Dealing with One Who Claims Knowledge but Abandons the Mosque
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner:
Another person says: One of the brothers informed me that there is a man in the neighborhood where we live who claims to be a scholar. However, he has advised his colleagues who live with him to pray with him at home instead of going to the mosque, because he dislikes the imams of the mosques and says that it is not permissible to pray behind them. He also claims that he does not even pray the Friday prayer. They see that he interprets the Qur'an day and night. What is the solution and what should be done regarding him?
The Shaykh:
The truth must be made clear to him, and the truth must be explained to him. He should be asked to consult the scholars around him, or those who can contact him, so that they explain the truth to him, clarify the doubt for him, and remove it from him. If he is not convinced, let him be referred to the authorities so that the truth is brought to his attention, or so that action is taken against him, so that people are not harmed. The one who knows this is supposed to address the matter if he is not convinced. First, the scholars should come to him to convince him, to engage with him, and to remove his doubt. If the doubt does not leave him, he must be convinced. In fact, he must be dealt with firmly until he is convinced by the truth, and it becomes correct.
The questioner:
And if he is... because many of those who lived with the worship of idols... see that the one who prays in these mosques...
The Shaykh:
...and al-Badawi, and he does not see these people as having identity, and he prays behind him, because they are monotheists, and he sees the righteous imam, and he no longer worships al-Badawi, and he does not love al-Husayn, and he does not worship anyone other than Allah. He sees this man as the monotheist, and prays behind him. Thus, matters became established for some people, and this was not clarified until the doubt is removed from him. Either it becomes clear that he is a polytheist and he is guided to Islam, or it becomes clear that he is stubborn and has another pressure, a hypocrite who turns people away from the truth. Then he is kept away from the affliction, and it is brought to their attention. The one who knows this should make it clear to us, or to the Committee, or to other scholars, so that we know the matter.
Another person says: One of the brothers informed me that there is a man in the neighborhood where we live who claims to be a scholar. However, he has advised his colleagues who live with him to pray with him at home instead of going to the mosque, because he dislikes the imams of the mosques and says that it is not permissible to pray behind them. He also claims that he does not even pray the Friday prayer. They see that he interprets the Qur'an day and night. What is the solution and what should be done regarding him?
The Shaykh:
The truth must be made clear to him, and the truth must be explained to him. He should be asked to consult the scholars around him, or those who can contact him, so that they explain the truth to him, clarify the doubt for him, and remove it from him. If he is not convinced, let him be referred to the authorities so that the truth is brought to his attention, or so that action is taken against him, so that people are not harmed. The one who knows this is supposed to address the matter if he is not convinced. First, the scholars should come to him to convince him, to engage with him, and to remove his doubt. If the doubt does not leave him, he must be convinced. In fact, he must be dealt with firmly until he is convinced by the truth, and it becomes correct.
The questioner:
And if he is... because many of those who lived with the worship of idols... see that the one who prays in these mosques...
The Shaykh:
...and al-Badawi, and he does not see these people as having identity, and he prays behind him, because they are monotheists, and he sees the righteous imam, and he no longer worships al-Badawi, and he does not love al-Husayn, and he does not worship anyone other than Allah. He sees this man as the monotheist, and prays behind him. Thus, matters became established for some people, and this was not clarified until the doubt is removed from him. Either it becomes clear that he is a polytheist and he is guided to Islam, or it becomes clear that he is stubborn and has another pressure, a hypocrite who turns people away from the truth. Then he is kept away from the affliction, and it is brought to their attention. The one who knows this should make it clear to us, or to the Committee, or to other scholars, so that we know the matter.
Source
ندوات الجامع الكبير مع الأسئلة - 56 — archive.org (1:29:58)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.