The Danger of Silence: Our Duty to Speak Truth
[Arabic,إِنَّ الْحَمْدَ لِلَّهِ، نَحْمَدُهُ وَنَسْتَعِينُهُ وَنَسْتَغْفِرُهُ، وَنَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنْ شُرُورِ أَنْفُسِنَا وَسَيِّئَاتِ أَعْمَالِنَا، مَنْ يَهْدِهِ اللَّهُ فَلَا مُضِلَّ لَهُ، وَمَنْ يُضْلِلْ فَلَا هَادِيَ لَهُ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ. ]
Indeed, all praise is for Allah. We praise Him, seek His help, and His forgiveness. We seek refuge with Allah from the evil within ourselves and from the consequences of our wrong actions. Whomsoever Allah guides, none can misguide; whomsoever He leaves astray, none can guide. I bear witness there is no deity worthy of worship but Allah alone without partner, and Muhammad ﷺ is His servant and Messenger.
Part One: The Obligation to Speak Truth
Brothers,
In the past month, we began a journey. We reflected on Ramadan as a chance to purify our past and build new habits. We honored Eid as a day of unity, not just celebration. We then discussed consistency in deeds—starting with the Sunnah before Fajr, morning dhikr until Duha, and ending with Witr.
We moved on to defining true manhood through the life of the Prophet ﷺ—learning to be balanced: humble, kind, yet firm and just. Last week we spoke of the man who killed 100 people, and how his sincere step toward Allah led to forgiveness. But we also discussed how knowledge, environment, and active effort all matter.
Today, we must confront another urgent topic: the danger of silence.
In this institution, silence is sometimes necessary. Stay quiet in the wrong situation, and you survive. But in Islam, there is a different kind of silence that kills. It kills your faith. It kills your standing before Allah. It kills your responsibility to your brothers.
I have watched brothers in this place sit quietly while another Muslim drowns in sin. I have seen men lower their eyes when someone mocks the deen. I have heard excuses—"It's not my business," "I'm not perfect either," "He won't listen anyway." These are not reasons to stay quiet. These are the whispers of Shaytan designed to keep you silent while your brothers sink.
[Hadith,Ibn Majah,"The believer who mixes with the people and is patient with their harm is better than the one who avoids them."]
This hadith directly challenges our culture of silence. The Prophet ﷺ did not tell us to isolate ourselves from those who might harm us or reject our advice. He told us that the believer who stays engaged, who endures the difficulty of speaking truth, who remains patient with the backlash—this believer is better than the one who retreats into comfortable isolation.
Think about that. Every time you choose silence to avoid confrontation, you are choosing the lesser path. Every time you walk past a brother in need of guidance because you fear his response, you are abandoning the example of the Prophet ﷺ and his companions. They mixed with people. They spoke truth even when it cost them everything.
[Quran,3:110,"You are the best community ever raised for humanity—you encourage good, forbid evil, and believe in Allah. Had the People of the Book believed, it would have been better for them. Some of them are faithful, but most are rebellious."]
Allah describes the best community not by our prayers alone, not by our fasting alone, but by our active engagement in calling to good and forbidding evil. This is part of our identity as Muslims. When we abandon this duty, we are not just failing an obligation—we are losing what makes us the best community raised for humanity.
Notice the verse says we encourage good before we forbid evil. This is the order of dawah. Start with the positive. Invite people to what is beautiful in Islam. Build them up before you address what needs correction. Too many of us jump straight to criticism without first establishing love and concern.
[Hadith,Ibn Abi Dunya/Al-Amr bil Maruf,"Allah commanded the destruction of a town. The angels said, 'O Lord, in it is Your servant—a righteous man who has never disobeyed You.' Allah said, 'Begin with him. His face never changed when My laws were violated.'"]
SubhanAllah, this man prayed and fasted. But he stayed silent in the face of evil. And for that, he was destroyed first.
Let that sink in. This was not a sinful man. This was a man of worship, a man of obedience. But when he saw the laws of Allah being violated around him, his face did not even change. He felt no anger for the sake of Allah. He expressed no concern for his community. He remained comfortable in his personal righteousness while the society around him collapsed into corruption.
And Allah destroyed him first—not as a mercy, but as a punishment. His silence was complicity. His comfort was cowardice. His personal piety was worthless because it did not extend to the community around him.
Brothers, you cannot be righteous in isolation. You cannot save yourself while your brothers drown. Islam is not a religion of individual salvation—it is a religion of communal responsibility. We rise together or we fall together.
Dawah is not optional—it's an obligation on every one of us.
From the basics of Fiqh, we know there are individual obligations and communal obligations. Some obligations fall on the entire community, and once a few people fulfill them, the rest are excused. But dawah to those around you, advice to your brothers, speaking against wrong when you witness it—these are individual obligations. No one can fulfill them on your behalf. You will be asked about them on the Day of Judgment.
