Boycotting the People of Innovation, and the Prophet's ﷺ Visit to the Jewهجر أهل البدع، وزيارة النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم لليهودي

Questioner: What do you say, O Shaykh, about boycotting (hajr) the people of innovation, and what is the explanation of the Prophet's ﷺ visit to the Jew?

The brother asks about boycotting the people of innovation, and how we reconcile it with the Prophet's ﷺ visit to the Jew. There is no contradiction between the two matters.

The default for the Muslim is that he hates the disbelievers in general and in detail, and it is not lawful for him to take them as allies at all. It is not permissible for him to give them precedence in gatherings, nor to initiate the greeting of salam with them, nor to make way for them in the roads, because of his statement ﷺ: "Do not initiate the greeting of salam with the Jews or the Christians, and if you meet them on a road, force them to its narrowest part." Muslim narrated it in his Sahih from the hadith of Abu Hurayrah.

Likewise, it is obligatory upon every Muslim to hate the wicked, hate evils, hate innovations, and hate the people of misguidance. This is among the actions of the hearts — this is among the actions of the hearts. For faith is statement and action: the statement of the heart and the tongue, and the action of the heart and the limbs. This is among the actions of the hearts, meaning love and hatred, allegiance and disavowal (al-wala' wa al-bara').

That prevailing definition of faith, which is well known among many people — that faith is "statement with the tongue, belief with the heart, and action with the limbs" — this is a deficient definition. It has excluded the actions of the hearts, which are among the foundations of faith. The correct [form] of this definition is to say: faith is statement with the tongue, belief with the heart, and action with the heart and the limbs. The actions of the hearts must be included — otherwise, where is sincerity? Where is truthfulness? Where is love? Where is fear? Where is hope? Where is allegiance? Where is disavowal?

Boycotting the people of innovation and the people of sins is an established Sunnah, agreed upon; no Muslim disputes it — so long as a greater harm does not result from it. Boycotting has ranks. He may boycott him in speech only and not boycott him in sitting together. He may boycott [him in] sitting together — not sitting with him — yet when he meets him in the road he greets him, shakes hands, and goes on his way. And he may boycott him in this and that. Because the purpose is treating this sinner, he does what is most beneficial and most useful.

For whenever the Muslim does [it] and boycotts out of whim, (audio unclear) the people of Jahiliyyah and the tribal zealotries of the people of Jahiliyyah, there is no benefit in his action. He only does this seeking the pleasure of Allah and out of zeal for the religion of Allah — not for himself, nor for his whim, nor for his desire, nor for worldly matters. For it is not lawful for a Muslim to boycott his brother over worldly matters for more than three [days].

The Prophet ﷺ boycotted Ka'b and his two companions for fifty days, until the earth, vast as it is, became constrained for them. The Prophet ﷺ would not speak to him, and (audio unclear) his Companions from speaking to them, and he ordered their wives to separate from them. Likewise, the Prophet ﷺ boycotted his wives. This is a matter in which there is no dispute.

In this, the benefit (maslahah) is considered. The benefit may lie in boycotting, so he boycotts; and the benefit may lie in winning over hearts without boycotting, so he does not boycott and wins over his heart. There is a difference between winning over hearts and compromising [in religion] (mudahanah). Winning over hearts is part of faith, while compromising is a part and branch of hypocrisy. Winning over hearts is that you hate his action and win him over hoping for his reform. Compromising is that you sit with him while he persists in the evil, without commanding or forbidding, and without awaiting an opportunity in the future to admonish and guide him. Usually the compromiser does not care whether this companion changes from one state to another or does not change; this does not concern him. This is called compromising.

As for the Prophet's ﷺ visit to the Jew — likewise his ﷺ visit to his uncle Abu Talib while he was a polytheist — this is a visit of da'wah, and it is not forbidden. This is a prescribed matter until the Hour is established. So whoever visits someone who differs with him in religion — or rather, if you visit someone who differs with you in religion, (audio unclear) and guiding him, and with the intention of calling him: if he is a disbeliever, you call him to Islam; if he is an innovator, you call him to the Sunnah; and if he is a sinner, you call him to repentance — this is a praiseworthy matter.

The Prophet ﷺ said: "By Allah, that Allah should guide by you a single man is better for you than (audio unclear)." Yes — agreed upon as authentic. The Prophet ﷺ says: "Whoever calls to guidance will have a reward like the rewards of those who follow him, without that diminishing anything from their rewards." Muslim reported it in his Sahih.

Calling to Allah is required. The call of the Muslims is general, not specific to one group rather than another; rather, it is a message to both [races], men and jinn. Accordingly, there is no contradiction between boycotting the people of innovation and misguidance and hating them, and between visiting (audio unclear) calling him. For the one who visits a disbeliever does not love him — he hates him — but he responds to the command of Allah in calling him, and [to the command of] the Messenger ﷺ in admonishing and guiding him. Likewise, trading with them in buying and selling does not contradict hating them, and does not contradict (audio unclear).

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