The Criterion for Warning Against Those Who Deviate and Offering Advice
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner:
Peace be upon you. Peace be upon you. Shaykh, what is the criterion for warning against a deviant? Many people, I mean, when they see a person deviating in a certain matter, while this one has this and that one has that, and they speak with a methodology, we say this methodology is to warn against the deviant.
The Shaykh:
I say, leave talking about people, leave talking about people. So-and-so is partisan, so-and-so is like this, so-and-so is like that. Leave talking about people. Offer advice and call people to unity of word, to receiving knowledge from its people, and to proper study, whether religious study, which is better, or worldly study.
You benefit yourself and you benefit your society. As for being occupied with gossip, so-and-so is wrong, so-and-so is right, so-and-so is like this, this is what spreads evil, divides the word, and causes fitnah (trial, discord or temptation). If you see a mistake in someone, advise him between you and him. It is not that you sit in a gathering and say so-and-so is like this, so-and-so did like that. Advise him between you and him; this is advice. But your talking in the gathering about so-and-so is not advice. This is exposure, this is backbiting, this is evil.
The questioner:
A person, whether the evil is public or not, I must respond to the public evil.
The Shaykh:
No. If the evil is one that you, being from those in authority, from those in charge of enforcing the law, can address, then you refute the evil with your hand. If you do not have authority, then you advise and admonish. You have nothing in your hand but advice and admonition for the one who errs. And the advice should be secret, between you and him, with wisdom. And the admonition should be good, and the argument should be in the best manner. If you cannot do this, then refute the evil with your heart only. Do not speak wrong, incorrect words. Refute it with your heart, and that is sufficient. Avoid the person of evil, stay away from him, do not sit with him. Yes.
The presenter:
May Allah reward you with good. May Allah welcome you.
Peace be upon you. Peace be upon you. Shaykh, what is the criterion for warning against a deviant? Many people, I mean, when they see a person deviating in a certain matter, while this one has this and that one has that, and they speak with a methodology, we say this methodology is to warn against the deviant.
The Shaykh:
I say, leave talking about people, leave talking about people. So-and-so is partisan, so-and-so is like this, so-and-so is like that. Leave talking about people. Offer advice and call people to unity of word, to receiving knowledge from its people, and to proper study, whether religious study, which is better, or worldly study.
You benefit yourself and you benefit your society. As for being occupied with gossip, so-and-so is wrong, so-and-so is right, so-and-so is like this, this is what spreads evil, divides the word, and causes fitnah (trial, discord or temptation). If you see a mistake in someone, advise him between you and him. It is not that you sit in a gathering and say so-and-so is like this, so-and-so did like that. Advise him between you and him; this is advice. But your talking in the gathering about so-and-so is not advice. This is exposure, this is backbiting, this is evil.
The questioner:
A person, whether the evil is public or not, I must respond to the public evil.
The Shaykh:
No. If the evil is one that you, being from those in authority, from those in charge of enforcing the law, can address, then you refute the evil with your hand. If you do not have authority, then you advise and admonish. You have nothing in your hand but advice and admonition for the one who errs. And the advice should be secret, between you and him, with wisdom. And the admonition should be good, and the argument should be in the best manner. If you cannot do this, then refute the evil with your heart only. Do not speak wrong, incorrect words. Refute it with your heart, and that is sufficient. Avoid the person of evil, stay away from him, do not sit with him. Yes.
The presenter:
May Allah reward you with good. May Allah welcome you.
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، محاضرات في العقيدة والدعوة-21-المخرج من الفتن|صالح الفوزان|العام|كبار العلماء — youtube.com (28:34)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.