3 Grave Consequences of Remaining Silent Upon Violations of Sunnah in Light of Hadith
Source: Fatāwā Shaykh al-Hadīth Mubārakpūrī, Volume 1, Page 40
Topic: Remaining Silent on Non-Sunnah Practices Under the Pretext of "Expediency"
What is the ruling on scholars and laypeople from the Ahl-e-Hadith community remaining silent or even participating in actions that contradict the Sunnah, under the pretext of "expediency" or "maintaining unity"?
الحمد لله، والصلاة والسلام علىٰ رسول الله، أما بعد!
Committing or participating in actions that go against the Sunnah—i.e., innovative (Bidʿah) acts—or remaining silent about them despite having the ability to oppose them, due to worldly expediency or in order to maintain unity, is a blameworthy and reprehensible action.
◈ Engaging in acts of innovation is considered transgression (Fisq).
◈ Remaining silent on such acts is deemed flattery or compromise in religion (Mudāhanah fid-Dīn).
Both of these are prohibited in Sharīʿah.
If a person possesses the ability to enjoin good (Amr bil-Maʿrūf) and forbid evil (Nahy ʿan al-Munkar) but still chooses to remain silent, this is considered a major sin.
Because:
✔ Enjoining good and forbidding evil are among the obligations of Islam.
However, during Daʿwah (propagation), it is essential to adopt gentleness and wisdom, as commanded in the Noble Qur’an:
﴿ادعُ إِلىٰ سَبيلِ رَبِّكَ بِالحِكمَةِ وَالمَوعِظَةِ الحَسَنَةِ وَجـٰدِلهُم بِالَّتى هِىَ أَحسَنُ﴾
(Surah An-Naḥl: 125)
عن جرير بن عبدالله قال: رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول:
"مامن رجل يكون فى قوم يعمل فيهم بالمعاصى، يقدرون على أن يغيروا عليه ولا يغيرون، إلا أصابهم الله منه بعقاب قبل أن يموتوا"
(Abū Dāwūd: Book of Al-Malāḥim, Chapter on Enjoining and Forbidding, Hadith: 4339; Ibn Mājah: Book of Tribulations, Hadith: 4009)
✔ If a man is among people who are committing sins, and he has the power to change them but does not, Allah will punish them all before they die.
عن أبى هريرة قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم:
"من دعا إلى الهدى كان له من الأجر مثل أجورمن تبعه، لا ينقص ذلك من أجورهم شيئا"
(Muslim: Book of Knowledge, Hadith: 1017, 2019)
عن بلال بن الحارث المزنى قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم:
"من أحى سنة من سنتى، قد أميتت بعدى، فإن له من الأجر مثل أجور من عمل بها"
(Tirmidhī: Book of Ṣalāh, Hadith: 1384)
✔ Whoever revives a Sunnah that had been abandoned after the Prophet ﷺ will earn the reward equal to all those who act upon it.
عن ابراهيم بن ميسرة قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم:
"من وقر صاحب بدعة، فقد أعان على هدم الإسلام"
(Reported by al-Bayhaqī in Shuʿab al-Īmān – Hadith is weak: Silsilah al-Aḥādīth al-Ḍaʿīfah, Hadith: 1962)
✔ Whoever honors an innovator has contributed to the destruction of Islam.
Hence, efforts should always be made to revive the Sunnah and eliminate innovations, so that we may be saved from the severe warnings mentioned in the above Ahādīth.
ھذا ما عندي والله أعلم بالصواب
Source: Fatāwā Shaykh al-Hadīth Mubārakpūrī, Volume 1, Page 40 Topic: Remaining Silent on Non-Sunnah Practices Under the Pretext of "Expediency"❖ Question:
What is the ruling on scholars and laypeople from the Ahl-e-Hadith community remaining silent or even participating in actions that contradict the Sunnah, under the pretext of "expediency" or "maintaining unity"?
❖ Answer:
الحمد لله، والصلاة والسلام علىٰ رسول الله، أما بعد!
Committing or participating in actions that go against the Sunnah—i.e., innovative (Bidʿah) acts—or remaining silent about them despite having the ability to oppose them, due to worldly expediency or in order to maintain unity, is a blameworthy and reprehensible action.
◈ Engaging in acts of innovation is considered transgression (Fisq).
◈ Remaining silent on such acts is deemed flattery or compromise in religion (Mudāhanah fid-Dīn).
Both of these are prohibited in Sharīʿah.
❖ Responsibility of Scholars and the Public
If a person possesses the ability to enjoin good (Amr bil-Maʿrūf) and forbid evil (Nahy ʿan al-Munkar) but still chooses to remain silent, this is considered a major sin.
Because:
✔ Enjoining good and forbidding evil are among the obligations of Islam.
However, during Daʿwah (propagation), it is essential to adopt gentleness and wisdom, as commanded in the Noble Qur’an:
﴿ادعُ إِلىٰ سَبيلِ رَبِّكَ بِالحِكمَةِ وَالمَوعِظَةِ الحَسَنَةِ وَجـٰدِلهُم بِالَّتى هِىَ أَحسَنُ﴾
(Surah An-Naḥl: 125)
❖ Warnings and Encouragements in Light of Hadith:
① Warning for Remaining Silent on Sin:
عن جرير بن عبدالله قال: رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول:
"مامن رجل يكون فى قوم يعمل فيهم بالمعاصى، يقدرون على أن يغيروا عليه ولا يغيرون، إلا أصابهم الله منه بعقاب قبل أن يموتوا"
(Abū Dāwūd: Book of Al-Malāḥim, Chapter on Enjoining and Forbidding, Hadith: 4339; Ibn Mājah: Book of Tribulations, Hadith: 4009)
✔ If a man is among people who are committing sins, and he has the power to change them but does not, Allah will punish them all before they die.
② Virtue of Reviving Sunnah and Eliminating Innovation:
عن أبى هريرة قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم:
"من دعا إلى الهدى كان له من الأجر مثل أجورمن تبعه، لا ينقص ذلك من أجورهم شيئا"
(Muslim: Book of Knowledge, Hadith: 1017, 2019)
عن بلال بن الحارث المزنى قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم:
"من أحى سنة من سنتى، قد أميتت بعدى، فإن له من الأجر مثل أجور من عمل بها"
(Tirmidhī: Book of Ṣalāh, Hadith: 1384)
✔ Whoever revives a Sunnah that had been abandoned after the Prophet ﷺ will earn the reward equal to all those who act upon it.
③ Warning Against Supporting Innovation:
عن ابراهيم بن ميسرة قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم:
"من وقر صاحب بدعة، فقد أعان على هدم الإسلام"
(Reported by al-Bayhaqī in Shuʿab al-Īmān – Hadith is weak: Silsilah al-Aḥādīth al-Ḍaʿīfah, Hadith: 1962)
✔ Whoever honors an innovator has contributed to the destruction of Islam.
❖ Conclusion:
Hence, efforts should always be made to revive the Sunnah and eliminate innovations, so that we may be saved from the severe warnings mentioned in the above Ahādīth.
ھذا ما عندي والله أعلم بالصواب
