Difference Between Advising And Shaming

Question 1

What is the Islamic meaning of the word “nasihah”?

Answer 1

It means to benefit people by informing them of either a good deed to perform or an evil deed to avoid. In other words, it means directing people to do good deeds or warning them against evil deeds.

Question 2

Should you answer about things in which you do NOT know?

Answer 2

No! Say I do not know or advise them to ask a scholar.

Question 3

How should one refute and reply to others’ errors and mistakes?

Answer 3

It should be dealt with good manners as this is the ONLY correct approach while addressing scholars and people of knowledge.

Question 4

Although backbiting is forbidden, it becomes permissible under 6 circumstances when done for a beneficial reason. What are they?

Answer 4

1. It is permissible for the one who is oppressed to complain about his situation to the ruler or the judge or anyone else who holds authority or has the ability to grant him justice against his oppressor.
2. Seeking assistance in changing an evil and in returning a sinner back to what is correct. His objective should be to look for
   a way to ultimately put an end to the evil.
3. Seeking a religious ruling.
4. Warning and Advising the Muslims against Evil - One case is when an individual desires to enter into a relationship with another person either through marriage, business, the consignment of property, the consigning of something to him or any other of the daily affairs. It is obligatory on you to mention to that individual what you know about the person he wants to get involved with, with the intention of advising him. Another case is when you see a student going to an innovator or a deviant, seeking to attain knowledge from him, and you fear that may affect the student. In that situation, you must advise him about the condition of that innovator, on the condition that your intention only be for the sake of advising.
5. When one openly exposes his acts of evil or his innovation - An example of this is when someone has openly exposed his consumption of alcohol, or his illegal confiscation of people’s money and raising of their taxes unjustly and his usurping command wrongfully. It is thus permissible for one to talk about what that individual has made public. But it is forbidden to mention any of his other defects, unless they fall under one of the [other] categories.
6. Defining someone - If someone is known to the people by his nickname, then it is permissible to particularize him as such, with the aim of identifying him. However, it is forbidden to apply that to him, when one’s intention is to degrade him. If he can be identified with another (more appropriate) type of name, then that is more preferable.

Question 5

When you inform someone of their faults and shortcomings, what should your goal be regarding the advice?

Answer 5

You should advise your brother so that he may avoid it and abstain from it in the future.

Question 6

If people accuse you of false things (such as ascribing a character trait which isn’t true about you, or have your words taken out of context), what should you do?

Answer 6

Defend yourself without exhausting yourself, and if this hardship continues, he should be patient for Allah (Jalla Jalaluhu).

Question 7

Shaming or belittling others over a sin or a wrongdoing or an act may result in you being afflicted by that as a punishment.

True or False?

Answer 7

True. May Allah (Jalla Jalaluhu) protect us.

However, exposing public sinners and innovators whose sins and innovations threaten the Muslims is exempted from this general ruling.