Methodology | The Albaani Site

November 14, 2011

Boycotting Another Muslim | 6 | What if the Boycotter Wrongfully Persists in His Stance?

Questioner: Namely, is it correct to say that … that it is the intention that defines the permissibility or not of backbiting?

Al-Albaani: Yes, it’s just that the intention without doubt is the reference point for all actions, but what I wanted to bring to [your] attention was that a person has to look at himself and not boycott his brother for a purely worldly reason while imagining that he is only boycotting him with the intention of disciplining him.

And a person may lie, for example, or fabricate something, and so another person will boycott him, but saying such a lie or making such a fabrication is not from the nature of this person who is now being boycotted, so it is upon a person to advise and remind him of the forbiddance of what he has done.

For if not, when the door of boycotting another Muslim is opened just because he has committed a mistake then it would mean that it is obligatory upon the Muslims to boycott each other and to cut off from each other and to turn away from each other and that they not be brothers as Allaah, the Blessed and Most High, described them. This is what I wanted to turn your attention to.

Questioner: And on top of that the religion is to sincerely advise one another..

Another Questioner: Namely, if the purpose of disciplining him has been met, who decides that the goal has been reached?

Al-Albaani: When repentance and the fact that he has turned back to Allaah become apparent from the person being boycotted, or at the very least an apology for what he did; we cannot ask for any more than that.

Questioner: Namely, when the one boycotting insists [on boycotting] despite the repentance of the person being boycotted, what is the role of the other Muslims [regarding this]?

Al-Albaani: After he has repented?

Questioner: Yes, the man repented from his mistake, but the one boycotting is still boycotting him and determined on doing so–is there then a role for his friends, relatives or family [to play]?

Al-Albaani: It is as though I understand from your question, and Allaah knows best, [that you are asking] what the role of these other people is, not in relation to the one being boycotted but to the one boycotting, i.e., is the situation turned on its head and the one who was boycotting [himself now] boycotted?

Questioner: … the one boycotted has repented and turned back to Allaah and acknowledged his mistake, but the one boycotting is persisting [in his stance], so should he be left … or, namely, is there something which should be done by a person working on the issue[/involved in the situation, like] going to the one boycotting him and telling him …

Al-Albaani: That must be done, … as for the fact that it is advice, then the Shaikh, the Khateeb [in this mosque] gave this advice [reminding us in the sermon] that the religion is to sincerely advise one another and this was a reminder of the obligation of advising one another.

So if the one who was being boycotted repented and turned back to Allaah, and the one boycotting continued in his boycotting then he is wrong. We do not now say that the tables should be turned as I alluded to earlier, jokingly, the situation is not turned on its head so that the one who was boycotting is now [himself] boycotted, but he should be told that his role has come to an end.

Questioner: And if the one being boycotted tried … two times, three times, but the other person remained firm on his stance of boycotting, is there something that should be required of him …?

Al-Albaani: I’m sorry, the one being boycotted did what?

Questioner: He tried more than one time to give salaam to the other and approach him but the other refuses and insists [on his stance], how long should he carry on trying, namely, is he, by just trying once, twice or three times, not required to try anymore or should he continue trying for the rest of his life …

Al-Albaani: Abu Yahyaa is speaking about the one being boycotted.

Questioner: The one being boycotted tried to dispel the enmity with the one boycotting him, trying one time, another and a third, but that person is insisting on his stance. So the role of the one being boycotted now … he suffices himself by having tried once, twice, three times, and he will lose his mind if he keeps on trying for the rest of his life …

Al-Albaani: This is unreasonable …

Questioner: This is my question?

Al-Albaani: Okay, after your question has become clear then his part [in trying to rectify the affair] has ended and the situation is turned around in relation to the one boycotting such that he is sinful in boycotting. For this reason we say that he is advised because it is not upon the one being boycotted to do more than what you just mentioned except when the issue branches off into monetary rights, for example, where the one being boycotted is not giving back such rights [to their prospective owners].

November 11, 2011

Boycotting Another Muslim | 5 | Backbiting and Boycotting– Similar Rulings

Translated by Ahmed Abu Turaab

Questioner: The topic of boycotting another Muslim, is it allowed, O Shaikh?

