What is the ruling on one who approves of what is wrong, such as smoking and television, and considers that to be a means of da'wah for the sake of winning people over, and even gives him money to buy cigarettes?
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The questioner : Peace be upon you, and Allah's mercy and blessings.
The Shaykh : And upon you be peace, and Allah's mercy and blessings.
The questioner : You spoke, may Allah reward you, about da'wah and what da'wah is, and forbidding what is wrong. Some callers to Allah go to a person who smokes, and sometimes they give him money so that he can buy cigarettes, and they say: that is in the way of da'wah.
The Shaykh : Buy cigarettes?
The questioner : He buys his cigarettes and says, "May your head be well," is that correct? He sits with him, and he has a television, and he says, "Do not be repelled by this, it is in the way of da'wah." Is that correct or not?
The Shaykh : This is not correct. Approving of what is wrong is itself wrong. And the fact that he gives him money to buy cigarettes to win him over is not correct. Winning him over is by advising him and explaining to him the harms of sin, whether it is smoking or something else, and warning him against it, and giving him, for example, guided tapes, messages, or booklets. That is winning people over. But for him to commit the sin himself, or to buy cigarettes for him, or to give him money to buy cigarettes, that is not correct.
The questioner : Does he sin or not?
The Shaykh : It is known that the one who is present with what is wrong sins, except the one who is present with what is wrong to remove it. For example, a person sits with a group who have a television showing forbidden things. He sits, but he does not immediately start forbidding it. He sits and lets them feel at ease with him, then he says: this is forbidden and not permissible, and he advises them. If they turn away from it and turn off the television, that is what is required. If they persist, he leaves. If he remains after that, he is sinful.
The Shaykh : And upon you be peace, and Allah's mercy and blessings.
The questioner : You spoke, may Allah reward you, about da'wah and what da'wah is, and forbidding what is wrong. Some callers to Allah go to a person who smokes, and sometimes they give him money so that he can buy cigarettes, and they say: that is in the way of da'wah.
The Shaykh : Buy cigarettes?
The questioner : He buys his cigarettes and says, "May your head be well," is that correct? He sits with him, and he has a television, and he says, "Do not be repelled by this, it is in the way of da'wah." Is that correct or not?
The Shaykh : This is not correct. Approving of what is wrong is itself wrong. And the fact that he gives him money to buy cigarettes to win him over is not correct. Winning him over is by advising him and explaining to him the harms of sin, whether it is smoking or something else, and warning him against it, and giving him, for example, guided tapes, messages, or booklets. That is winning people over. But for him to commit the sin himself, or to buy cigarettes for him, or to give him money to buy cigarettes, that is not correct.
The questioner : Does he sin or not?
The Shaykh : It is known that the one who is present with what is wrong sins, except the one who is present with what is wrong to remove it. For example, a person sits with a group who have a television showing forbidden things. He sits, but he does not immediately start forbidding it. He sits and lets them feel at ease with him, then he says: this is forbidden and not permissible, and he advises them. If they turn away from it and turn off the television, that is what is required. If they persist, he leaves. If he remains after that, he is sinful.