al_etidaal_gn

other) you see people becoming mixed like this (mixing right and wrong, good and
bad, without distinguishing between them) then remain seated in your home, keep
your tongue silent, choose to do permissible acts, avoid the prohibited, guard yourself
and avoid the public masses of people.”
Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) warned: “Very near is the time when the
best possessions of a person will be a few goats which he will take to the tops of
mountains and to such places where the rains will fall and where he will continue to
flee to safeguard his faith from evils.” (Bukhari)
Allama Amy (Rahmatullah Alayh) writes in his commentary on Sahih Bukhari that
from this Hadeeth is proved the virtue of staying aloof from men at the time of
mischief. But as for that person who has power and ability to prevent evil and
mischief, for him it is compulsory to endeavor to prevent those evils. According to
the circumstances this becomes either an obligatory duty (fard-ayn) or a public duty
(fard kifayah). If there is no one else to prevent the act, it is a fard-ayn, and if there
are others who can also perform this task it becomes a fard kifayah.
Excluding yourself from gatherings
Now if it is not a time when mischief and evil had become widespread, what is better;
to lead a life of seclusion away from people or to mix freely with them? Imam
Nawawi (Rahamtullah Alayh) says that according to Imam Shafi (Rahmatullah
Alayh) and many other Ulema, the better of the two is to mix with people because by
associationg with men, many religious benefits are derived and one has the
opportunity of participating in numerous Islamic practices. By living collectively in
congregation the great number of the Muslim multitude of people is illustrated.
Similarly the person with free association with the crowd is able to do much good and
prohibiting the bad, helping others in the spread of deeds of piety and righteousness,
helping the needy, attending the congregations of the Muslims and so many other
deeds.
As for that person who is an Aiim or a pious righteous man, on him it is even more
strongly recommended that he should freely associate with people.
However there is another party among the learned who believe that in spite of all the
above benefits and advantages, seclusion and staying aloof from people is better.
They say that in this a person is sure to be safe from evil. But there is one condition
attached to this and that is that this person applies himself diligently to the Ibaadah
compulsory on him, and on condition that he be acquainted with those things which
are incumbent on him. Imam Nawawi (Radiallahu anhu) says: “The most preferable
view is this that only when a person has a strong presumption that he would not be
involved in sin, is it better to mix and associate with people.”
Al- Eti’daal Fi Maraatibur- Rijaal 185