Interjection: Regarding boycotting a Muslim, we spoke with the Ustaadh on the phone that day and then later delayed discussing the topic. Namely, the hadiths reported about boycotting a Muslim are well-known as is the great sin a Muslim commits by boycotting his Muslim brother. So we would like the Ustaadh [i.e., Shaikh al-Abaani] to speak about this topic, i.e., we are men …

Al-Albaani: There is no doubt that the topic of boycotting contains precision similar to the precision found in the topic of backbiting. The answer to these two matters is that just as it is not allowed for a Muslim to boycott another Muslim, in the same way it is not allowed for a Muslim to backbite another. And just as backbiting which is forbidden has a well-known exception in the Sharee’ah, in the same way boycotting has an exception in the Legislation.

So a Muslim boycotting another for other than a legislated reason is only permissible for three days, permissible for three days only, any more than that is haraam, due to the well-known hadith reported in the two Sahihs from the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم that he said, ‘It is not allowed for a Muslim to boycott his brother for more than three. They meet and so this one turns away from that one, and this one from that. And the best of them is the one who initiates giving the salutation to his brother.’

So in this hadith is a declaration of the forbiddance of boycotting along with an allowance to boycott for these three days or three nights. And in reality this is from the weakness of man which Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, created and described in His Saying, ‘And man was created weak.’ [Nisaa 4:28].

So our Lord, the Mighty and Majestic, was kind to him and so permitted him to vent some of his anger regarding his Muslim brother so it is permitted for him to boycott him for these three days and then the matter is over. If he increases upon that then the boycotting becomes forbidden according to the text of the hadith, at the start of which there occurred, ‘It is not allowed …’

As for what is exempted from that as we said … or as we alluded to the exemption from forbidden backbiting, [then as regards the exemption from boycotting] it is only when the impetus for it is to educate the one being boycotted and to try to turn him away from the opposition to the Sharee’ah that he may have fallen into.

So when a Muslim boycotts him for this purpose–and it, as is evident, is done with a reformative goal [in mind] for the person being boycotted–then it is permissible and if it is not done with this goal in mind then it is not permissible and the original ruling remains, i.e., that it is haraam after three days.

And amongst the people it frequently happens that a Muslim will boycott his brother over something material and not for a legislated purpose or wanting to educate the one being boycotted. Yet he will then falsely imagine that in boycotting his Muslim brother he is doing something good, whereas the reality is that he is not boycotting him because that person is perpetrating a matter or sin which he is continuing upon or sticking to, but [instead he is boycotting him] just to vent his own anger.

For this reason the issue of a Muslim boycotting his Muslim brother with the legislated boycotting is from the most precise affairs which it is obligatory upon the Muslim to be extremely careful from becoming entangled in and [as a result of such meddling] falling into it and thus–without realising or knowing–opposing the aforementioned hadith which forbids it.

November 10, 2011

Boycotting Another Muslim | 4 | The Types of Boycotting

Translated by Ahmed Abu Turaab

The second type of boycotting and abandoning is when a Muslim boycotts his Muslim brother to discipline, reprimand and educate him. This is permitted in Islaam–with this good intention, and not by way of cutting off and boycotting [for worldly reasons] which we just mentioned, but rather by way of disciplining him.

And this is not done except when the one being boycotted is openly disobeying Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, not caring about the people, not fearing Allaah nor being shy from [committing the sin in front of] Allaah’s servants–and he has an honest and good friend, who boycotts him when he sees that he has left the proper path, and is not firm and upright on the Straight Path.

The proof for this is the story of the three people who remained behind, the story of the battle of the Prophet عليه السلام in Tabook. Some of the Companions remained behind, from them Ka’b ibn Maalik. He didn’t leave for the battle with the Prophet عليه السلام, but remained behind with some other Companions [as I mentioned].

So when the Prophet عليه السلام returned from the battle of Tabook, these three [noble Companions] came as did other people who remained behind [but who] were from the hypocrites. So the hypocrites started making a myriad of false excuses and the Prophet عليه السلام was accepting their excuses and entrusting their affair to Allaah.

