When is it permissible to boycott a Muslim, and when is it forbidden?
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The questioner : In the *Basilah*, it is forbidden, God forbid. How is it forbidden, God forbid?
The Shaykh : It is not forbidden to boycott him, if the stronger position is that it is not forbidden to boycott him except when there is a benefit.
The questioner : In some of the kitchen.
The Shaykh : Yes. Yes.
The questioner : And viewing the exhibition.
The Shaykh : Yes, treat him like the rest of the people, except that we call him; we strive to call him. As for the matter of forbidding evil, there is no doubt that forbidding evil and calling to good are obligatory. But if you meet him, and also, I do not open up to him as I open up to the believing, pious man. That is, it does not mean that if we say it is not obligatory to boycott him, or that it is forbidden to boycott him, that we treat him like a good man. No, but rather, if we meet him, we do not leave off the greeting. Because if we say it is obligatory to boycott him, or that it is recommended to boycott him, it means that we do not greet him, and if he greets us, we do not return the greeting. This is a major sin that does not stand. And I see that what should be done is that we do not show a pleasant face to the one who commits open sin and is open about it, except in hope of benefit. For example, if we know that this man, if he sees our cheerfulness and openness toward him, he will soften and be guided, as is observed now. That is, there are people who are very sinful, perhaps to the extreme of sin, but when the people of good approached them, they perhaps walked with them, went with them, came with them, invited them, and attended their invitations. There is good in that. But the man we know is stubborn, arrogant, and turning away; it is not appropriate to treat him like the one who is approaching, and this is not possible.
The Shaykh : It is not forbidden to boycott him, if the stronger position is that it is not forbidden to boycott him except when there is a benefit.
The questioner : In some of the kitchen.
The Shaykh : Yes. Yes.
The questioner : And viewing the exhibition.
The Shaykh : Yes, treat him like the rest of the people, except that we call him; we strive to call him. As for the matter of forbidding evil, there is no doubt that forbidding evil and calling to good are obligatory. But if you meet him, and also, I do not open up to him as I open up to the believing, pious man. That is, it does not mean that if we say it is not obligatory to boycott him, or that it is forbidden to boycott him, that we treat him like a good man. No, but rather, if we meet him, we do not leave off the greeting. Because if we say it is obligatory to boycott him, or that it is recommended to boycott him, it means that we do not greet him, and if he greets us, we do not return the greeting. This is a major sin that does not stand. And I see that what should be done is that we do not show a pleasant face to the one who commits open sin and is open about it, except in hope of benefit. For example, if we know that this man, if he sees our cheerfulness and openness toward him, he will soften and be guided, as is observed now. That is, there are people who are very sinful, perhaps to the extreme of sin, but when the people of good approached them, they perhaps walked with them, went with them, came with them, invited them, and attended their invitations. There is good in that. But the man we know is stubborn, arrogant, and turning away; it is not appropriate to treat him like the one who is approaching, and this is not possible.
Source
قناة «فضيلة الشيخ محمد بن صالح العثيمين»، 2012 - 4600 متى يجوز هجر المسلم ومتى يحرم؟ ابن عثيمين — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.