If it is not permissible to frighten people away, and some of the recommended practices in prayer are not known to people, should they be left out?
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The questioner : We mentioned that it is not permissible to frighten people away if this frightening is regarding a recommended practice that people do not know at all. For example, wearing the lower garment to the middle of the shin in countries where they do not know this, O Shaykh... It is very disliked, and it should be clarified to them by speech.
The Shaykh : But people are not bound to you; people will make their garments whatever they wish. However, the prayer is connected; the prayer of the follower is connected to the prayer of the imam. If the follower comes and joins the imam, and the imam prolongs the prayer more than what is in the Sunnah, it is a problem. It tires the people, occupies their hearts, and causes them to turn away from the prayer. As for the issue of some people disapproving—not frightening—disapproving of raising the trousers or garments to the middle of the shin, we say that perhaps they will disapprove of this at first, but when it becomes common and widespread, it becomes an ordinary matter. And for this reason, we find that people's disapproval of this now is less than it was previously. It is less for two reasons. The first reason is that people have become accustomed to it and no longer disapprove of it. The second reason is that many of the young men who used to raise their garment to the middle of the shin no longer raise it now; they lower it, but they do not lower it below the ankle, because that is permissible.
The Shaykh : But people are not bound to you; people will make their garments whatever they wish. However, the prayer is connected; the prayer of the follower is connected to the prayer of the imam. If the follower comes and joins the imam, and the imam prolongs the prayer more than what is in the Sunnah, it is a problem. It tires the people, occupies their hearts, and causes them to turn away from the prayer. As for the issue of some people disapproving—not frightening—disapproving of raising the trousers or garments to the middle of the shin, we say that perhaps they will disapprove of this at first, but when it becomes common and widespread, it becomes an ordinary matter. And for this reason, we find that people's disapproval of this now is less than it was previously. It is less for two reasons. The first reason is that people have become accustomed to it and no longer disapprove of it. The second reason is that many of the young men who used to raise their garment to the middle of the shin no longer raise it now; they lower it, but they do not lower it below the ankle, because that is permissible.