Constructive Criticism Does Not Involve Censure
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Question:
The first question of this episode, Your Eminence, is from a citizen (A.F.G.) who says: A statement was issued by Your Eminence about two weeks ago regarding what is required of da'is and scholars in terms of constructive criticism and not censuring individuals. Some people interpreted this as referring to specific people. What is your view on this interpretation? May Allah reward you with good and do you well.
Answer:
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon the Messenger of Allah, upon his family, and upon his Companions, and upon those who follow his guidance. As for what follows:
This statement that the questioner referred to, we intended by it to advise our brother scholars and da'is that their criticism of their brothers regarding what is issued in the form of articles, or advice, or lectures, or seminars, should be constructive criticism, far from censure and naming individuals; because this may cause hostility and enmity among everyone. It was the custom of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and his method that when something was reported to him about some of his Companions that did not conform to the Shari'ah, he would point it out by saying (peace and blessings be upon him):Sunan al-Bayhaqi 10:844, then he would clarify the Shari'ah ruling, may Allah send prayers and blessings upon him.
Among such instances is that it was reported to him that some people said: "As for me, I pray and do not sleep," and another said: "As for me, I fast and do not break my fast," and another said: "As for me, I do not marry women." So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) addressed the people, praised Allah, and extolled Him, then he said:Sunan al-Bayhaqi 10:844. My intention is what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said.
My intention is that the pointing out should be done with words like this: "Some people say such and such, and some people said such and such, and the obligatory is such and such, and the prescribed is such and such."
The criticism should be without censure of a specific person, but rather in the way of clarifying the Shari'ah ruling, that the obligatory is such and such, and the prescribed is such and such, and it is recommended to do such and such, without saying "So-and-so did this" or "So-and-so said that"; so that affection and love remain among the brothers, among the da'is, and among the scholars.
I do not intend specific people by this, but rather I intended the general, I intended all da'is, and all scholars, both inside and outside the country.
My advice to everyone is that communication regarding advice and criticism should be through generalization, not through specifying individuals, since the intention is to point out the error and mistake, and to point out what is required in this context of clarifying the correct and the truth, without the need to censure so-and-so or so-and-so.
This is the intention, and the intention is not a specific person to the exclusion of others. May Allah guide everyone. Yes.
The presenter: O Allah, amen. May Allah reward you with good.
The first question of this episode, Your Eminence, is from a citizen (A.F.G.) who says: A statement was issued by Your Eminence about two weeks ago regarding what is required of da'is and scholars in terms of constructive criticism and not censuring individuals. Some people interpreted this as referring to specific people. What is your view on this interpretation? May Allah reward you with good and do you well.
Answer:
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon the Messenger of Allah, upon his family, and upon his Companions, and upon those who follow his guidance. As for what follows:
This statement that the questioner referred to, we intended by it to advise our brother scholars and da'is that their criticism of their brothers regarding what is issued in the form of articles, or advice, or lectures, or seminars, should be constructive criticism, far from censure and naming individuals; because this may cause hostility and enmity among everyone. It was the custom of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and his method that when something was reported to him about some of his Companions that did not conform to the Shari'ah, he would point it out by saying (peace and blessings be upon him):
What is the matter with a group of people who said such and such?
ما بال أقوام قالوا كذا وكذاAmong such instances is that it was reported to him that some people said: "As for me, I pray and do not sleep," and another said: "As for me, I fast and do not break my fast," and another said: "As for me, I do not marry women." So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) addressed the people, praised Allah, and extolled Him, then he said:
What is the matter with a group of people who said such and such, but I pray and sleep, and I fast and break my fast, and I marry women; so whoever turns away from my Sunnah is not one of me
ما بال أقوام قالوا كذا وكذا، لكني أصلي وأنام، وأصوم وأفطر، وأتزوج النساء؛ فمن رغب عن سنتي فليس منيMy intention is that the pointing out should be done with words like this: "Some people say such and such, and some people said such and such, and the obligatory is such and such, and the prescribed is such and such."
The criticism should be without censure of a specific person, but rather in the way of clarifying the Shari'ah ruling, that the obligatory is such and such, and the prescribed is such and such, and it is recommended to do such and such, without saying "So-and-so did this" or "So-and-so said that"; so that affection and love remain among the brothers, among the da'is, and among the scholars.
I do not intend specific people by this, but rather I intended the general, I intended all da'is, and all scholars, both inside and outside the country.
My advice to everyone is that communication regarding advice and criticism should be through generalization, not through specifying individuals, since the intention is to point out the error and mistake, and to point out what is required in this context of clarifying the correct and the truth, without the need to censure so-and-so or so-and-so.
This is the intention, and the intention is not a specific person to the exclusion of others. May Allah guide everyone. Yes.
The presenter: O Allah, amen. May Allah reward you with good.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.