Some young people who hold fast to the religion walk in the Haram wearing their shoes, and this causes harm to the feelings of Muslims. What is the guidance?

Question:
May Allah reward you, Honorable Shaykh. This questioner says: We observe some young people who hold fast to the religion walking in the Haram wearing their shoes, and this causes harm to the feelings of Muslims, as they see this as a lack of, or a decrease in, the reverence for the Haram. What is the ruling on this action?

Answer:
This is ignorance on the part of these people. The situation of the mosques has changed from what it was before; they are now paved and carpeted. If one steps on them with shoes, they become dirty and contaminated, so one does not enter them wearing shoes. In the past, they were dirt and gravel, and shoes did not affect them the way they do now that one enters them. This is from one aspect. The other aspect is that this causes confusion and bad suspicion about him, and he is described with descriptions that should not be, such as being strict, being an extremist, and so on. So he should not bring this upon himself. Yes.