someone whose faith he may corrupt, his conduct should be explained to that person so that he may avoid his company.

If he is an innovator who promotes beliefs contrary to the Quran and Sunnah, or follows a path contrary to the Quran and Sunnah, and it is feared that he may thereby lead people astray, his conduct should be explained publicly so that people may guard against his misguidance and know his condition.

All of this must be done out of sincere concern and in pursuit of Allah’s pleasure, not from personal motives against the individual. For example, there may be worldly enmity, envy, hatred, or rivalry for leadership between two people, so one speaks of the other’s faults under the guise of sincere advice, while inwardly intending to disparage him and exact revenge on him. This is the work of Satan, and:

“Actions are judged only by intentions, and each person will have only what he intended.”

Rather, the sincere adviser should intend that Allah reform that individual and protect the Muslims from his harm in their religious and worldly affairs. He should pursue this aim through the easiest means available to him.

No one may voluntarily attend gatherings where wrongdoing takes place unless necessity requires it, as stated in the hadith:

“Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day must not sit at a table where wine is being drunk.”

A group of people who had been drinking wine were brought before Umar ibn Abd al-Azīz, and he ordered that they be flogged. He was told, “There is someone fasting among them.”

He replied: “Begin with him! Have you not heard Allah say:

‘He has already revealed to you in the Book that when you hear Allah’s revelations being denied and ridiculed, you must not sit with them until they turn to another subject. Otherwise, you would be like them’?”

Umar ibn Abd al-Azīz, may Allah be pleased with him, explained that Allah has deemed the person attending