“You cannot judge me”… “stop being judgmental” … “only God can judge me” …and similar is used by many in an attempt to prevent da’wah (the call to the truth). And unfortunately, many brothers and sisters become passive in the face of such arrogance. And yes, it is arrogance when they reject following what is correct and good and wish to remain on error – and worse arrogance which is to try to intimidate those who speak the truth and to attempt to silence them. And with this arrogance, they call God to be their judge:
ومن الناس من يعجبك قوله في الحياة الدنيا ويشهد الله على ما في قلبه وهو ألد الخصام – وإذا تولى سعى في الأرض ليفسد فيها ويهلك الحرث والنسل والله لا يحب الفساد – وإذا قيل له اتق الله أخذته العزة بالإثم فحسبه جهنم ولبئس المهاد – “And of mankind there is he whose speech may dazzle you in this worldly life, and he calls Allah to witness as to that which is in his heart, yet he is the most quarrelsome of the opponents. And when he turns away, his effort in the land is to make mischief therein and to destroy the crops and the cattle, and Allah likes not mischief. And when it is said to him, “Fear Allah”, he is led by arrogance to (more) crime. So enough for him is Hell, and worst indeed is that place to rest!” – 2:204-206
❶ – Judging with Qur’an & Sunnah shouldn’t end with us being passive. That is to say, you conclude that an action being committed by a fellow Muslim/others is wrong (according to Qur’an/Sunnah) but don’t bother advising them against it. Advising [as the religion is advice, as mentioned by Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم ] and enjoining good is of the great commandments. ΙℓΙ
❷ – Harshness in da’wah is also actually legislated and was part of the Sunnah of the Prophet. While the Prophet did not chastise the genuinely ignorant like the man from the desert who urinated in his mosque (!), and merely told him the right etiquette and the purpose of the mosque… the Prophet also cursed a man who refused to eat with his right hand such that his hand became paralyzed**. Another example is when he boycotted the Sahabah who refused to go on an expedition, and this story and their repentance is mentioned in Qur’an. So, this boycotting is also part of harshness. Looking at the whole of the Sunnah, we find the scholars having written about the times when harshness is not only permitted but demanded, to be effective in da’wah. It was part of the Sunnah of the Prophet. Just as his mercy and gentleness was also a part of his Sunnah. This is the right way, a balanced way.
Not following the balanced way, becoming too passive and gentle at all times is weakness and cowardice as well as a lack of knowledge.
Footnote
**”In Saheeh Muslim (2021) it is narrated that a man ate with his left hand in the presence of the Messenger of Allah. He said: “Eat with your right hand.” He said: I cannot. He said: “May you never be able to,” for nothing was preventing him from doing so but arrogance. And he never raised it to his mouth again. The Prophet prayed against him so that what he claimed of not being able to do it would come true, because he was too arrogant to follow the truth and he did not observe proper etiquette with the Prophet and his excuse was a lie, and lying to the Prophet is not like lying to anyone else.” (IslamQA)
لا اله الا الله Abdulmalik 