فإن كان صواباً فمن الله، وإن كان خطأ فمن ابن أم عبد
If it is correct, it is through Allah; if it is mistaken, the error belongs to Ibn Umm ʿAbd.
This formulation attributed to Ibn Masʿud expresses responsibility and intellectual caution in a legal opinion. Ijtihad seeks the legal ruling; it does not elevate an individual's conclusion to the level of revelation.
He addressed comparable dower, the waiting period and inheritance while recognizing the possibility of error. A disciplined legal effort and freedom from error are distinct. Explaining an opinion's grounds strengthens its scholarly assessment, whereas a jurist's personal standing alone does not remove the need for proof.