following something about which he has no knowledge. Allah the Exalted says, “Do not pursue that of which you have no knowledge; indeed, the hearing, the sight, and the heart—each of those will be questioned” (Q 17:36).

There are people whose zeal and earnest desire to command what is right and forbid what is wrong make them rush to censure others without first ascertaining their situation. One of them may see a man accompanied by a woman in the market and immediately object: “Why are you walking with this woman?”—unaware that she is in fact his mahram (a close female relative whom he is permanently forbidden to marry). Such behaviour is a serious error. If you are uncertain, ask him before you speak. But if there is no indication that warrants suspicion, then remain silent. How many men accompany their womenfolk in the marketplaces!

Consider how the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—treated people in this very matter. A man once entered the mosque on a Friday while the Prophet ﷺ was delivering the sermon and sat down. The Prophet ﷺ asked him, “Have you prayed?” He replied, “No.” The Prophet said, “Stand up and pray two units, but keep them brief.” Notice that he did not rebuke him with, “Why did you sit down?” Anyone who enters a mosque is prohibited from sitting before praying two units, regardless of whether he comes in the morning, the evening, after ‘Asr, after Maghrib, or after Fajr; in every case, do not sit until you have prayed two units.

The man had come in and sat down, yet it was possible that he had already prayed before sitting and that the Prophet ﷺ had not seen him. For that reason the Prophet asked, “Have you prayed?” When he replied, “No,” the Prophet said, “Then stand up and pray.”