Is it in accordance with the Shari'ah to refrain from performing some recommended practices (sunnah) and recommended acts (mustahabb) with the intention of avoiding causing fitnah (trial, discord or temptation) among Muslims?
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The questioner : Is it in accordance with the Shari'ah to refrain from performing some recommended practices (sunnah) and recommended acts (mustahabb) with the intention of avoiding causing fitnah (trial, discord or temptation) among Muslims?
The Shaykh : Repeat that for me, is it in the...?
The questioner : Is it in accordance with the Shari'ah to refrain from performing some recommended practices (sunnah) and recommended acts (mustahabb) with the intention of avoiding causing fitnah (trial, discord or temptation) among Muslims?
The Shaykh : Do you mean by "refraining" the first one, leaving it off? Or do you mean by it distancing oneself? Meaning that one performs the sunnah (recommended practice) of... announcing it loudly, away from the gathering where fitnah (trial, discord or temptation) might occur if he performed the sunnah there?
The questioner : That is not what I mean.
The Shaykh : This is not said... regarding distancing.
The questioner : So, distancing!
The Shaykh : Yes, exactly, this is the obligatory thing, if we know that the Messenger (peace be upon him) left the structure of the Ka'bah as it was in the time of jahiliyyah (the pre-Islamic age of ignorance) out of fear that some people would be affected if that state were changed to something better; so it is more fitting and more befitting that a person, if he sees a matter of the sunnah (recommended practice), should do it in a place away from people and distant from them, except if... the result of that is that people are deceived in their unawareness of it and they do not know this sunnah (recommended practice); in that case, the scholar should be gentle in introducing it to people; and that is, for example, by mentioning a word in the midst of his speech about that sunnah (recommended practice), so that he makes them hear of the sunnah (recommended practice) of that thing for the first time, then he continues... from time to time, so that they develop some readiness to hear the explicit word about it, and then he follows it with the announcement of performing it in front of people; the important thing is that all of this falls within the generality of His saying (Glorified and Exalted is He):[An-Nahl 16:125].
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : Repeat that for me, is it in the...?
The questioner : Is it in accordance with the Shari'ah to refrain from performing some recommended practices (sunnah) and recommended acts (mustahabb) with the intention of avoiding causing fitnah (trial, discord or temptation) among Muslims?
The Shaykh : Do you mean by "refraining" the first one, leaving it off? Or do you mean by it distancing oneself? Meaning that one performs the sunnah (recommended practice) of... announcing it loudly, away from the gathering where fitnah (trial, discord or temptation) might occur if he performed the sunnah there?
The questioner : That is not what I mean.
The Shaykh : This is not said... regarding distancing.
The questioner : So, distancing!
The Shaykh : Yes, exactly, this is the obligatory thing, if we know that the Messenger (peace be upon him) left the structure of the Ka'bah as it was in the time of jahiliyyah (the pre-Islamic age of ignorance) out of fear that some people would be affected if that state were changed to something better; so it is more fitting and more befitting that a person, if he sees a matter of the sunnah (recommended practice), should do it in a place away from people and distant from them, except if... the result of that is that people are deceived in their unawareness of it and they do not know this sunnah (recommended practice); in that case, the scholar should be gentle in introducing it to people; and that is, for example, by mentioning a word in the midst of his speech about that sunnah (recommended practice), so that he makes them hear of the sunnah (recommended practice) of that thing for the first time, then he continues... from time to time, so that they develop some readiness to hear the explicit word about it, and then he follows it with the announcement of performing it in front of people; the important thing is that all of this falls within the generality of His saying (Glorified and Exalted is He):
Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good instruction, and argue with them in a way that is best
ادْعُ إِلَى سَبِيلِ رَبِّكَ بِالْحِكْمَةِ وَالْمَوْعِظَةِ الْحَسَنَةِ وَجَادِلْهُمْ بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُThe questioner : May Allah reward you with good.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.