Speaker: Shaykh ‘Abdul ‘Azeez al-Bura’ee
Country of Speaker: Yemen
Category: Manhaj
Date: 16th December, 2012
Lecture Summary
The Shaykh offers us a very informative and valuable advice on an issue that is pertinent to all Muslim communities – the correct method of advising our Muslim brother or sister who have fallen into sinful practices. The Shaykh distinguishes this act of sincerely advising our brother/sister out of love and concern, from advising him with the intention of slandering and defaming him.
The Shaykh began by quoting the famous hadeeth of the Prophet (sallAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) “This Deen is Advice…”. He clarified that by ‘advice’, the Prophet (sallAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) is referring to sincere care and love for the one being advised. This is the methodology of all of the messengers. They possessed genuine concern for the uprightness and betterment of their fellow Muslim, wherein that if they saw one falling into harm, be it regarding deen (religion) or dunya (worldly) related matters, they felt saddened for him and rushed to advise him. The Shaykh stressed on the importance of approaching the individual privately and in a gentle and soft manner and consequently, avoiding embarrassing him and publicising his flaws. He cited this as the correct way to approach the common folk and even the ruler who is guilty of a sin but is open to advice and seeks good for himself. For this type of individual, it becomes haram to publically chastise him. However, the Shaykh then showed those instances where it becomes incumbent and necessary to name the individual and openly warn the people of his corruption. Such is in the case for example, of the one practising innovations who misleads the people by it and is stubborn on that error.
After distinguishing the proper intention one should have when advising each other, the Shaykh then exposed the evil intentions exemplified by people who outwardly appear to aid in correcting others but in reality, they have two main objectives:
- They intend to tarnish the individual’s reputation and humiliate him, and
- they aim to gain status and respect amongst the people as the one who advises others.
Regarding the one who is a victim of such slandering, then the Shaykh advises him to be patient and expect his reward from Allaah and as for the one who holds the evil intentions mentioned above, then he should be weary of Allaah’s humiliation on him. The Shaykh uses numerous examples from the Qur’aan and the Sunnah throughout the lecture to illustrate Allaah’s love for gentleness and His hate for slandering.
We ask Allaah, Al-Haqq, to make the haqq apparent to use and give us the courage to follow it and to make the baatil clear to us and give us the strength to stay away from it.
Wa Billaahi Tawfeeq
Wa SallAllaahu wa Sallaama wa Barak ‘alaa Nabiyanna Muhammad wa ‘alaa ‘Alyhi wa Sahbyhi wa Sallam
We at Muwahhideen Publications are an Islaamic Organization founded in the Caribbean Island of Tobago, Trinidad &Tobago and dedicated to propagating the pure Islaamic creed, based on the correct and authentic teachings of the Qur'aan and the authentic Sunnah, according to the understanding of the pious predecessors i.e. the first three generations of Islaam and those who follow their way until the day of judgement.
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