The Ruling on Visiting Forbidden and Innovative Places for the Purpose of Calling People to Allah

Question:
Many of our esteemed listeners ask the Shaykh, and among them is a brother listener who says: I am Abd al-Hayy Uthman Hamad, a Sudanese resident in Riyadh. Our brother asks, along with a group of listeners who are interested in calling people to Allah: Is it permissible for us to visit the forbidden places that we know Muslims frequent, for the purpose of calling people to Allah?

Answer:
Yes. In fact, it is prescribed for callers to Allah to visit such places, such as cafes where people consume what Allah has forbidden, or gatherings where there is a mix of people. If they visit them, they should call them to Allah, encourage them to do good, and warn them against the prohibitions of Allah, such as intoxicants, smoking, shaving the beard, and the mixing of women and men. If he does this, he has done well, because he did not visit them to make them his place or to participate in their ugly deeds or to take them as companions. No, rather, he intended to admonish them, remind them, enjoin what is right, and forbid what is wrong. He is a doer of good, and he has a great reward.
It is established from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) that he went one day to Sa'd ibn Ubadah, the leader of the Khazraj, (may Allah be pleased with him) to visit him while he was sick. He passed by a gathering containing a mix of Jews, Muslims, and worshippers of idols. He was riding a donkey, so he dismounted from his mount (peace and blessings be upon him), stood before them, recited the Qur'an to them, called them to Islam, and reminded them of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) , even though they were of this description, with a mix among them: Jews, polytheists, and Muslims.
This indicates that visiting these gatherings where there is a mix of people for the purpose of calling and guiding is a required matter, and that there is much good and many benefits in it. This is because many of them do not seek out gatherings of knowledge or circles of knowledge. In fact, months or years may pass for them without hearing any admonitions, because they are not people of prayer and not people of circles of knowledge. One of them may be a disbeliever who is not from the people of Islam. If he hears the advice, Allah may guide him and his heart may open, and this caller will have a reward like his. Or one of them may be a disobedient open sinner, and Allah may guide him because of this advice, and he may leave what he is upon of falsehood. So I see that visiting these places for the purpose of calling is a required matter. Yes.

The presenter: May Allah reward you with good. And what is similar to this, O Shaykh, are condolence gatherings?

The Shaykh: Likewise, a condolence gathering, if one visits them for the sake of advice and guidance, there is nothing wrong with that. And so, if one attends a celebration for the festivals... for the Mawlid, the people who celebrate the Mawlid, for example. The Mawlid of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), or the Mawlid of al-Badawi, or the Mawlid of al-Husayn, or the Mawlid of Fatimah in some countries that hold these celebrations. If he mixes with them solely for the purpose of calling and guiding, not for the sake of approving their deed or increasing their numbers, in a manner that does not imply that he agrees with them, and it does not appear to anyone that he approves of this religious innovation, but in a manner where it is known that he intended advice, and he states this explicitly and says: I came to you only for advice, not because I approve of this celebration. Rather, I advise you not to return to it, and to replace it with the lawful celebration... with circles of knowledge, lessons of knowledge, and admonitions.
As for establishing celebrations that Allah has not prescribed in these Mawlid events, this is something with no basis, and it is a religious innovation. So I came to you as an advisor and a reminder, not as one who approves or supports this deed which contradicts the Shari'ah of Allah. And Allah the Exalted said: [Surat al-Shura: 21], and the noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: , meaning: so it is rejected. Imam Muslim narrated it in his Sahih, and al-Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) narrated it in the Sahih as a suspended narration with a definitive assertion. And he also said (peace and blessings be upon him) in the Friday sermon: , al-Nasa'i added with a sound chain: .
So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in the Friday sermon warns people against these religious innovations. Because when religious innovations appear among people, they neglect the Sunnahs because of them, their hearts become hard, and they thereby object to the Shari'ah of Allah, as if the Exalted had not completed this religion, and as if His Messenger had not conveyed it. And Allah the Mighty and Majestic says: [Surat al-Ma'idah: 3], so there is no place for these religious innovations. Allah has completed the religion and perfected the favor. So celebrating the Mawlid, for example, or celebrating the Night of the Ascension and the Night Journey, or celebrating the Night of the Middle of Sha'ban, or what is similar to this of religious innovations, all of that is what is wrong.
So whoever attends them to clarify the truth, deny the religious innovation, guide them to the correct path, and advise them, hopes for what is with Allah and clarifies that he came for this matter, so that no one who does not know thinks that he came to support or participate in this matter. Rather, he clarifies before the witnesses that he came for calling and guidance, not for approval and support. May Allah guide them all. Yes.

The presenter: O Allah, amen. May Allah reward you with good.