I hear this all the time “You are not supposed to do it since you are Muslim and Islam prohibits it or it’s not part of a Islam”. The “do it” expression may represent something that is either prohibited in Islam or generally is not practiced in its strictness. For example, not every single Muslim practices every single rule/practice/convention/law that Islam offers.
Now before I go any further, I want to clearify that this is not an account of what’s prohibited and what’s allowed in Islam. What I’m trying to bring up is a discussion or a realization of how differently followers of Islam practice their religion. And How in the real world such rebuke is spilled on others as a justified reminder. The discussion also involves how much realistically such cirticism can/cannot be justified (given the very realistic fact that not every single follower follows the religion to it fullest extent).
So what are the limits here? Some people say that it’s their religious resposibility to remind their fellow brothers/sisters of the sinful act that they are performing so that it may spark a light and they may come back to the word of God.
Others may argue that an adult is quite capable of distinguishing what’s right and wrong, and may still choose to do something that the religion prohibits since, after all, we are human, indepedent, and are responsible of our actions. And any such shaming rebuke may only affect the relationship between two people negatively and the reproached person may start avoiding the reproaching person altogether.
Some people may even say that the criticizing person himself/herself does not follow the religion fully so what gives him/her any right to criticize the others?
So what do you think? Given our daily, common day lives, what are the limits? Realistically speaking, do we like to hear people telling us not to do something since it’s haram all the times? Once or twice is fine, we can always politely listen but does hearing it over and over again makes us change our ways or start avoiding the person altogether?
A lot of it has to do with the temperament of the person you are dealing with. If the person is a good listener, then regardless of whether hes a good muslim or not, he will listen to you, no matter how many times you tell him about the rights and wrongs of Islam, and in a way thats good, because sharing our knowledge of whats right and wrong not only helps others, its helps us as well. You keep revising something over and over again, and you will never forget it. On the other hand, if the person youre dealing with is one who does not have the patience to listen to something being told to him more than once, for those people, Allah SWT Himself has said not to waste time with. A person has the ability to understand whether someone will listen with an open mind or just let it in one ear, and out the other. If u feel the listener isnt into what ur telling him, theres no need going there more than once.
Remember, there is no such thing as a perfect Muslim in this day and age. The best we can hope for is to be pure in our intent. If we are trying hard enough with a pure intention, then even though our actions might not show it, but Allah SWT will read our heart, and thats all that matters.
Thats the essence of islam, the process of striving for deen in itself. I mean there are no absolutes…i think i’ll stop myself before i go off on some abstract tangent
Alright, well i guess the thing we always have to keep in mind is that u can never force anyone to do anything they dont want to do. And Islam is not a religion of force, i mean if someone is made to do something that is within islam but it is against what they feel inside themselves–then thats not sincere or pure…i mean even if they do it, they are not doing it because they believe its right-they will be doing it because they were forced/pressured into doing so–and like Roman said, that usually leads to feelings of resentment,etc…and so then it all comes back to the issue of niyyat
Sigh we are supposed to tell our fellow muslims if we see them doing incorrect,etc., but then doing so can also put them off at the same time, i guess u have to look at each situation individually and use your best judgement. An adult is capable of distinguishing between right and wrong, thats true, and thats why should never use pressure tactics, i mean it all has to come from within oneself. But if someone is doing something that u know is wrong u should tell them that it is wrong…not as a means of criticism but as a means of teaching..as a means of dawah. You can only tell someone of their mistakes and show them the correct way, but you cannot force them to change their ways, and if u tell them and u know they understood but still refuse to change u have to accept the fact that u cannot force them to change..u can only show them what is right..thats all.