Dealing With New Situations
Question

                Sometimes the Muslim is faced with a situation concerning which he does not know what position he should take, whether those matters are political, da’wah-related (religious), social or even personal. How can I find out the correct way of dealing with a situation with which I am faced?
Praise be to Allah.
    I thank you for your question and ask Allaah to grant us and 
    you strength, steadfastness and wisdom, and to show us what is true and help 
    us to follow it, and to show us what is false and help us to avoid it, and 
    not to let it confuse us and lead us astray… With regard to what you asked 
    about, my comments on it are as follows: 

    You should note that we are not obliged to define our stance 
    or opinion on every issue or event that occurs, simply because much of what 
    occurs does not concern us. With regard to the things that do concern us and 
    on which we should form opinions, they are of different types: 

    1 – Matters which because of their depth and breadth go 
    beyond the limits of our knowledge and understanding. Concerning these 
    matters we must consult the opinions of specialists, scholars, researchers 
    or experts, as much as possible. 

    2 – Matters which are so clear that they have become the talk 
    of gatherings and the media. We can form an opinion on such matters by 
    reconciling between the views of those whom we trust and some of the 
    reports. 

    3 – Matters within our own private circle. These require us 
    to look at all the alternatives and weigh up the pros and cons of each, then 
    compare them objectively. This will enable us to form an initial idea, then 
    we can consult others and seek the opinions of people who have prior 
    experience in this field, or those whose opinions we trust. Whoever consults 
    people will benefit from their experience and knowledge. As time goes by and 
    we make mistakes and benefit from our experience, we will accumulate 
    experience and more understanding, and will develop the ability to evaluate 
    things. In the light of this experience we will be able to form our own 
    opinions. 

     May Allaah help you and protect you, and make you steadfast 
    in adhering to the path of truth and goodness.