Among the Causes of Harassment of Preachers
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His Eminence the Shaykh: Some students of knowledge say: The reason the call to Allah in the Islamic world suffers from restriction and persecution is that the preachers deviate from the sound methodology in calling to Allah, which is the methodology of the Prophets. To what extent is this statement correct? I hope you will elaborate, may Allah reward you.
I cannot judge countries far from me. Their harassment of preachers may be based on the actions of some preachers, or it may be because they hate the call itself. We do not know, and people differ.But we say, in general terms: Preachers should exercise wisdom in conveying the truth to creation. The goal is not to complain or to vindicate oneself, nor to look down on the one being called. The goal is reform. So take the path closest to reform. It may be in the interest not to speak about a person in front of me who is engaged in a wrong, but to postpone this to another time when there is room for conversation. It may also be in the interest not to rebuke him with words, but to call him by action through winning his heart: inviting him to my home, honoring him with hospitality, giving him a gift in kind or cash. This is because Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) has made a share of zakah for those whose hearts are to be reconciled.
And what happens in some countries regarding the restriction on preachers,Or regarding some of them, in my view, the reason is two things: The first matter is that the state hates the truth and does not want the truth at all.You want the people to be such that each one: [al-Kafirun:6] Each one is on his own path, and each does what he wishes, provided that security is maintained and there is no chaos.
And this, in fact, openly has no connection to the path of the Salaf.
Some rulers may not hate the call to the truth, and they may even support it and call to it, but they hate a specific methodology of some preachers. This methodology is that it incites the subjects against their rulers. If one mentions the faults of the rulers without their virtues, then this is not a sound methodology.Rather, it is said: The sound methodology is to advise the rulers by confronting them face-to-face if possible, or by writing to them, delivering the letter by hand if you can, or by another means. If they are guided, that is what is desired. Otherwise, it is not in the interest to incite people against these rulers, because the resulting evil, corruption, and division will be greater than the benefit. In fact, the benefit may be completely lost.If the ruler acts arrogantly and says: I will not submit to this one who tried to pressure me by inciting the people, for example.
Therefore, we see that the sound methodology is to direct the call to the people themselves. For example, if there is dealing in riba among the people, I direct the address and the call to the people themselves.She says: This is forbidden, and it is not permissible for a person to deal in it, and it is obligatory to refrain from it. Likewise, if I see that singing tapes, or the singing heard on the radio, are widespread, I warn people against that.And I say: Fear Allah. This is forbidden. This is not permissible. But some preachers turn a blind eye to this and go to speak about the government that approved this thing.For example, he says: It approves riba, it approves musical instruments, it approves such and such. The most important thing is reforming the people. If the people are reformed, the government will necessarily be reformed, because the people are individuals composed of a ruler and the ruled, and the ruled are undoubtedly more numerous than the ruler.Meaning: The individuals of the government, for example, do not come.
And they have no proportion compared to the people. And if the people are reformed, the government must be reformed. The result of this is that the rulers assume that the intention of this preacher is to harm the government, to divide people from it, to call for disagreement with it and disobedience to it, and that it is not righteous, and so on. So they unleash [their power] against this preacher and those who support him.
The questioner: And the public wrongs, O Shaykh! Are they to be rebuked publicly?The Shaykh: Yes, they are to be rebuked publicly. But how do I rebuke them?I say: It is not permissible for me to deal with banks, for example, with riba. It is not permissible for us to listen to obscene songs or musical instruments. It is not permissible, for example, to buy newspapers or magazines that contain indecent images, or that publish destructive ideas, and so on.
I cannot judge countries far from me. Their harassment of preachers may be based on the actions of some preachers, or it may be because they hate the call itself. We do not know, and people differ.But we say, in general terms: Preachers should exercise wisdom in conveying the truth to creation. The goal is not to complain or to vindicate oneself, nor to look down on the one being called. The goal is reform. So take the path closest to reform. It may be in the interest not to speak about a person in front of me who is engaged in a wrong, but to postpone this to another time when there is room for conversation. It may also be in the interest not to rebuke him with words, but to call him by action through winning his heart: inviting him to my home, honoring him with hospitality, giving him a gift in kind or cash. This is because Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) has made a share of zakah for those whose hearts are to be reconciled.
And what happens in some countries regarding the restriction on preachers,Or regarding some of them, in my view, the reason is two things: The first matter is that the state hates the truth and does not want the truth at all.You want the people to be such that each one:
For you is your religion, and for me is my religion."
لَكُمْ دِينُكُمْ وَلِيَ دِينِAnd this, in fact, openly has no connection to the path of the Salaf.
Some rulers may not hate the call to the truth, and they may even support it and call to it, but they hate a specific methodology of some preachers. This methodology is that it incites the subjects against their rulers. If one mentions the faults of the rulers without their virtues, then this is not a sound methodology.Rather, it is said: The sound methodology is to advise the rulers by confronting them face-to-face if possible, or by writing to them, delivering the letter by hand if you can, or by another means. If they are guided, that is what is desired. Otherwise, it is not in the interest to incite people against these rulers, because the resulting evil, corruption, and division will be greater than the benefit. In fact, the benefit may be completely lost.If the ruler acts arrogantly and says: I will not submit to this one who tried to pressure me by inciting the people, for example.
Therefore, we see that the sound methodology is to direct the call to the people themselves. For example, if there is dealing in riba among the people, I direct the address and the call to the people themselves.She says: This is forbidden, and it is not permissible for a person to deal in it, and it is obligatory to refrain from it. Likewise, if I see that singing tapes, or the singing heard on the radio, are widespread, I warn people against that.And I say: Fear Allah. This is forbidden. This is not permissible. But some preachers turn a blind eye to this and go to speak about the government that approved this thing.For example, he says: It approves riba, it approves musical instruments, it approves such and such. The most important thing is reforming the people. If the people are reformed, the government will necessarily be reformed, because the people are individuals composed of a ruler and the ruled, and the ruled are undoubtedly more numerous than the ruler.Meaning: The individuals of the government, for example, do not come.
And they have no proportion compared to the people. And if the people are reformed, the government must be reformed. The result of this is that the rulers assume that the intention of this preacher is to harm the government, to divide people from it, to call for disagreement with it and disobedience to it, and that it is not righteous, and so on. So they unleash [their power] against this preacher and those who support him.
The questioner: And the public wrongs, O Shaykh! Are they to be rebuked publicly?The Shaykh: Yes, they are to be rebuked publicly. But how do I rebuke them?I say: It is not permissible for me to deal with banks, for example, with riba. It is not permissible for us to listen to obscene songs or musical instruments. It is not permissible, for example, to buy newspapers or magazines that contain indecent images, or that publish destructive ideas, and so on.