The Shaykh’s comment on the statement of those who say that the da'i (caller) to Allah must frequent places of evil in order to enjoin good and forbid evil.

The student : "Among the common errors today regarding the topic of public benefit and harm, and this principle in the matter of conflicting interests and harms, is that many people are ignorant of it and thus fall into great errors. They may even criticize others for doing the best and most complete action, pressuring them to do the lesser, due to their weak insight or their preference for what they perceive as safety and scrupulousness, because of their weak thinking. Otherwise, scrupulousness is not merely in leaving what is doubtful to be forbidden or disliked, but also in doing what is doubtful to be recommended or obligatory. Among the errors that some of the religious and jurists in our time fall into are the following: First: Their preference for safety in themselves and fear of fitnah (trial, discord or temptation) leads them to withdraw from places of evil and stay away from them, despite their ability to frequent them and rebuke their owners and change them, either by hand or by tongue. This is out of fear for themselves that something of the dregs or dust of these evils might reach them, or something of their darkness and blackness might reach their hearts. In reality, the strongest people in certainty, the best in religion, the broadest in religion, and the most steadfast when engaged in calling to Allah among the mushrikin (those who associate partners with Allah), the People of the Book, or the open sinners, or the people of innovation, or similar groups, may not feel the spirit, the happiness of the heart, and the delight of faith that others feel who reside among the people of goodness, jurisprudence, and worship. Nevertheless, the work and calling they perform may be far superior in stages to what those others perform, and they may have merit and goodness that those others do not have. Bearing a slight harm in order to obtain a greater benefit is required by the Shari'ah and by reason. What the person engaged in forbidding evil loses in terms of the comfort and expansion of his heart due to frequently seeing evils and feeling constrained and annoyed by them, and the heart being affected by this and its radiance weakening, is considered a minor matter compared to the great benefit he faces, which is guiding people, establishing the proof against them, enjoining good upon them, and forbidding evil, and bearing the collective obligation (fard kifayah) on behalf of others. In fact, these matters may be individual obligations (fard 'ayn) upon him, as detailed previously. Likewise, what he fears for himself..."

The Shaykh : "Does this mean that it is permissible for the Muslim da'i (caller) to expose himself to harm in order to save others?"
The student : "No, he does not see that. The speech will be detailed later."

The Shaykh : "How do we understand this statement?"

The questioner : "His speech will come later, perhaps."

The Shaykh : "Okay."
The student : "And likewise, what he fears for himself regarding their challenging him to the evils..."
Shuqara: "...because he should have, if he wanted to address this issue and adopt it, distinguished between two things. That is, if the da'i (caller) is sound and able to change a matter of evil, is it permissible for him to seek out one of the places infested with evils and major sins, where he revolves or strives to uproot the evil with strength and activity in order to enjoin [good]? And this, of course, enjoining good and forbidding evil, is what results in the realization of a slight benefit, which may perhaps be realized at the cost of a harm, and he does not know. Yes, and this harm may befall him, hindering and preventing him from continuing his striving in enjoining good and forbidding evil and frequenting... in this calling."
The student : "He is now speaking about the topic of the method of change..."
Shuqara: "I mean, he should have distinguished between one matter and another. For example, the agreed-upon matter is obligatory..."
The student : "It is obligatory to complete the section on the topic of errors, and then we look at what is primary and what is secondary, and where he fell short, so that we can complete the research on it. As for this sentence, we cannot judge based on it alone."
Shuqara: "Okay, okay."
The student : "He says: 'And likewise, what he fears for himself regarding their challenging him to the evils and calling him to them, despite what that is accompanied by of faith and fear of Allah. As for the one who sees in himself a clear inclination toward these evils, especially the evils related to desires, such as uncovering, tabarruj (a woman's display of her adornment), and free mixing of men and women, and similar things, and finds in himself a strong desire for them, then it is fitting for him to stay away from them, seeking the safety of his soul from them. And in this matter, people vary greatly. Many of those who are predominantly righteous and scrupulous prefer the safety of their souls and forget that safety is also achieved by standing up against the people of evils, harassing them, and restraining them. It is obligatory upon the students of knowledge, the da'is (callers), and the jurists to perform enjoining good and forbidding evil on every front.'"

The Shaykh : "Does this phrase not confirm what I understood earlier, that there is no harm in a person destroying himself in order to save others?"
The student : "No, it means he places himself... in an evil."

