The Ruling on Boycotting One Who Does Not Cease from What Is Wrong
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Question:
In the example mentioned by the honorable Shaykh al-Munayyi regarding the saying of Allah the Exalted: [Al-Ma'idah: 78], the verse concerning the Children of Israel, does that mean that if I forbid a person from a certain wrong, and then he does not cease from it, does that mean I must refrain from eating with him and living with him until he ceases from his wrong, no matter how minor that wrong is? We ask for clarification on this?
Answer:
Yes, this is one of the punishments of the Children of Israel. If a person sees his brother upon a wrong, he must continue with him in advice and guidance, and he must not take him as a friend, a companion, or a dining partner while he is upon his wrong. This is what happened with the Children of Israel. Rather, he should strive to remove the wrong through advice and guidance. If that does not lead to the desired result, he should boycott him; it is prescribed for him to boycott him. The scholars have three opinions regarding boycotting:
One of them : One is that it is recommended absolutely.
And the second : One is that it is obligatory absolutely.
And the third is to distinguish: if he sees that it will have an effect and that it will deter him from the wrong, he should boycott him. If he sees that boycotting will increase his evil and increase his distance from guidance, he should not boycott him, and he should continue to use advice and forbidding of evil with him constantly without boycotting.
And this middle opinion is the closest to the truth and the most evident in the evidence. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) boycotted some people and left others. He boycotted some people whom he (peace and blessings be upon him) saw would be affected by the boycotting, such as Ka'b ibn Malik, his two companions, and others; because he saw that this would affect them and cause their guidance, their awakening, and their not returning to what was forbidden to them.
And he left others, such as Abdullah ibn Abi Salul and a group of the hypocrites; because he saw danger to the Muslims in boycotting them, so he left boycotting them and used teaching and advice with them, hoping that Allah would guide them and that the people would be safe from their evil. So you, with the one you are tested with, if you see that boycotting him, not sitting with him, and not contacting him is more beneficial, then do that. If you see that contacting him sometimes, visiting him sometimes, and gathering with him sometimes is closer to forbidding the wrong and to his guidance, then do that. Do not cut him off completely. If you hope that the wrong will be removed by this visit, and that boycotting him completely may increase his evil and distance him from guidance, then use what you see is best. Not for the sake of your worldly life and desires, no, but for the sake of the benefit of the religion and the matter of the religion. May Allah grant everyone success and guidance.
Question: And if he is a relative?
Answer: And if he is a relative, yes, whether he is a close relative or a distant one.
In the example mentioned by the honorable Shaykh al-Munayyi regarding the saying of Allah the Exalted:
Cursed were those who disbelieved among the Children of Israel
لُعِنَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِنْ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَAnswer:
Yes, this is one of the punishments of the Children of Israel. If a person sees his brother upon a wrong, he must continue with him in advice and guidance, and he must not take him as a friend, a companion, or a dining partner while he is upon his wrong. This is what happened with the Children of Israel. Rather, he should strive to remove the wrong through advice and guidance. If that does not lead to the desired result, he should boycott him; it is prescribed for him to boycott him. The scholars have three opinions regarding boycotting:
One of them : One is that it is recommended absolutely.
And the second : One is that it is obligatory absolutely.
And the third is to distinguish: if he sees that it will have an effect and that it will deter him from the wrong, he should boycott him. If he sees that boycotting will increase his evil and increase his distance from guidance, he should not boycott him, and he should continue to use advice and forbidding of evil with him constantly without boycotting.
And this middle opinion is the closest to the truth and the most evident in the evidence. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) boycotted some people and left others. He boycotted some people whom he (peace and blessings be upon him) saw would be affected by the boycotting, such as Ka'b ibn Malik, his two companions, and others; because he saw that this would affect them and cause their guidance, their awakening, and their not returning to what was forbidden to them.
And he left others, such as Abdullah ibn Abi Salul and a group of the hypocrites; because he saw danger to the Muslims in boycotting them, so he left boycotting them and used teaching and advice with them, hoping that Allah would guide them and that the people would be safe from their evil. So you, with the one you are tested with, if you see that boycotting him, not sitting with him, and not contacting him is more beneficial, then do that. If you see that contacting him sometimes, visiting him sometimes, and gathering with him sometimes is closer to forbidding the wrong and to his guidance, then do that. Do not cut him off completely. If you hope that the wrong will be removed by this visit, and that boycotting him completely may increase his evil and distance him from guidance, then use what you see is best. Not for the sake of your worldly life and desires, no, but for the sake of the benefit of the religion and the matter of the religion. May Allah grant everyone success and guidance.
Question: And if he is a relative?
Answer: And if he is a relative, yes, whether he is a close relative or a distant one.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.