Islamic Brotherhood and Affection for Shaykhs is Not to be Silent About Their Mistakes – Shaykh Rabeeʿ
The pure love and brotherhood that Muslims have for one another for the sake of Allāh (al-Mawaddah) is not flattery, nor remaining silent about the mistakes of people, whoever they may be.
🎙 Our Shaykh, the ʿAllāmah, Rabīʿ bin Hādī al-Madkhalī—may Allāh have mercy upon him—said:
“And the intent behind affection (al-Mawaddah) is not flattery (al-mujāmalah). We do not understand affection (al-Mawaddah) to mean flattery and remaining silent about mistakes. Rather, whoever errs, whether he is senior or junior, we clarify to him that he has fallen into this error; [that] he has opposed this Religion from the Book, [that] he has opposed this text from the Sunnah, [that] he has opposed the methodology (manhaj) of the Salaf. We clarify that to him.
And if he falls into an innovation (bidʿah), we advise him and clarify [the truth] to him. Then if he is stubborn and arrogant, and begins to call to his innovation, then indeed, this one—by the agreement of the Muslims—is warned against and boycotted (yuhjar) if he falls into innovation, especially severe innovations.
And if he is advised but does not accept the advice and is stubborn; rather, he persists in calling to the innovation and to tribulation (fitnah), then indeed, this one, at that point, is warned against.“
❒ Al-Lubāb min Majmūʿ Naṣāʾiḥ al-Shaykh Rabīʿ lish-Shabāb (The Core from the Collected Advices of Shaykh Rabīʿ for the Youth)
قال الإمام #ربيع_المدخلي رحمه الله تعالى
❒ اللباب من مجموع نصائح الشيخ ربيع للشباب.
وليس المراد من المودة المجاملة لا نفهم من المودة المجاملة والسكوت عن الأخطاء، بل من يخطئ كبيرا كان أو صغيرا نبين له أنه وقع في هذا الخطأ، خالف هذا الدين من الكتاب، خالف هذا النص من السنة، خالف منهج السلف، نبين له ذلك، وإذا وقع في بدعة ننصحه ونبين له، فإذا عاند وكابر وشرع يدعو إلى بدعته فإن هذا باتفاق المسلمين يحذر منه ويهجر إذا وقع في البدعة لا سيما البدع الغليظة، وإذا نصح فلم يقبل النصيحة وعاند بل تمادى إلى الدعوة إلى البدعة وإلى الفتنة، فإن هذا حينئذ يحذر منه .
Note on Terminology:
- Flattery (al-Mujāmalah) means compromising the truth for the sake of social pleasantry or politeness. Shaykh Rabīʿ is explaining that loving a brother or respecting a scholar does not mean “sweet-talking” them or ignoring their mistakes; rather, true love means clarifying the mistake so they can correct it. Flattery is when we pretend everything is fine when it isn’t, or praise someone when they actually need to be corrected. It is when we hide or downplay religious mistakes, innovations (bidʿah), or wrong behavior just to avoid awkwardness or conflict. This type of flattery is motivated by pleasing people, maintaining social standing, or seeking worldly comfort. We smile, stay silent, or make excuses for their errors simply to keep our relationship smooth. As a result, falsehood spreads, and the brotherhood becomes fake and superficial.
- True affection (al-Mawaddah), on the other hand, is motivated by love for the sake of Allāh and care for a person’s Hereafter (Akhirah). Through it, we gently but clearly correct people when they err to protect them from sin or misguidance. In doing so, the truth is made clear, and brotherhood is built upon true sincerity (naṣīḥah).
The Reality of Affection (al-Mawaddah) in the Qur’an and Sunnah:
Allāh, the Exalted, clarifies the nature of true friendship and affection in the Qur’an. He shows that any bond not built upon piety (Taqwā) will ultimately turn into bitter enmity:
﴿ الْأَخِلَّاءُ يَوْمَئِذٍ بَعْضُهُمْ لِبَعْضٍ عَدُوٌّ إِلَّا الْمُتَّقِينَ﴾
[ الزخرف: 67]
“Friends on that Day will be foes one to another except Al-Muttaqun”
And He mentions that true affection is a reward bestowed upon the believers:
﴿ إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ سَيَجْعَلُ لَهُمُ الرَّحْمَٰنُ وُدًّا﴾
[ مريم: 96]
“Verily, those who believe [in the Oneness of Allah and in His Messenger (Muhammad )] and work deeds of righteousness, the Most Beneficent (Allah) will bestow love for them (in the hearts of the believers).”
