If a person wants to practice the Sunnah but fears that fitnah (trial, discord or temptation) will arise because of it, should he abandon the Sunnah or practice it regardless?

The questioner : If practicing a specific Sunnah might cause fitnah (trial, discord or temptation), whether due to people's ignorance or any other reason, what do we prioritize: practicing the Sunnah, or not practicing it to avoid fitnah?

The Shaykh : If I were to stop at your question alone, within the limits of your question,

Another questioner : I would answer it fairly, if Allah wills.

The Shaykh : I will answer you in a way that puts your mind at ease, but I fear improper application, so I say: abandon the Sunnah in this case. But where is this society you are talking about? Give me an example. Which Sunnah do you fear that if it is announced or publicized, it will lead to fitnah?

The questioner : I said, for example, a Sunnah where fitnah arises as a result of people's ignorance or another reason. For example, a Sunnah in the mosque, or for example, prayer, like praying two rak'ahs before Jumu'ah, or any Sunnah that people have become ignorant of, or have abandoned due to ignorance.

Another questioner : For example, not praying between the pillars.

The questioner : If practicing this Sunnah causes fitnah, such as if someone comes forward to pray in front of the pillars, we move people back, and you feel that people are practicing the Sunnah, but the people in front start shouting. Do I practice the Sunnah, or do I abandon it to avoid fitnah? There are many examples of brothers who want to practice the Sunnah, but in their practice of the Sunnah, they cause fitnah. It is possible that it makes ordinary Muslims hold a grudge against him because he is practicing a Sunnah.

The Shaykh : Good. Now, I have given you the answer. Are you satisfied with it?

The questioner : I am satisfied with it.

The Shaykh : Okay, let us take a second step so that the consequence of our answer is not negative, i.e., fighting the Sunnah. We say: Is it not obligatory to revive the Sunnah?

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : How is the Sunnah revived: among scholars or among the ignorant?

The questioner : The Sunnah is first among scholars, then it is transferred to the people.

The Shaykh : May Allah guide you, may Allah guide you. Now, did you memorize my question? I do not think you did.

The questioner : How is the Sunnah preserved?

The Shaykh : How is the Sunnah revived: among scholars or among the ignorant? Say: are you among scholars or among the ignorant?

Another questioner : Among scholars.

The questioner : All of them.

Another questioner : The ignorant, O Shaykh.

The questioner : The question is: is it everyone who practices the Sunnah?

The Shaykh : Be careful, be careful, be careful. Understand, understand the question. Did you understand the question?

The questioner : I understood it in a specific way.

The Shaykh : What specific way? Do I specify it, or do you?

The questioner : No, do not teach me the answer. I see scholars, but do all scholars practice the Sunnah?

The Shaykh : May Allah guide you.

The questioner : Many scholars do not practice the Sunnah.

The Shaykh : My brother, that is not the answer to my question. May Allah guide you.

The questioner : I mean that the practice of...

The Shaykh : I am the one speaking, not you. What do you mean? Ask me what I mean.

The questioner : What do you mean?

Another questioner : Our Shaykh, explain it to him. Let him...

The Shaykh : I mean...

The questioner : The other person: He benefits from other questions.

The Shaykh : Reviving the Sunnah. What is the meaning of reviving the Sunnah? It means a Sunnah that has died.

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : Ah, you mean people do not know it, correct?

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : Okay, my question is: is the Sunnah revived among scholars who know it, or among the ignorant who let it die?

The questioner : Of course, among the ignorant.

The Shaykh : Ah, listen, listen.

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : Now you know. It is revived among the ignorant, correct?

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : And the example was at the beginning of the lesson, correct?

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : The imam's competition with "Ameen." Did you notice that this is a violation in all mosques now? What is the fitnah you are afraid will happen in this matter? Here, I revived the Sunnah, and I know, and Allah knows, that in the whole world, no one speaks about this hadith, even though it is in al-Bukhari and Muslim. No one speaks about it. Why? Because you are holding onto your principle that we fear it will stir up fitnah. What fitnah? Listen, what fitnah is stirred up in what we are doing? If we teach people the Sunnah in the best manner, fitnah is stirred up because of the poor style in calling to the Sunnah.

The questioner : Glory be to Allah.

The Shaykh : There is a great difference between your question and the reality on which your question should have been based. Calling to the Sunnah is a source of reward. If one dies as a martyr, if one dies killed, he dies a martyr, the one who revives the Sunnah. But he should revive it in the best manner, as Allah the Exalted said: I believe that there were Sunnahs that died in the Islamic world, except for a very, very small number. Among them is the Sunnah of straightening the rows between the pillars. In this country, they knew absolutely nothing about it. The long minbar that used to cut through the rows; mosques were built hundreds of years ago. Now, minbars are being built in a modern style. Even though we do not approve of it, they were influenced by the call that these old minbars cut through the rows. Now, by the grace of Allah, it is rare for a mosque to be built where even one row is cut off because of the minbar. So, reviving the Sunnah requires jihad and a good style. In that case, fitnah will not occur. However, if we assume that the caller's style is good and he is knowledgeable about the Sunnah, but he is convinced that fitnah will arise from it, we say: leave this Sunnah. But do not leave it to the point that it dies; rather, prepare the ground for it. Prepare the ground for it. If your question is answered, you have not heard it, but that does not mean you should exploit this answer to let innovations continue and Sunnahs die because we fear fitnah from reviving them.

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : This is not the principle. The principle is that reviving the Sunnah is a Sunnah, and the one who revives it is rewarded with the reward of everyone who follows it. This hadith has weakness in its chain of narration, but its meaning is correct, because it came in the wording: to the end of the hadith.