What is your advice regarding those who speak ill of the rulers and scholars of the Kingdom?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
Honorable Shaykh! Many questions have been received regarding speaking ill of the rulers and scholars of this land. Is there any advice regarding this?
Answer:
What is the reason for speaking ill of the rulers and scholars of this land? What is the reason? What did they observe in them that led them to speak ill of them? If they observed an error in them, it is not permissible to speak about them in their absence or in gatherings. It was obligatory for him to advise them, to go to them and advise them, or to write letters to them and deliver them to them between himself and them.
Advice is not through publicizing, nor through blaming, nor through talebearing and backbiting. Rather, advice is to meet the one being advised, or to write to him, or to instruct someone who is in contact with him to convey to him what you observed in him. This is what is obligatory.
As for speaking about people, especially rulers and scholars, in the presence of others or in their absence, this is forbidden backbiting. It also involves fitnah (trial, discord or temptation) and evil, and it stirs up fitnah in addition to the backbiting. This is a betrayal of those in authority. It is obligatory to advise them, and speaking about them in their absence and talebearing is a betrayal of them. In any case, this is a matter that is not permissible, whether regarding the common people, the scholars, or the rulers. This is a matter that is not permissible: backbiting, talebearing, inciting, and attacking their honor. This is a matter that is not permissible. Allah, Mighty and Majestic, said:[Al-Qalam 68:10-11] And He the Exalted said: [Al-Hujurat 49:12] Did you dislike it?
We do not say that the scholars of this land are infallible, nor that they do not make errors. Nor do we say that the rulers of this land are infallible and have no errors. We are all prone to error, and the best of those who err are the ones who repent. However, the remedy for errors is not through backbiting, talebearing, publicizing, blaming, or inciting fitnah. Rather, advice is conveying to them what is observed in them and understanding with them.
And if you are unable to do so, hold your tongue, for you are excused. If you are unable to reach them and convey to them, hold your tongue from speaking about them in the gatherings of people, in their absence, and through talebearing, so that you do not fall into a greater prohibition, which is backbiting and talebearing. Yes.
Honorable Shaykh! Many questions have been received regarding speaking ill of the rulers and scholars of this land. Is there any advice regarding this?
Answer:
What is the reason for speaking ill of the rulers and scholars of this land? What is the reason? What did they observe in them that led them to speak ill of them? If they observed an error in them, it is not permissible to speak about them in their absence or in gatherings. It was obligatory for him to advise them, to go to them and advise them, or to write letters to them and deliver them to them between himself and them.
Advice is not through publicizing, nor through blaming, nor through talebearing and backbiting. Rather, advice is to meet the one being advised, or to write to him, or to instruct someone who is in contact with him to convey to him what you observed in him. This is what is obligatory.
As for speaking about people, especially rulers and scholars, in the presence of others or in their absence, this is forbidden backbiting. It also involves fitnah (trial, discord or temptation) and evil, and it stirs up fitnah in addition to the backbiting. This is a betrayal of those in authority. It is obligatory to advise them, and speaking about them in their absence and talebearing is a betrayal of them. In any case, this is a matter that is not permissible, whether regarding the common people, the scholars, or the rulers. This is a matter that is not permissible: backbiting, talebearing, inciting, and attacking their honor. This is a matter that is not permissible. Allah, Mighty and Majestic, said:
(10) And do not obey every worthless habitual swearer (11) [And] scorner, going about with malicious gossip -
وَلَا تُطِعْ كُلَّ حَلَّافٍ مَّهِينٍ هَمَّازٍ مَّشَّاءٍ بِنَمِيمٍor backbite each other. Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his brother when dead?
وَلَا يَغْتَب بَّعْضُكُم بَعْضًا أَيُحِبُّ أَحَدُكُمْ أَن يَأْكُلَ لَحْمَ أَخِيهِ مَيْتًاWe do not say that the scholars of this land are infallible, nor that they do not make errors. Nor do we say that the rulers of this land are infallible and have no errors. We are all prone to error, and the best of those who err are the ones who repent. However, the remedy for errors is not through backbiting, talebearing, publicizing, blaming, or inciting fitnah. Rather, advice is conveying to them what is observed in them and understanding with them.
And if you are unable to do so, hold your tongue, for you are excused. If you are unable to reach them and convey to them, hold your tongue from speaking about them in the gatherings of people, in their absence, and through talebearing, so that you do not fall into a greater prohibition, which is backbiting and talebearing. Yes.
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، ما نصيحتكم لمن يطع في حكام المملكة وعلمائها؟ لمعالي الشيخ صالح الفوزان — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.