A person often sits with a relative and sees from him wrongdoings and violations, such as standing up for the one who enters, or shaving the beard, or others. Is it obligatory to forbid every wrong, or are there priorities that must be followed?

The questioner : Sometimes, some people are in visits or other gatherings. The owner of the house enters, and the owner's father, his brother, or his uncle enters. Perhaps we know that he does not pray, in addition to the fact that he shaves his beard. When a person enters, they stand up for him. From these prohibited matters, perhaps when he sits, he mentions our master...The Shaykh : Muhyi al-Din ibn 'Arabi or such. Do we forbid every matter and not act on any priorities... How should it be if there are priorities?

The Shaykh : This varies from the person entering to the person who wants to deal with him; it varies completely. Without a doubt, there is a priority. Yesterday, for example, I had guests, and they said a phrase... So when I entered, they stood up... And I had mentioned this a long time ago... They visit me often, and I rarely visit them. I reminded them of the Sunnah regarding standing up, but as I told them yesterday, leaving the custom is... Reminding them of this topic in a detailed manner. I told them, "I have discussed the matter of standing up with you, and I see that you do not..." Therefore, I am now going to state something: your standing up for me, as long as I do not like this standing up in following the Sunnah of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), you have known that from me. Divorce it with a final divorce; do not stand up, because it is a prohibited act. Rather, if there is a prohibited act... we call it and so on, and so forth. So regarding me, this standing up, divorce it with a final divorce. A second category: divorce it with a revocable divorce. Why? Because there are people... by age, for example, by culture, and so on. Your friends, your companions... But it is possible that when you try... it is possible. So this is a revocable divorce; you can return to it regarding... these people... and upon you... But if you find a person who has the capacity... if you find a person who has the capacity to accept... to understand, not to act... he understands you, he does not get angry at you, he does not say to you, "This is reactionary," "This is..." O Messenger of Allah, what is this... If you find this, then... But if you find him deaf, dumb, and blind... Your question, in fact, its answer varies according to the condition of these people, and also according to... you... the one with you... he may be a scholar, he may be a student of knowledge... he may not be a memorizer, but people say to him, "He will not..." So messages reach you, and I have some... and some incidents. Once I was in Hajj or 'Umrah in the Prophet's Mosque, near the time of Dhuhr or 'Asr, a young man came to me and caught my attention. He was placing his hands... he stood up and prayed... It is better that you listen to me loudly, because there is disagreement among the jurists regarding the loud recitation... So I greeted him and got to know him, and he was Moroccan. I said to him, "May Allah bless you, you, and praise be to Allah, our Lord has guided you... the group, and the meaning of this speech is..." But what caught my attention was that you were wearing a belt of gold... this is forbidden for men. I mentioned to him some hadiths. He said... rather, it is more important than that.

The questioner : ... .

The Shaykh : Yes, he said, meaning... leave us from this; there are more important matters... Now, at this moment, here is the point. At this moment, there is... At this moment, may Allah forbid, if... the matter, I will not tell you why... No, this is an example, and examples repeat and repeat. Therefore, as it was said in the old Arabic proverbs, "Bring the wise man... bring the wise man... well, others."