes because the criterion is the truth - if he knows the reasons for Jarh and ta'deel and has benefited from the scholars, it is accepted. Questioner: He has to advise them first. Sheikh: Advising is not a prerequisite. Advising is not a prerequisite. Sheikh Rabee was asked if advising is a prerequisite in refutation. He said this is false. Why? Because advising is only required in specific matters, not in widespread matters, as Allah said {إلا الذين تابوا وأصلحوا وبينوا} "Except for those who repent and correct themselves and make evident [what they concealed]." Sheikh ul-Islam, may Allah have mercy on him, said: Whoever openly displays vice, it should be openly rebuked. Sheikh Hamood At-Tuwayjiri refuted Sheikh Ibn Uthaymeen, may Allah have mercy on them both. Why didn't he advise him? Imam Ahmad refuted Imam Shafi'i, why didn't he advise Shafi'i? Sheikh al-Albani refuted Sheikh Ibn Baz, why didn't he advise him? Why? Because if the error is widespread, it is responded to in like, because this error can only be rectified in the same manner. A person ascends the pulpit and utters an erroneous statement and establishes a false principle and an innovation. How is this corrected? Either he repents openly {except for those who repent and correct themselves and make evident [what they concealed]}, or someone comes to clarify this openly in writing or a similar means. But something specific; if someone errs in this gathering of ours, is it permissible for us to write a treatise and publish it? This is a restricted matter. It is sufficient to refute him without publicity. Why? Because the refutation should be of the same nature as the error, as the eminent scholars An-Najmi, Ibn Baz and others have stated. Source: https://t.me/almanhajussalafi/448