Question:

Can one change their marja’ on selected issues only? For example is it okay to follow Marja’ A (eg. Ayatullah Sistani) as my main marja’, but for issues related to mut’ah (temporary marriage), to follow marja’ B (eg. Sayed al-Hakim)?

Answer:

A person is allowed to follow one marja’ in some aspects of fiqh, and another in different aspects, as long as he has surety that the two maraji’ are of equal knowledge, or if each is the most knowledgeable in the particular area of fiqh in which he is following him.

Therefore, if you feel Sayed al-Hakim is equally or more knoweldgeable than Sayed Sistani in issues related to fixed-term marriage (mut’ah), then you are allowed to follow Sayed al-Hakim when it comes to fixed-term marriage (mut’ah) issues.

If you are not sure whether they are of the same level of knowledge, then you need to find out from two- or if needed more than two- independent qualified sheikhs who knows both of them.

Answered by: Dr Ali Alsamail
Certified by: Sheikh Mansour Leghaei