What is the ruling on forbidding evil publicly?
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The questioner : May Allah reward you: What is your opinion on forbidding evil in the workplace if it is continuous, such as smoking and the like?
The Shaykh : May Allah bless you. Regarding forbidding evil, if it is continuous, you should advise the first time, and clarify as much as you are able that this is evil, and that is sufficient. However, you should not sit with him. For example, if we see a person smoking, we forbid it, saying that it is forbidden and not permissible. But if he continues, it is not obligatory for us to say every time we see him, "This is evil." Sometimes we know that this man is stubborn. But yes, after a period of time, you might say, "Perhaps he has changed," and advise him; there is no harm in that. The same is said regarding letting the garment hang below the ankles and shaving the beard.
The Shaykh : May Allah bless you. Regarding forbidding evil, if it is continuous, you should advise the first time, and clarify as much as you are able that this is evil, and that is sufficient. However, you should not sit with him. For example, if we see a person smoking, we forbid it, saying that it is forbidden and not permissible. But if he continues, it is not obligatory for us to say every time we see him, "This is evil." Sometimes we know that this man is stubborn. But yes, after a period of time, you might say, "Perhaps he has changed," and advise him; there is no harm in that. The same is said regarding letting the garment hang below the ankles and shaving the beard.