What is the ruling on sitting in a place of evil in order to remove it?
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The questioner : Shaykh, is it permissible for a man to sit in a place where there is evil, for the purpose of removing the evil?
The Shaykh : Yes, he sits in order to forbid them from the evil.
The questioner : Even if the evil is present, Shaykh?
The Shaykh : How can a person remove it otherwise? How can he remove the evil while he is away from it or merely aware of it, forbidding it from a distance? But if he sits with them, approving of the evil and remaining silent about it, he is like them.
The questioner : It might be, for example, singing, Shaykh, and he sits with them.
The Shaykh : He does not object. He sits with them and says: "O people, fear Allah, stop." If they stop, that is what is required. If they do not stop, he stands up and leaves them.
The questioner : Some people, Shaykh, cite an incident that happened to some students of knowledge. They say that he once came to a place where there was evil, with people in a gathering of songs, and he said: "Continue." Then he said afterwards: "What did we benefit from?"
The Shaykh : Yes, this is part of the da'wah (calling others to Islam). He wants to show them that there is no good in this gathering.
The Shaykh : Yes, he sits in order to forbid them from the evil.
The questioner : Even if the evil is present, Shaykh?
The Shaykh : How can a person remove it otherwise? How can he remove the evil while he is away from it or merely aware of it, forbidding it from a distance? But if he sits with them, approving of the evil and remaining silent about it, he is like them.
The questioner : It might be, for example, singing, Shaykh, and he sits with them.
The Shaykh : He does not object. He sits with them and says: "O people, fear Allah, stop." If they stop, that is what is required. If they do not stop, he stands up and leaves them.
The questioner : Some people, Shaykh, cite an incident that happened to some students of knowledge. They say that he once came to a place where there was evil, with people in a gathering of songs, and he said: "Continue." Then he said afterwards: "What did we benefit from?"
The Shaykh : Yes, this is part of the da'wah (calling others to Islam). He wants to show them that there is no good in this gathering.