Applying the Sunnah in these days causes us embarrassment with the common people, as it causes fitnah (trial, discord or temptation) in the mosques

The questioner : All right; the questioner says: Applying the Sunnah in these days causes us embarrassment with the common people, as it causes fitnah (trial, discord or temptation) in the mosques. What is your opinion, may Allah reward you with good? It seems he is asking what we should do with the common people...?

The Shaykh : I say: The claimed fitnah (trial, discord or temptation) does not occur from applying the Sunnah by the common people, but rather it occurs from some people of the Sunnah entering into discussions with others who are not qualified for such discussions, neither from the scientific aspect nor from the stylistic aspect. As for the scientific aspect, it is clear; because many of our brothers object to him, saying, "Why are you moving your finger, for example?" He says, "By Allah, this is the Sunnah." They say, "What do you know about it?" He says, "By Allah, Shaykh So-and-So says so." This is not an answer. Perhaps just mentioning Shaykh So-and-So increases what? The fire burns more intensely; a word from here, a word from there, and so on. So I say that most of those who enter into discussions with the common people are neither in the caravan nor in the army, as it is said, neither from the scientific aspect nor from the stylistic aspect. From the scientific aspect, it is obligatory for the one who preserves the Sunnah to memorize the evidence so that he may establish the proof against the opponents; first, to convince them, and second, out of mercy for them. So he must memorize the evidence for the Sunnah that people deny against him.
The Shaykh : Second: He should be gentle in presenting this proof to people, based on the wise, well-known verse: . And what usually happens is that some people become enthusiastic about the Salafi da'wah (calling others to Islam) at the beginning of their journey in life, and they have not been given any wisdom, so they are living in a state of clashing with the arena, clashing and clashing. And as I always and forever say: A person's energy is limited, as he (peace be upon him) indicated by his saying: . When a person grips his fist like this, he can keep it that way for hours until the power of sleep overcomes him. Why? Because it is a natural grip... But when he does this and then after five or ten minutes, what happens? It relaxes. This is an example of the enthusiasm of some of our Salafi brothers when the da'wah (calling others to Islam) reaches them and they rush into opposing people with all harshness and all severity, and after that the nerves relax and they retreat, barely managing to preserve the Sunnahs they had learned, if they do not turn their backs on them; therefore the fitnah (trial, discord or temptation) does not...