A follow-up on the obligation to advise rulers and not inciting the people against them.

The Shaykh : However, they dislike a specific approach adopted by some preachers. This approach is that they incite the people against their rulers when they mention the faults of the rulers without mentioning their virtues. This is not a sound approach. Rather, it is said: the sound approach is to advise the rulers by confronting them face-to-face if you can, by writing to them, delivering the letter by hand if you are able, or by another means. If they are guided, that is what is desired. Otherwise, it is not in the public interest to incite the people against these rulers, because it results in more evil, corruption, and division than the benefit obtained. In fact, the benefit may be completely lost if the ruler becomes stubborn and says, "I will not submit to this person who tried to pressure me by inciting the people, for example." Therefore, we see that the sound approach is to direct the call to the people themselves. For example, if there is dealing in riba (usury or interest) among the people, direct the address and the call to the people themselves, saying: "This is forbidden (haram) and it is not permissible for a person to deal in it, and it is obligatory to refrain from it." Likewise, if you see that singing tapes or what is heard on the radio in the form of singing is widespread, warn the people against it and say: "Fear Allah, this is forbidden (muharram) and it is not permissible." But some preachers ignore this and go on to talk about the government that approved this thing. For example, they say: "It approves riba (usury or interest), it approves musical instruments, it approves such and such." The most important thing is reforming the people. If the people are reformed, the government will necessarily be reformed, because the people are individuals composed of a ruler and the ruled. The ruled are undoubtedly more numerous than the ruler. That is, the individuals of the government, for example, do not reach a proportion compared to the people. And if the people are reformed, the government must necessarily be reformed. This results in the rulers perceiving that the intention of this preacher is to harm the government and divide the people from it, and to call for disagreement with it and disobedience to it, and that it is not righteous, and so on. Consequently, they turn against this preacher and those who support them. Yes.

The questioner : O Shaykh, are the public sins not to be denounced publicly?

The Shaykh : Yes, they are to be denounced against them, but how are they to be denounced?
I say: It is not permissible for us to deal with banks, for example, with riba (usury or interest). We say: It is not permissible, for example, to listen to obscene songs or musical instruments. It is not permissible, for example, to buy newspapers or magazines that contain obscene images, or that publish destructive ideas, and so on.