As for Ka’b ibn Maalik, then he spoke the truth to the Prophet عليه السلام and told him about the reality. He said, ‘O Messenger of Allaah! I cannot lie to you. Because I know that if I lie to you the revelation will make it clear and will uncover the lie. I became busy plowing, sowing, tending to my livestock ….’ and so on. So the Prophet عليه السلام ordered the Companions to boycott these three, from them being Ka’b ibn Maalik, may Allaah be pleased with him, and it continued for a long time.

Then Ka’b ibn Maalik’s wife was ordered to leave his house and to go to her family–and thus he was left alone for fifty days. The Prophet عليه السلام ordered the Companions not to speak to them. So one of these three would meet a man in the street and give him salaam but that other person would not return the greeting.

… this is in order to discipline these people who remained behind from the battle in the Way of Allaah with the Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم.

Then forgiveness came down from Allaah to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم: Allaah had forgiven the three [who remained behind]. So Ka’b ibn Maalik came to the Prophet of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم when one of his relatives had given him the good news that Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, had sent down news of His Forgiveness [in the Quraan]. So he came to the Prophet عليه السلام and Talhah stood up and received him and congratulated him on the fact that Allaah had forgiven him. A long story which contains great lessons, and it is found in Sahih Bukhari.

The point is that this boycotting is permissible and it comes under the principle of loving and hating for the Sake of Allaah.

But unfortunately this thing today is something of the past, It is very, very rare that you will find someone who boycotts a Muslim because he has deviated from the [correct] path. But he will [instead] boycott him over something material, [material things] some of which we pointed out previously.

The person who carries out the type of boycotting done for the Sake of Allaah is rewarded for it and is not sinful–and this is the type of breaking off that we are in need of nowadays.

As for cutting off over worldly matters then it is haraam and not permissible except for a period of three days only, if it goes on for longer than that then it is haraam and the matter is as he عليه السلام said in the previous hadith, ‘The best of the two is the one who greets his brother with salaam first.’ This is the answer to the question you asked, inshaa Allaah.

And making peace between people is from the best of actions, and due to its importance in Islaam the Prophet allowed lying to bring about peace between them [i.e.,the disputing parties].

This is something important, but a person must know the causes precisely so that he is able to bring about closeness/establish normal relations and reconcile between the opinions of the two disputants.

Al-Hudaa wan-Noor, 95.

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November 7, 2011

Boycotting Another Muslim | 3 | The Types of Boycotting

The video is of this post and the next one in the serious, number 4:

Al-Albaani: There are two types of boycotting in Islaam. Boycotting … a Muslim boycotting his Muslim brother is [regarded as being] of two types in the Legislation of Allaah.

The first: Is that he boycotts him due purely to a worldly matter, and it is not important whether this matter is something material or not [related to individual taste]–it is purely worldly.

This [type of] boycotting is forbidden in Islaam.

In situations such as it, there is an allowance of [not speaking for] three days only. So if it continues for more than three days, it is forbidden [haraam]. And that is his saying عليه الصلاة والسلام, ‘It is not allowed for a Muslim to boycott his brother for more than three. They meet and so this one turns away from that one, and that one from this. And the best of them is the one who initiates giving the salutation to his brother.’

[His saying] ‘More than three,’ i.e., more than three days, its meaning is that it is permissible for three days, an allowance from Allaah the Blessed and Most High, for His believing servants to vent their anger … by boycotting his brother Muslim for a day, two days, three–any more than that is forbidden [haraam]and not allowed. For this reason the Prophet عليه السلام described this boycotting by saying, ‘It is not allowed for a Muslim to boycott his brother for more than three days.’

[And he said], ‘They both meet …’ i.e., one is going, the other is coming, but instead of one giving salaam to the other and the other person replying, ‘…this one turns away from that one, and that one from this …’ i.e., he ignores his brother who just passed by him. This action is not permissible after three days.

‘…And the best of them is the one who initiates giving the salutation to his brother.’ This last sentence from the hadith gives us two things:

The first: that this forbidden boycotting will cease just by the mere giving of salaam. And this is a very beautiful policy legislated by the Sharee’ah.