[Hadith,Muslim,"Whoever sees an evil, let him change it with his hand. If he can't, then with his tongue. If he can't, then with his heart. And that is the weakest of faith."]
The Prophet ﷺ gave us three levels of response to evil. The first is with your hand—physically stopping it. In this place, that option is rarely available. You cannot physically force someone to pray or drag them away from sin. But the second level is always available to you: your tongue.
You can speak. You can advise. You can remind. You can encourage. You can warn. This is well within your ability, and it is required of you.
And if you truly cannot speak—if you are in genuine danger or the situation makes it impossible—then the bare minimum is to hate the evil in your heart. But understand what the Prophet ﷺ said: this is the weakest level of faith. If you are consistently at the weakest level, what does that say about your iman?
[Hadith,Bukhari,"Convey from me, even if it is one ayah."]
This hadith destroys the excuse of "I don't know enough." The Prophet ﷺ did not say, "Convey from me only if you are a scholar." He did not say, "Wait until you have memorized the Quran." He said convey even one ayah. Even one verse. Even one piece of knowledge.
If you know lying is haram, you can remind someone who lies. If you know salah is obligatory, you can encourage a brother who misses it. If you know backbiting destroys good deeds, you can warn someone engaged in it. You do not need to be a mufti to share what Allah has already taught you.
[Quote,Ibn al-Jawzi,Talbis Iblis,"Among the tricks of Shaytan is to say: 'You are sinful, you cannot advise others.' This is deception! Shaytan wants you to abandon enjoining good and forbidding evil."]
Here is the trap many of us fall into. We think, "I am not perfect. I still sin. Who am I to advise others?" This sounds humble, but it is actually arrogance disguised as humility. It is arrogance because you are claiming that only perfect people can speak truth. It is arrogance because you are making yourself the judge of who deserves to hear guidance.
The reality is that no one is perfect except the Prophet ﷺ. If we all waited until we were sinless before we advised others, no one would ever call to good or forbid evil. The religion would die in a single generation. Shaytan knows this, so he convinces you that your imperfection disqualifies you from helping others.
The truth is the opposite. Your struggles make you more qualified, not less. When you advise someone about a sin you also struggle with, you speak with empathy and understanding. You are not looking down on them—you are standing beside them in the battle against your own nafs. That kind of advice is far more powerful than the advice of someone who has never faced the same temptation.
[Hadith,Bukhari,"The example of those who respect Allah's limits and those who violate them is like a people on a ship. Some are on the upper deck, some below. The lower ones say: 'Let us drill a hole for water.' If the top deck does not stop them, they all sink. If they stop them, they are all saved."]
This is perhaps the most powerful hadith on our topic today. Picture it clearly. You are on a ship. Some people are on the top deck, some below. The people below want to drill a hole in the bottom of the ship for easy access to water. They think it is just their business—after all, they are drilling in their section of the ship.
But if the people on the top deck do not stop them, what happens? The entire ship sinks. Everyone drowns. It does not matter that you were not the one drilling the hole. It does not matter that you disagreed with it in your heart. Your silence allowed the destruction of everyone on board.
Brothers, we are all on the same ship here at LECI. When one of us drills a hole—when one of us falls into major sin, when one of us abandons prayer, when one of us spreads corruption—the entire community is affected. The entire ship starts to sink. And if those of us who see it do not speak up, we will all answer for it.
But notice the promise in the hadith: if you stop them, everyone is saved. Your words, your advice, your courage to speak—these things can save not just one person but the entire community. That is the power Allah has given to your tongue.
[Hadith,Bukhari & Muslim,"If Allah guides even one person through you, it is better than red camels."]
In the time of the Prophet ﷺ, red camels were the most valuable possession a person could own. They were rare, expensive, a sign of great wealth. The Prophet ﷺ is telling us that if Allah uses you to guide even one person, the reward is greater than owning the most valuable things in the world.
So what if you guide someone back to salah? What if you remind a friend about haram and he changes his ways? What if you bring someone from kufr to Islam? The reward is beyond anything you can imagine in this world.
And understand—you do not need to be eloquent. You do not need to give a khutbah. Sometimes a single sentence, spoken with sincerity, can change someone's life. I have heard stories from brothers who say, "Someone told me one thing, and it stuck with me until I changed." You never know which word from you will be the one that transforms someone's heart.
The man who killed 100 was saved for walking toward Allah. The man who stayed silent was destroyed for not walking toward his people. What step will you take?
Part Two: Breaking the Trap of Excuses
Brothers,
Do not fall into the trap of saying, "I'll fix myself first before I advise anyone." That is not only an excuse—it is a tool of Shaytan.
Let me be clear about why this thinking is dangerous. When you say, "I will wait until I am better before I help others," what you are really saying is, "I will never help others." Because you will never reach perfection. There will always be something you need to work on. There will always be a sin you have not conquered. Shaytan will always find another flaw in you to point out.
