I rebuked a man who had shaved his beard and stepped forward to lead us in prayer, and I left praying behind him and moved to another mosque. Is what I did valid?

The questioner: Shaykh, I was in Najd, and an incident occurred during Ramadan. I went to pray the 'Asr prayer in congregation, and there was the man who had stepped forward, and he had shaved his beard. I said to him: "My brother, you have shaved your beard, how can you lead us in prayer? Go back." The people asked, "Why?" I said: "Because he has shaved his beard, how can he lead us?" He said: "Okay, you step forward." He stood up, said the takbir of ihram, and prayed. I left the mosque and went to another mosque; you know, the mosques are close there. So the brothers accused me, may Allah forgive them, of causing fitnah.

The Shaykh: A Khariji, I mean.

The questioner: So Shaykh Abu Malik came to Riyadh to seek treatment, and I told him about the matter. He clarified the matter, meaning that what I did was not the correct thing. I did well in that I did not get bold and that I did not leave the congregational prayer; I caught up with it in another mosque. He cited a hadith: . An incident had happened to me before in Oman; a man who had shaved his beard and was wearing very tight trousers stepped forward, and I refused to pray behind him. So our brother Abu Suhayb accused me of causing fitnah, so I was afraid that he might be right. It is the same thing; I asked the Shaykh, but they brought up this story in front of Shaykh 'Adnan while we were in Riyadh. It seems to me that Shaykh 'Adnan does not support my refusal to pray behind this bearded man wearing trousers. Is it possible that you could guide us to the correct path?

The Shaykh: Yes. I see that what you heard from Brother 'Adnan is the correct thing. But when you rebuked the man who had shaved his beard, that rebuke was in its proper place. But here I say something: It is observed in you that you have enthusiasm and excessive heat. And as we always say, reminding our brothers the da'wah workers, that the call to the truth, in that it is the truth, is heavy. Therefore, He, the Exalted, said: . It should be accompanied by the correct manner. The correct manner, as a rule, should be accompanied by gentleness, compassion, mercy, and kindness toward the one who commits the sin, especially if the sin is widespread to the point that the masses of people no longer know that this is a sinful matter. Here, the call requires wisdom, good admonition, gentleness, and kindness toward such a person. And the matter may be the opposite of the description I mentioned; the matter may be known to be forbidden or not prescribed among the Muslims. But this person may have recently embraced Islam. And I mean recently, meaning he may have been a disbeliever, a Jew or a Christian or from one of the false religions, and Allah guided him to Islam. I do not think this new convert would be well-versed in many of the rulings of the Shari'ah that Muslims know by inheritance, or Muslims who live in an Islamic society. Or he may not be originally a disbeliever; he may be originally a Muslim, but as it is said in some modern terminology: a geographical Muslim, or a Muslim in the sense of reminding the souls. He does not know anything about Islam. So he may do something that is certainly contrary to the Shari'ah, but because he is new to Islam, he should be treated with gentleness.
The student: Peace be upon you.

The Shaykh : And upon you be peace, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.
From here come some texts that must be considered our methodology in our use of wisdom and gentleness in the da'wah. For example, the story of that Bedouin who entered the mosque, and he was a Bedouin, and in the past they were content with just a shirt and there was no other clothing. So he did nothing but lift his shirt and start urinating in the mosque. His companions, peace be upon him, were about to deal with him. He said to them: Leave him, let his nature be released, meaning his urine. So look at the difference between the Companion and the Prophet of the Companions. They were about to hit him, but the Messenger said to them, "Leave him." Why? Because he considered that this man is a Bedouin who does not know Islam. Then he turned, peace be upon him, to him and said: . Because he was so annoyed by the companions of the Messenger, peace be upon him, he said in his supplication: So the Messenger, peace be upon him, also said gently: . This is a hadith. And the story of Mu'awiyah ibn al-Hakam al-Sulami, which Imam Muslim narrated in his Sahih, and it is a long story, and the point of it is: Poor fellow, he doesn't know what to do, he doesn't know that talking invalidates the prayer. So the Companions did nothing but hit their thighs to silence him. In the end, he said: to the end of the hadith. Now, when you rebuked this bearded man.
The student: The point, Shaykh...

The Shaykh : Yes?
The student: I always say, remember the point, Mu'awiyah's saying: .

The Shaykh: Yes, by Allah, it is correct. After the prayer, when the Messenger finished the prayer, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, turned to him and said: to the end of the hadith. So your rebuke of this man who stepped forward to lead the prayer while having shaved his beard is religiously valid. But the matter has a subtlety. Now, what is presented to your ears is the following: This bearded man may be the most knowledgeable of the people present... in the Qur'an, and the Messenger says: .
The student: Peace be upon you.

The Shaykh: And upon you be peace. . It is possible that this person is the most knowledgeable of the congregation among the people of the mosque, unfortunately, but he is what? An open sinner, and this is on the condition that he knows that shaving the beard is forbidden. So he is an open sinner in that he has engaged in the act of open sinners, which is shaving the beard. So if your rebuke is directed at his shaving of the beard, it is in its proper place. But if it is directed at his leading the prayer because he has shaved his beard, it is not in its proper place. And I think there is a difference between the two matters. And perhaps it has become clear to you, or not?
The student: No, Shaykh, because it has been understood.

The Shaykh : Do not evade.
The student: No, no.

The Shaykh: Because the deviation is clear in your methodology.
The student: No.

The Shaykh: Tell me, tell me: Did I make myself clear to you?
The student : No, my Shaykh.

The Shaykh: May Allah guide you.
The student: Peace be upon you.

The Shaykh: And upon you be peace. How then do you want to speak? May Allah forgive you.
The student: Amen.