﴿ ۞ عَسَى اللَّهُ أَن يَجْعَلَ بَيْنَكُمْ وَبَيْنَ الَّذِينَ عَادَيْتُم مِّنْهُم مَّوَدَّةً ۚ وَاللَّهُ قَدِيرٌ ۚ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ﴾
[ سورة الممتحنة: 7]
“Perhaps Allah will make friendship (al-Mawaddah) between you and those whom you hold as enemies. And Allah has power (over all things), and Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”
This pure affection is also the foundation of the marital bond:
﴿ وَمِنْ آيَاتِهِ أَنْ خَلَقَ لَكُم مِّنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ أَزْوَاجًا لِّتَسْكُنُوا إِلَيْهَا وَجَعَلَ بَيْنَكُم مَّوَدَّةً وَرَحْمَةً ۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ﴾
[ الروم: 21]
“And among His Signs is this, that He created for you wives from among yourselves, that you may find repose in them, and He has put between you affection (al-Mawaddah) and mercy. Verily, in that are indeed signs for a people who reflect.”
However, Allāh strictly prohibits extending this loyalty and affection to the enemies of the Religion, showing that al-Mawaddah is a serious matter of faith:
﴿ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَتَّخِذُوا عَدُوِّي وَعَدُوَّكُمْ أَوْلِيَاءَ تُلْقُونَ إِلَيْهِم بِالْمَوَدَّةِ وَقَدْ كَفَرُوا بِمَا جَاءَكُم مِّنَ الْحَقِّ يُخْرِجُونَ الرَّسُولَ وَإِيَّاكُمْ ۙ أَن تُؤْمِنُوا بِاللَّهِ رَبِّكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ خَرَجْتُمْ جِهَادًا فِي سَبِيلِي وَابْتِغَاءَ مَرْضَاتِي ۚ تُسِرُّونَ إِلَيْهِم بِالْمَوَدَّةِ وَأَنَا أَعْلَمُ بِمَا أَخْفَيْتُمْ وَمَا أَعْلَنتُمْ ۚ وَمَن يَفْعَلْهُ مِنكُمْ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ سَوَاءَ السَّبِيلِ﴾
[ الممتحنة: 1]
“O you who believe! Take not My enemies and your enemies (i.e. disbelievers and polytheists, etc.) as friends, showing affection (al-Mawaddah) towards them, while they have disbelieved in what has come to you of the truth (i.e. Islamic Monotheism, this Qur’an, and Muhammad ), and have driven out the Messenger (Muhammad ) and yourselves (from your homeland) because you believe in Allah your Lord! If you have come forth to strive in My Cause and to seek My Good Pleasure, (then take not these disbelievers and polytheists, etc., as your friends). You show friendship to them in secret, while I am All-Aware of what you conceal and what you reveal. And whosoever of you (Muslims) does that, then indeed he has gone (far) astray, (away) from the Straight Path .”
Furthermore, the Messenger of Allāh (ﷺ) beautifully described how this affection manifests practically between the believers:
Al-Nuʿmān bin Bashīr reported from the Messenger (sallallahu ʿalayhi wa sallam):An-Nuʿmān bin Bashīr reported that the Messenger of Allāh (ﷺ) said:
مثلُ المؤمنين في تَوادِّهم ، وتَرَاحُمِهِم ، وتعاطُفِهِمْ . مثلُ الجسَدِ إذا اشتكَى منْهُ عضوٌ تدَاعَى لَهُ سائِرُ الجسَدِ بالسَّهَرِ والْحُمَّى
(التخريج : أخرجه البخاري (6011)، ومسلم (2586))
“The likeness of the believers in their mutual love, their mutual mercy, and their mutual sympathy is like that of the body; if an organ from it complains (suffers an ailment), the rest of the body rallies to it with sleeplessness and fever.”
— [Reported by al-Bukhārī (6011) and Muslim (2586)]
Thus, it is established that every bond and brotherhood will inevitably perish on the Day of Resurrection, transforming into bitter enmity, save for that which was founded upon Taqwā and pure sincerity (Ikhlāṣ) to Allāh, His Book, His Messenger, and the believing masses.
And whoever contemplates the similitude struck by the Prophet (ﷺ) of the single body will recognize with certainty that true affection (al-Mawaddah) necessitates suffering for the spiritual sickness of one’s brother. For just as the physical body is gripped by fever and sleeplessness when a single limb is afflicted, the heart of the sincere believer must ache when his brother falls into error or misguidance.
As for turning away from a brother’s mistake and remaining silent upon his innovation (bidʿah) under the guise of worldly politeness (mujāmalah), then this is from the greatest deception and a betrayal of the trust. It is not from true love in the slightest; rather, it is abandoning a diseased limb to its destruction. True love is to sever the sickness, not to flatter the sick.
Hence, it is an obligation that our love for the brethren, and our veneration for the scholars, be a love governed entirely by the Truth, seeking only the Countenance of Allāh and the preservation of His Religion, purified from the blameworthy diseases of flattery and compromise (mudāhanah).
We ask Allāh, the Exalted, to rectify our affairs, to grant us sincerity in brotherhood, to protect us from the trials of compromise, and to unite our hearts firmly upon the pure and unadulterated Sunnah.
