What is the criterion for boycotting the people of innovation and the sinners?
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Question:
The questioner says: Your Eminence, it has become common for some Muslims to boycott their brothers on the pretext that they are..., what are the limits of religious innovation that necessitate boycotting? And is it a reason for boycotting a man if he cited a hadith in which there is scholarly disagreement..., but some of the Salaf held that view?
Answer:
Innovations are those things introduced in contradiction to the Shari'ah. They are called bid'ah (religious innovation) because of his (peace and blessings be upon him) saying:Sahih Muslim 1718a, Sahih Muslim 1718b, . So innovations are the newly introduced matters in the religion, such as: introducing the celebration of the Mawlid, and such as: celebrating what they call the Night of the Ascension and the Journey in the last part of Rajab, and such as: celebrating something else that Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) has not prescribed, which is made into an act of worship and a means of drawing near to Him. This is called bid'ah. And such as: building on graves; building on them and making them domes and mosques is called bid'ah.
It is obligatory to advise the person who commits an innovation. He should be advised and directed to good, and taught. If he persists in the innovation, he deserves to be boycotted until he repents, unless boycotting him increases his evil. In that case, you do not boycott him, but you maintain contact with him as one who forbids evil and commands good and advises, not as a loving, affectionate, and compassionate friend. No, you maintain contact with him as an advisor and one who forbids evil, and as one who warns him of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), so that perhaps he may stop.
And if there is a ruler in the country, the matter should be referred to him so that he may remove the innovation, even by force, and prevent it, if it is in an Islamic land where there are those who command good and forbid evil.
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) boycotted some people because boycotting them benefited them, just as he boycotted Ka'b ibn Malik and his two companions when they lagged behind in the Battle of Tabuk for fifty nights. He did not boycott Abdullah ibn Ubayy and the group of hypocrites because boycotting them would cause harm, so he did not boycott them. Rather, he endeared them to Islam and called them to Islam, and did not boycott them.
So the rulers, the scholars, and the students of knowledge should follow the example of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). If boycotting the sinner and the innovator benefits them, they should be boycotted. And if it does not benefit them, but rather increases their evil, they should not be boycotted. Rather, one should continue to maintain contact with them and call them to Allah, and strive to direct them to good, so that perhaps they may be guided, until the people are safe from their evil.
The questioner says: Your Eminence, it has become common for some Muslims to boycott their brothers on the pretext that they are..., what are the limits of religious innovation that necessitate boycotting? And is it a reason for boycotting a man if he cited a hadith in which there is scholarly disagreement..., but some of the Salaf held that view?
Answer:
Innovations are those things introduced in contradiction to the Shari'ah. They are called bid'ah (religious innovation) because of his (peace and blessings be upon him) saying:
'A'isha reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: He who innovates things in our affairs for which there is no valid (reason) (commits sin) and these are to be rejected.
مَن أحدث في أمرنا هذا ما ليس منه فهو ردٌّHe who did any act for which there is no sanction from our behalf, that is to be rejected.
مَن عمل عملًا ليس عليه أمرنا فهو ردٌّBeware of newly invented matters
إيَّاكم ومحدثات الأمورIt is obligatory to advise the person who commits an innovation. He should be advised and directed to good, and taught. If he persists in the innovation, he deserves to be boycotted until he repents, unless boycotting him increases his evil. In that case, you do not boycott him, but you maintain contact with him as one who forbids evil and commands good and advises, not as a loving, affectionate, and compassionate friend. No, you maintain contact with him as an advisor and one who forbids evil, and as one who warns him of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), so that perhaps he may stop.
And if there is a ruler in the country, the matter should be referred to him so that he may remove the innovation, even by force, and prevent it, if it is in an Islamic land where there are those who command good and forbid evil.
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) boycotted some people because boycotting them benefited them, just as he boycotted Ka'b ibn Malik and his two companions when they lagged behind in the Battle of Tabuk for fifty nights. He did not boycott Abdullah ibn Ubayy and the group of hypocrites because boycotting them would cause harm, so he did not boycott them. Rather, he endeared them to Islam and called them to Islam, and did not boycott them.
So the rulers, the scholars, and the students of knowledge should follow the example of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). If boycotting the sinner and the innovator benefits them, they should be boycotted. And if it does not benefit them, but rather increases their evil, they should not be boycotted. Rather, one should continue to maintain contact with them and call them to Allah, and strive to direct them to good, so that perhaps they may be guided, until the people are safe from their evil.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.