The Ruling on Associating with a Rafidi and Boycotting People of Sin
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Question:
This questioner says: I have a paternal cousin who is attached to a Rafidi merchant. He sits with him, eats with him, buys from him, and relies on him for his worldly affairs. He covers for him in his home when he drinks intoxicants, and supports him in his gatherings by talking about his wrongdoings and obscenities. This is in addition to his dealing in riba (usury or interest). When he visits our home, he tries to corrupt my brothers and sisters with what he spreads and brings of evil. I have tried repeatedly, and I have sent some preachers to admonish him, but he has not changed since fifteen years ago. Should I not boycott him? I have the authority in the house, and if I boycott him, his harms may disappear, even though we do not accept a gift or money from him, and he knows this. Please advise us, may Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
This is a great evil. It is from the Rafidah, and associating with a Rafidi, covering for his evil, suppressing it, and spreading his corruption—this is a great evil here. The Rafidah are among the worst of Allah’s servants; we ask Allah for safety from them, because they worship the People of the House, they worship 'Ali and the People of the House, and they hate the people of the Sunnah with intense hatred. So they are among the worst of Allah’s servants. Those who lean toward them and take them as companions have a disease in their hearts; their hearts are diseased. They have no forgiveness in the religion, unless he advises them and does not take them as companions, but calls them to Allah, teaches them the meanings of the people of the Sunnah, and calls them to not exaggerate regarding the People of the House. He calls them to be pleased with the Companions and not to insult them, and does not take them as companions or close friends; in that case, there is no harm. But as for your brother, who leans toward him, takes him as a companion and close friend, covers for his faults, and agrees with him in drinking intoxicants—this is a great evil; we ask Allah for safety from it. If your brother has not benefited from the advice, you boycott him. Boycotting one who openly commits sins is a confirmed Sunnah, and some scholars say it is obligatory. So you boycott him if the advice did not benefit him, and he does not enter your home or come near you. But if you hope that Allah will benefit you through the advice, you advise him constantly, you seek help from Allah against him, and then through your good brothers who help you in advising him until he distances himself from this Rafidi. And so it is with the rest of the disbelievers, or buying from him and selling to him like people do. But taking them as companions and sitting with them is not permissible; their danger is great. Boycotting one who openly commits sins and persists in them, when advice has not benefited him, is a confirmed Sunnah, and according to some scholars, it is obligatory. Ibn 'Abd al-Qawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said in his famous poem regarding the appearance of sins and boycotting those who persist in them: "Boycotting is a Sunnah, and it has been said that if it deters him, it is more obligatory and confirmed. It has been said, absolutely, as long as he is open about it, and you meet him with a black face, a sword drawn, the intent is clear, he runs wild, or as he said. The intent is that boycotting people of sins and meeting them with a black face, the intent is that boycotting people of sins is a required matter, if advice has not benefited them. But if advice benefits through good manner and directing to good, perhaps, perhaps, it is good. But if they are stubborn and arrogant and do not accept, there is no way except boycotting, unless not boycotting is more beneficial, and boycotting him increases his evil. Then do not boycott, but continue in the advice and guard against his evil by calling to Allah, prohibiting him from sitting with you, and prohibiting him from his bad deeds. Yes.
The presenter:
May Allah reward you.
This questioner says: I have a paternal cousin who is attached to a Rafidi merchant. He sits with him, eats with him, buys from him, and relies on him for his worldly affairs. He covers for him in his home when he drinks intoxicants, and supports him in his gatherings by talking about his wrongdoings and obscenities. This is in addition to his dealing in riba (usury or interest). When he visits our home, he tries to corrupt my brothers and sisters with what he spreads and brings of evil. I have tried repeatedly, and I have sent some preachers to admonish him, but he has not changed since fifteen years ago. Should I not boycott him? I have the authority in the house, and if I boycott him, his harms may disappear, even though we do not accept a gift or money from him, and he knows this. Please advise us, may Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
This is a great evil. It is from the Rafidah, and associating with a Rafidi, covering for his evil, suppressing it, and spreading his corruption—this is a great evil here. The Rafidah are among the worst of Allah’s servants; we ask Allah for safety from them, because they worship the People of the House, they worship 'Ali and the People of the House, and they hate the people of the Sunnah with intense hatred. So they are among the worst of Allah’s servants. Those who lean toward them and take them as companions have a disease in their hearts; their hearts are diseased. They have no forgiveness in the religion, unless he advises them and does not take them as companions, but calls them to Allah, teaches them the meanings of the people of the Sunnah, and calls them to not exaggerate regarding the People of the House. He calls them to be pleased with the Companions and not to insult them, and does not take them as companions or close friends; in that case, there is no harm. But as for your brother, who leans toward him, takes him as a companion and close friend, covers for his faults, and agrees with him in drinking intoxicants—this is a great evil; we ask Allah for safety from it. If your brother has not benefited from the advice, you boycott him. Boycotting one who openly commits sins is a confirmed Sunnah, and some scholars say it is obligatory. So you boycott him if the advice did not benefit him, and he does not enter your home or come near you. But if you hope that Allah will benefit you through the advice, you advise him constantly, you seek help from Allah against him, and then through your good brothers who help you in advising him until he distances himself from this Rafidi. And so it is with the rest of the disbelievers, or buying from him and selling to him like people do. But taking them as companions and sitting with them is not permissible; their danger is great. Boycotting one who openly commits sins and persists in them, when advice has not benefited him, is a confirmed Sunnah, and according to some scholars, it is obligatory. Ibn 'Abd al-Qawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said in his famous poem regarding the appearance of sins and boycotting those who persist in them: "Boycotting is a Sunnah, and it has been said that if it deters him, it is more obligatory and confirmed. It has been said, absolutely, as long as he is open about it, and you meet him with a black face, a sword drawn, the intent is clear, he runs wild, or as he said. The intent is that boycotting people of sins and meeting them with a black face, the intent is that boycotting people of sins is a required matter, if advice has not benefited them. But if advice benefits through good manner and directing to good, perhaps, perhaps, it is good. But if they are stubborn and arrogant and do not accept, there is no way except boycotting, unless not boycotting is more beneficial, and boycotting him increases his evil. Then do not boycott, but continue in the advice and guard against his evil by calling to Allah, prohibiting him from sitting with you, and prohibiting him from his bad deeds. Yes.
The presenter:
May Allah reward you.
Source
فتاوى الحج 1410 هـ - 12 — archive.org (19:38)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.