Flee from making Fatwas?

Question:

Should one always clarify (fatwa) the people about religion when asked questions?

Answer:

Ali Ibn Muhammad reported that Imam As-Sadiq (a.) said: “Question the knowledgeable about what you have no knowledge of, but woe to you to question them out of stubbornness or to test them and woe to you to act from your own opinion! Let caution (Ihtiyat) prevail in everything you approach and flee from making clarification (Fatwa) as you flee from a lion! Don’t put your neck at the people’s disposal as a bridge”! [Mustadrak Safinat Al-Bihar by An-Namazi, Volume 8 Page 128]

عن علي بن محمد عن الإمام الصادق عليه السلام قال: فاسأل العلماء ما جهلت، وإياك أن تسألهم تعنتا وتجربة، وإياك أن تعمل برأيك شيئا، وخذ بالاحتياط في جميع ما تجد إليه سبيلا، واهرب من الفتيا هربك من الأسد، ولا تجعل رقبتك للناس جسرا

Jabir reported that Imam Al-Baqir (a.) said: “Look at our matter and at that which you are getting from us! If you find it in accordance with the Qur’an, accept it, and if you find it not in accordance with the Qur’an, reject it! When you are in doubt concerning the matter, then stop at it and return it back to us until we give you clearness, over what we have been given clearness.” [Mustadrak Safinat Al-Bihar by An-Namazi, Volume 5 Page 349]

عن علي بن محمد عن محمد بن الحسن عن جابر عن الإمام الباقر عليه السلام قال: وانظروا أمرنا وما جاءكم عنا، فإن وجدتموه في القرآن موافقا، فخذوا به، وإن لم تجدوه موافقا، فردوه، وإن اشتبه الأمر عليكم، فقفوا عنده، وردوه إلينا حتى نشرح لكم من ذلك ما شرح لنا