The Shaykh : "Let us repeat the quote. What did he say about the people of scrupulousness he mentioned?"
The student : "He said: 'And in this matter, people vary greatly.'"

The Shaykh: All right.
The student : "'And many of those who are predominantly righteous and scrupulous prefer the safety of their souls.'"

The Shaykh : "What is the grammatical case of 'many' (kathiran) here?"
The student : Yes.

The Shaykh : "Many (kathiran), what put it in the accusative case?"
The student : "Many, yes, 'vary greatly.' 'Vary greatly, and many of those who are predominantly righteous and scrupulous.'"

The Shaykh: All right.
The student : "'Prefer the safety of their souls and forget.'"

The Shaykh : "And forget. Stop here. Is this a criticism or not a criticism?"
The student : "It is a criticism."

The Shaykh : "So the one who criticizes... is for the performance of that obligation."
The student : "He said first that the one who is predominantly [fearful] fears for himself to the extent that he feels..."

The Shaykh : "Yes, he is speaking about these people who forget, so he does not want to be like these people."
The student : "Now, there are matters, there are things that are imagined, and there are things that are a predominant suspicion. The one who has a predominant suspicion must stay away. But as for things that are mere illusion..."

The Shaykh : "Which category is he speaking about?"
The student : "About the people of scrupulousness."

The Shaykh : "You are saying there are two categories. Which category is he speaking about here?"
The student : "In any case, the people of scrupulousness are also two categories: a category in which there is weakness, and a category in which there is strength."

The Shaykh : "...May Allah bless you. Which category is he, I mean?"
The student : "He is able."

The Shaykh : "Answer, but think about the question and answer it. Does it mean one of the two categories, you now?"
The student : "I mean, many of the people of scrupulousness who have strength, they forget."

The Shaykh : "And...? Where is this negated statement?"
The student : "Because he spoke first about the first group: 'As for the one who sees in himself a clear inclination toward these evils.'"

The Shaykh : "Sees in himself a clear inclination."
The student: Yes.

The Shaykh : "Does this mean he has strength?"
The student : "No, weakness. This one rarely throws himself [into it]."

The Shaykh : "My brother, be patient. Does this type have strength?"
The student : "He has weakness."

The Shaykh : "What does he say about him?"
The student : "'About him, it is fitting for him to stay away from them, seeking the safety of his soul from them.' This is his staying away, my professor. As for this one who is of the weak type, he said this one stays away, he has no room [for it]. So this one, it is fitting for him to stay away from them, seeking the safety of his soul from them."

The Shaykh : "Okay."
The student : "'And in this matter, people vary greatly, and many of those who are predominantly righteous and scrupulous prefer the safety of their souls and forget that safety is also achieved by standing up against the people of evils, harassing them, and restraining them.'"

The Shaykh : "Here, and they prefer the safety of their souls."
The student : "Yes, despite their ability to enjoin and forbid."

The Shaykh : "Where does this come from?"
The student : "This is from the implication of his speech, because there is other speech coming after it. I read it before, so I understood the whole content."

The Shaykh : "Okay, what is the other speech?"
The student : "He is saying: 'So it is obligatory upon the students of knowledge, the da'is (callers), and the jurists to perform enjoining good and forbidding evil on every front, and to rebuke the owners of ideological deviations...'"

The Shaykh : "Doctor Sa'id, does he respond to what the professor said or not?"
The student : "No, speech comes after that in which he details it."
Shuqara: "Our Shaykh... the reading... I fear he will say and not say."

The Shaykh: Hehehe.
Al-Halabi : "But in a finer and softer way. Ah, our Shaykh, did you see his book 'How We Deal with the Prophetic Sunnah' by al-Qaradawi? It is the same speech as al-Ghazali regarding the Prophetic Sunnah, but in a style... that one has the boldness to respond. This one says we stop. What is the difference? He says we stop in this hadith."

The Shaykh : "In reality, he does not stop."
Al-Halabi : Yes, it is valid, but this is a matter of... . There is no power or might except with Allah.
The student : But al-Ghazali... .
Shuqara: ... her name is... .

The questioner : The daughter of 'Umar, I mean... .
Shuqara: ... .
The student : If he had done what he did, and she had come unwillingly, and that had been the cause of her faith and her guidance, and the guidance of... .
Shuqara: ... her people were... . Is this part of our religion?
The student : My master, the Qur'an... . It may be from the category of the law of those before us, or from the category of... .