Sinful Silence in Islam
When Speaking Out is a Moral Duty
In times when circumstances shift
and morals are tested, some people believe that remaining silent in the face of
injustice is a form of wisdom or a praiseworthy neutrality. However, in reality
it is a betrayal, a crime against the oppressed, and a failure to support the
truth.
The slogan “We are not part of
the conflict” has become an excuse to escape our religious and human
responsibilities. Even when the oppressed are tortured, the innocent are
displaced, and children are killed, some are content to just watch or stay
suspiciously silent.
So, when does
silence become blameworthy?
1-
Silence in the Face of Oppression
In Sahih Al-Bukhari,
Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace
be upon him) said: “Help your brother, whether
he is an oppressor or is oppressed.” A man enquired: “O Messenger of Allah! I
help him when he is oppressed, but how can I help him when he is an oppressor?”
He (peace be upon him) said, “You can keep him from committing oppression. That
will be your help to him.”
So whoever sees an oppressed person being
crushed, a human being humiliated, or an innocent person tortured, and yet
remains silent without supporting them, has opposed the command of the Prophet (peace
be upon him) and shared in the oppression through their silence.
2- Silence When Speaking Is a Must
If someone is asked about a
religious ruling, or witnesses the truth, or knows of an oppressor, but
conceals their knowledge and remains silent, they sin before Allah. Allah says,
“And do not conceal testimony, for whoever conceals
it—his heart is indeed sinful.” (Surah al-Baqarah 2:283)
The verse affirms that concealing
testimony is a sin. Allah also commanded those who know the truth to clarify it
and not conceal it: “And [mention, O
Muhammad], when Allah took a covenant from those who were given the Scripture,
[saying], ‘You must make it clear to the people and not conceal it.’”
(Surah Aal ‘Imran 3:187)
Allah further warned against
hiding the truth and promised His curse upon those who do so unless they repent
and declare the truth: “Indeed, those who conceal
what We sent down of clear proofs and guidance after We made it clear for the
people in the Scripture—those are cursed by Allah and cursed by those who
curse, except for those who repent and correct themselves and make evident [what
they concealed]. Those—I will accept their repentance, and I am the Accepting
of Repentance, the Merciful.” (Surah al-Baqarah 2:159–160)
3- Silence
When Sanctities Are Violated
There are sanctities that a
Muslim must defend and publicly reject when violated, such as:
- Transgressions against the Qur’an and Sunnah
- Disrespecting the Prophet (peace be upon him)
- Desecrating Muslim sanctities
- Committing major sins openly and shamelessly
In Sahih Muslim,
Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)
said: “Whosoever of you sees an evil, let him
change it with his hand; and if he is not able to do so, then [let him change
it] with his tongue; and if he is not able to do so, then with his heart — and
that is the weakest of faith.”
This means that confronting evil
is an obligation, according to one’s ability. If unable to change it
physically, one must denounce it verbally, which the Ummah is fully capable of.
The Prophet (peace be upon him)
also warned that any Ummah which loses this power becomes doomed. In al-Mustadrak,
authenticated by adh-Dhahabi and al-Albani, Abdullah ibn ‘Amr reported that the
Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “When
you see my nation afraid to tell the oppressor that he is an oppressor, they
have been forsaken.”
A nation that remains silent
about exposing evil and condemning oppression is a nation without honor and
unworthy of survival.
4- Silence from Speaking the Truth
In Musnad Ahmad, Tariq ibn Shihab
reported that a man asked the Prophet (peace be upon him): “Which jihad is best?” The Prophet (peace be upon him)
replied: “A word of truth spoken to an unjust ruler.” If speaking
the truth is considered the greatest jihad, then staying silent while being
able to speak is fleeing from jihad.
Among the noble examples from the
scholars of this Ummah is what Al-Subki narrated. He said: “I heard our
Shaykh al-Baji say: Our Shaykh ‘Izz Al-Din once went up to the Sultan on the
day of Eid at the Citadel. He saw the soldiers lined up before him, the royal
council assembled, and the Sultan displaying the grandeur of that day. He came
out to his people in his adornment, as was the custom of the Sultans of Egypt,
and the princes were prostrating by kissing the ground before him.”
The Shaykh then turned to the
Sultan and called out: “O Ayyub, what will be your argument before Allah
if He says to you: Did I not settle for you the kingdom of Egypt, yet you
permitted liquors?!”
The Sultan replied: “Has this
truly occurred?”
The Shaykh said: “Yes, indeed.
In such-and-such tavern wine and other abominations are being sold, while you
revel in the blessings of this kingdom.”
He continued to call out to him
in the loudest of voices while the soldiers were standing there. The Sultan
said: “Sir, this was not my doing. This has been in place since the time of
my father.”
The Shaykh replied: “Then you
are among those who say: (We found our fathers
following a certain way and religion).”
So the Sultan issued the decree
to abolish that tavern.
Al-Subki continued: “I heard
our Imam, the Shaykh, say that I heard al-Baji say: I asked the Shaykh when he
came back from the Sultan, after this news had spread, ‘O my master, how was it?’
He said: ‘My son, I saw him in that pomp and magnificence, so I wanted to
humble him lest his soul grow arrogant and harm him. I said: O my master, did
you not fear him?’ He replied: ‘By Allah, my son, when I recalled the Majesty
of Allah Almighty, I saw the Sultan before me as a mere cat.’” (1)
5-
Silence Out of Fear of People, Not Allah
In Musnad Ahmad, Abu Sa‘id
reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Indeed,
fear of people should not prevent a man from speaking the truth, if he sees it,
witness it, or hears it.”
The Dangers of Blameworthy Silence
- Falling into sin, as Allah
says, “And do not conceal testimony, for whoever
conceals it—his heart is indeed sinful.” (Surah al-Baqarah 2:283)
- Deserving the curse of
Allah: “Cursed were those who disbelieved among the
Children of Israel by the tongue of David and of Jesus, the son of Mary. That
was because they disobeyed and [habitually] transgressed. They used not to
prevent one another from wrongdoing that they did. How wretched was that which
they were doing.” (Surah al-Ma’idah 5:78–79)
- Empowering oppressors,
since they face no resistance.
- Crushing the spirits of the oppressed, who feel abandoned.
- Weakening the dignity of
people of truth when they remain silent out of fear or courtesy.
- Distorting the image of
Islam, making it appear submissive or cowardly.
For Further Reading:
- 5 Proofs Against Forsaking Fellow Muslims
- Media: A Weapon for Supporting the Oppressor
- 6 Islamic Dangers of Ignoring Starving the People of Gaza
- The Duty of Muslims Towards Their Starving Brethren
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- Tabaqat Al-Shafiiya Al-Kubra:
Taj Al-Din Al-Subki (8/211)
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