at-Taqwaa al-Islaamiyyah Recordings have published a tape with the title, “Weekly Meetings” #17, by the eminent Shaikh, the father, the Imaam, Saalih al-Fawzaan, hafidhahullaahu ta’aalaa, dated the 18th night from Allaah’s month of al-Muharram of the year 1423H. It included a group of the distinguished fataawaa and from them was this fatwaa on the first side:

The questioner said: “It is unfortunate that many of the students of knowledge today, from their concern was that they incriminate others, or they pass judgement upon the people, that this is a jaahil or mistaken or this is so and so, know him well, or occasionally they will conclude that so and so is from the Khawaarij. So is this from the manhaj of the Salaf us-Saalih and what is the opinion of your eminence regarding that?”

The Shaikh answered: “It is not from the manhaj of the Salaf us-Saalih to busy one’s self with the faults of people and the people do not have (anything) except so and so is good, so and so is not good and so and so is like that and...

The person should busy himself with his own faults and he should busy himself with the faults (from himself), firstly.

If one sees another upon an obvious mistake, then he is to give him naseehah with what is between him and between him and that he clarifies for him because this is naseehah, and the religion is naseehah. As for him speaking about the people in sittings, and he praises this one and he dispraises this one, he makes this one mubtadi’ and he makes this one thiqah, this is not permissible. The person should busy himself with his own faults, he should not look to the faults of the people.

Secondly, if one sees another upon a clearly obvious mistake, he should make sure from him that it was a mistake. Then he is to be easy towards him and clarify the mistake for him. This is from the door of naseehah and he should not speak about him in the sittings or in his absence, (for) it is from the prohibited backbitting. Na’am...”