Because it is difficult to bring together hearts which have boycotted and hate each other all at once. But the All-Wise Legislator [i.e, Allaah] presented us with an easy key, which is that when you have a dispute with your brother regarding a worldly matter and it continues for more than three days, then it is forbidden [haraam] for you [to continue boycotting], and it is upon you to break the boycott, and to stop the separation/exodus [from one another].

And it is not necessary for you to go to his house–that would be something good, something beautiful, and that you apologise to him, but this requires extremely strong eemaan–and this is rarely found among the people.

Thus the All-Wise Legislator made the way to ending this boycotting and separation easy: when you meet him in the street you give him salaam, [saying], ‘As-Salaamu alaikum,’ and thus the sin would be lifted. This is taken from his saying, ‘… And the best of them is the one who initiates giving the salutation to his brother.’

There is no doubt that the better of the two is the one who gives the salaam first. So this person who gave the salaam first has moved from the level of committing a forbidden act to the level of entering into the way of Islaam, through [showing] his brotherhood for his Muslim brother.

The other person without doubt is also someone who has turned away and abandoned his brother, this other person to whom the salaamwas given by the first … this [second] person who returns the salaam has committed a sin, and that [person who gave the salaam first] has been saved from the sin. The best of the two is the one who gives the salaam first.

So when the sin of abandoning and boycotting ceases to exist by giving the salaam, then this is usually the first step to meeting again, even if [that second meeting is] only through giving salaam, then maybe a handshake [will follow] which is regarded as one of the strongest reasons in attaining forgiveness from Allaah, the Blessed and Most High, since the Prophet عليه الصلاة والسلام said, ‘No two Muslims meet and shake hands except that their sins fall away just like leaves fall off a tree in autumn.’

You know how in autumn a tree’s leaves turn yellow and fall away, and you hear a sound when they fall, the sins of two Muslims who meet and shake hands fall off just like that, their sins fall off just as leaves fall off a tree in autumn.

This is when the boycotting is related to worldly matters, whether material or abstract [but worldly nevertheless].

The second type of abandoning and boycotting is when …

November 6, 2011

Boycotting Another Muslim | 2 | Is it Right to Boycott Now?

Translated by Ahmed Abu Turaab

Questioner: Nowadays with the situation we’re in, there are many [different] outlooks and the groups have become numerous in terms of [their] creed and interpretation and so on.

So here is the question: nowadays a Muslim brother will never give salaam or return salaam, or visit, or follow the funeral procession of a person who opposes his group, even though he is a Muslim just like him.

It also happens that a person will enumerate [the mistakes] of another, [saying], ‘This person is such and such,’ and he [will go on to] say this and this and that. And [when] we tell him [that], ‘This is backbiting. And that person is a Muslim, and you are mentioning his shortcomings and enumerating his flaws.’ He says, ‘This is hatred for the Sake of Allaah and a clarification of what that person is upon.’

So we want to know how to differentiate between hating for the Sake of Allaah and clarifying mistakes without falling into backbiting which the Prophet عليه الصلاة والسلام warned us about, [when they asked him], ‘Even if he had [those characteristics] that we are talking about, O Messenger of Allaah?’ [He replied,] ‘If he has that which you are speaking about then you have backbitten him.’

So what is your opinion about this?

Al-Albaani: I do not know/believe that a Muslim would not give salaam to his brother Muslim [whilst] knowing that he is a Muslim. And this is boycotting which is not allowed Islamically, and the fact that the Muslims differ is not new, but rather old. What is obligatory is for there to be an exchange of mutual advice between the Muslims and that they have harmony and mutual love for the Sake of Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic.

So harbouring mutual enmity and boycotting is something prohibited in Islaam and loving and hating for the Sake of Allaah is sought after in Islaam. But maybe some people do not know how to implement [this properly]. And many times I am asked about a Muslim cutting off from his brother Muslim for some reason …

Questioner: For nothing more than some difference over a fiqh issue …

Al-Albaani: So I say: Boycotting today–even if fundamentally it is something legislated–yet today is not the time for implementing it. Because if you wanted to boycott every Muslim who you criticise on a certain issue, you will be left on your own, [a] harsh [person].

