Is it obligatory to ask the first scholar if that becomes feasible after having asked the second scholar, and is it permissible to ask the second or third scholar directly without asking the first, if that is not done out of following personal inclination?

Scholars have differed on whether an ordinary person is obliged to follow the most authoritative scholars or if it is permissible for them to follow someone known for their knowledge. Al-Tufi held that an ordinary person is not obliged to consult all mujtahids, nor is it obligatory for them to choose the best among them. He argued this by citing the consensus of the Companions on the permissibility of consulting both the superior and the inferior, and by stating that superiority is a shared attribute. Conversely, those who affirm the obligation of choosing the best argued that the certainty derived from the opinion of the superior is more prevalent. Al-Shawkani mentioned that the questioner has a choice among scholars who possess the qualification for issuing fatwas, and this is the sounder view among the Shafi'is, while others held that it is obligatory to seek out the most knowledgeable. The first opinion is preferred due to its ease, as there is no harm in seeking a fatwa from a less superior scholar when a superior one is available, unless the intention is to seek out dispensations.