What is the criterion for forbidding evil regarding whether it is done in secret or openly?
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The questioner : What is the criterion for forbidding evil, O Shaykh, regarding whether it is done in secret or openly, O Shaykh?
The Shaykh : The criterion is whether the public benefit outweighs the harm, or vice versa. Whichever is stronger and one perceives to be more dominant, one proceeds with that. If enjoining good and forbidding evil, which is obligatory, results in a benefit greater than the harm, then it remains on the original ruling, which is that it is obligatory. However, if enjoining good and forbidding evil results in a harm greater than the benefit, then one should not forbid it. For this reason, the three levels of enjoining good and forbidding evil were established, as stated in the authentic hadith:Sahih Muslim 49a. And in order to observe this criterion and this rule, he (peace be upon him) said in the hadith regarding the rebuilding of the Ka'bah, "It is the one who prayed inside it." The story is well known in the two Sahihs and is cited in the beginning of my book, *Silsilat al-Ahadith al-Sahihah*. In it, the Messenger (peace be upon him) says: to the end of the story.
The questioner : May Allah preserve you, Shaykh.
The Shaykh : May Allah keep you safe.
The Shaykh : The criterion is whether the public benefit outweighs the harm, or vice versa. Whichever is stronger and one perceives to be more dominant, one proceeds with that. If enjoining good and forbidding evil, which is obligatory, results in a benefit greater than the harm, then it remains on the original ruling, which is that it is obligatory. However, if enjoining good and forbidding evil results in a harm greater than the benefit, then one should not forbid it. For this reason, the three levels of enjoining good and forbidding evil were established, as stated in the authentic hadith:
He who amongst you sees something abominable should modify it with the help of his hand; and if he has not strength enough to do it, then he should do it with his tongue, and if he has not strength enough to do it, (even) then he should (abhor it) from his heart, and that is the least of faith.
مَن رأى منكم منكرًا فليغيِّره بيده ، فإن لم يستطع فبلسانه ، فإن لم يستطع بقلبه ؛ وذلك أضعف الإيمانO Aisha, if it were not that your people are recent in their association of partners with Allah, I would have demolished the Ka'bah and built it on the foundation of Ibrahim (peace be upon him).
يا عائشة ، لولا أنَّ قومك حديثو عهد بالشرك لَهَدَمْتُ الكعبة ، ولَبَنَيْتُها على أساس إبراهيم - عليه السلام -The questioner : May Allah preserve you, Shaykh.
The Shaykh : May Allah keep you safe.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.