So it is not for us today to deal upon the way of hating for the Sake of Allaah and boycotting for the Sake of Allaah.

Rather, the time for that is when the Muslims become stronger, stronger [also] in how they appear to deal with/treat each other–it is then that an individual who deviates from the Straight Path is boycotted–in such boycotting is a cure for him and an education. As for now, then this is not the time for boycotting.

In places like Syria and Jordan, the youth who abandon and are negligent about the prayer are numerous, and the questions about this situation are numerous too … a person will ask, ‘I have a friend who used to pray with us. Then he deviated and abandoned the prayer. I advised, admonished and reminded him but he does not take heed nor respond to the advice. Shall I boycott him?’

So I say, ‘No. Do not boycott him.’ For if you do, you would have aided him in the deviance and misguidance he is upon. And if you boycott him, his friends, those who cause corruption in the land, will meet him and his deviance will become stronger. So it is upon you to follow up and attend to him while supervising him by admonishing him from time to time, and maybe Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, will guide him.

Here in Syria we have a proverb, they say that a man who had abandoned the prayer repented. He came to the mosque for the first time wanting to pray but found that it was closed, so he said, ‘You’re closed and [so] I have a day off [from praying]!’

This man who boycotts, when he does so, he says to the one he is boycotting, ‘I don’t want to ever see you, don’t accompany me and I won’t accompany you!’

For this reason, in the present age it is not from wisdom at all that we boycott the people because of their deviation. Whether this deviation is ideological, [connected to] creed [aqidah], or a behavioural deviation. It is upon us to have patience in accompanying these people and that we do not declare people to be deviated/misguided and that we do not declare them to be disbelievers.

Because this declaration of someone to be a deviant/misguided or this declaration that someone is a disbeliever does not help us at all. Rather, it is upon us to remind, as He, the Mighty and Majestic, said, “And remind for verily, the reminding profits the believers.” [Adh-Dhaariyaat 51:55]

Questioner: It should be noted that the person who accompanies/associates with such people be someone who is confident about himself, [confident about the fact] that he will not be affected by the views and mannerisms of the deviated individual.

Al-Albaani: By Allaah, you have spoken the truth about this … this is something very important, yes.

Al-Hudaa wan-Noor, 80.

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November 5, 2011

Boycotting Another Muslim | 1

Translated by Ahmed Abu Turaab

Questioner: Regarding an individual who boycotts [others] … if a person [the boycotted] came to him [the boycotter] and extended his hand to him [offering to shake hands] and tried to speak with him and the other person [the boycotter] refused, what should he do?

Al-Albaani: If that’s true then it is as though you’re feeding him hot ashes, i.e., it is as though you are throwing ash in his eyes: so you do what is obligatory upon you and don’t care.

Questioner: How many times should I repeat this?

Al-Albaani: Every time you do it, the reward will be multiplied for you, and the sin will become more severe upon him.

Al-Hudaa wan-Noor, 25.

Questioner: What are the reasons which permit one to boycott another Muslim? And when it becomes permissible, what are the limits [of this] boycotting and cutting off as regards time?

Al-Albaani: Without doubt, the reasons which permit the boycotting of a Muslim are his persistence on committing forbidden acts which he knows are forbidden in Islaam. So when he persists in that, then boycotting and cutting off from him is permissible.

As for the second part of the question?

Questioner: Continuing from the first part of the same question, I say: is boycotting the people of innovation from the same category?

Al-Albaani: From the same category. This requires a clarification as I alluded to earlier.

Questioner: That he knows.

Al-Albaani: Yes.

Questioner: So what are the limits regarding [this] boycotting, cutting off and the time limit?

Al-Albaani: The limits are clear that if the persistent, disobedient Muslim sinner [faasiq], the criminal [faajir], continues upon his disobedience to his Lord, then the boycotting and cutting off persists until he repents to Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic. And if he turns back we turn back to him, and return to interacting/communicating with him as our Lord, the Blessed and Most High, ordered us to. The length of time, therefore, is in the hands of the one who is being boycotted. It is within his hands to lengthen it and it is in his hands to shorten it.

Al-Huda wan Noor, 67.

The video:

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Category: Methodology