And while you wait for the perfection that will never come, your brothers continue to sink. They continue to fall deeper into sin. They continue to drift away from Allah. And you watch it happen because you convinced yourself that you are not qualified to throw them a rope.
This is exactly what Shaytan wants. He does not need to stop you from being righteous—he just needs to stop you from helping others become righteous. If he can isolate you in your own personal struggle, he has neutralized you completely. You become harmless to his plans. You pray, you fast, you work on yourself, and you leave everyone else to him.
[Hadith,Muslim,"Religion is sincere advice. They asked: 'To whom?' He said: To Allah, His Book, His Messenger, the leaders of the Muslims, and their common people."]
The Prophet ﷺ defined religion itself as sincere advice. Not just prayer. Not just fasting. Religion is advice. And notice to whom this advice is owed: to everyone. The leaders and the common people. The righteous and the sinful. Those above you and those below you.
You owe advice to your fellow Muslims. It is not a favor you grant when you feel qualified. It is a debt you owe simply by being Muslim. And the sincerity in that advice does not require you to be perfect—it only requires you to want good for your brother the way you want good for yourself.
When you see your brother heading toward a cliff, you do not wait until you have solved all your own problems before you shout a warning. You shout immediately because you care about him. That is sincere advice. That is the religion.
[Quran,3:104,"Let there be a group among you who call ˹others˺ to goodness, encourage what is good, and forbid what is evil—it is they who will be successful."]
Allah says let there be a group among you. That group can be you. Even here. Especially here.
You may be locked up—but not locked out of Allah's reward. You may be in prison—but you are not in prison when it comes to earning Paradise. In fact, you have opportunities here that many free people do not have.
Think about it. Where else do you have a captive audience of people with time to listen? Where else do you have brothers who are desperate for guidance, who are searching for meaning, who are ready to change their lives? Where else do you have the chance to sit with someone for hours and talk about Allah, about purpose, about redemption?
I have watched more men come to Islam in prison than anywhere else. I have seen more sincere repentance behind these walls than I ever saw outside them. Why? Because in here, people have time to think. They have faced the consequences of their choices. They are looking for a way forward. They are ready to listen.
And Allah may have written this time for your rise, your guidance, your mission. You may think you are here because of your past mistakes. But what if Allah brought you here for your future purpose? What if the very reason you went through what you went through is so that you can reach people no one else can reach?
Do not waste that. Do not think your circumstances disqualify you from serving Allah. Some of the greatest dawah happens in the most unlikely places by the most unlikely people.
[Hadith,Bukhari,"A prostitute was forgiven for giving water to a thirsty dog."]
This woman was living in major sin. She was not a scholar. She was not a righteous person. She was a prostitute. But she saw a thirsty dog, and she felt compassion. She climbed down into a well, filled her shoe with water, and gave it to the dog. And for that single act of mercy, Allah forgave her.
Now, imagine the reward if you lift up a brother who is depressed. Imagine if you guide someone away from addiction. Imagine if you return someone to prayer. Imagine if you bring someone to Islam. If a single act of kindness to an animal earned complete forgiveness, what do you think helping a human soul will earn?
Brothers, you are surrounded by thirsty dogs. Men whose souls are desperate for water. Men who are dying of spiritual dehydration. You have the water—the knowledge of Allah, the guidance of the Quran, the example of the Prophet ﷺ. Will you give it to them, or will you walk past because you think you are not good enough?
Be that light in the darkness. Be the one who refuses to let your brothers drown. Be the one who cares enough to speak, even when it is uncomfortable.
And never give up.
[Quran,51:55,"But ˹continue to˺ remind. For certainly reminders benefit the believers."]
This verse comes after Allah tells the Prophet ﷺ that he cannot force people to accept the truth. He can only remind. And then Allah says: continue to remind, because reminders benefit the believers.
Notice it does not say reminders always work. It does not say everyone will listen. It says reminders benefit the believers—those who are ready to hear, those who have iman, even if it is weak.
You do not know who is ready. You do not know whose heart is on the edge of change. You do not know which word will be the one that saves them. So you keep reminding. You keep advising. You keep speaking.
Even if they ignore you the first time. Even if they mock you the second time. Even if they curse you the third time. You keep reminding because you do not know when their heart will finally open.
The prophets were judged by effort—not results. Nuh preached for 950 years, and only a handful of people believed. Did Allah blame him for that? No. Allah honored him as one of the greatest prophets because he never stopped trying. He never gave up. He never said, "These people will not listen, so why bother?"
You are not responsible for changing people. You are responsible for trying to change people. The results are with Allah. Your job is to speak. To remind. To advise. To encourage. To warn. That is all.
Remind your cellmate. Remind your family. Remind yourself.
Let me get practical. You live with these brothers. You see them every day. You know who is struggling. You know who misses Fajr regularly. You know who is slipping into haram. You know who is depressed and losing hope. What are you doing about it?
Start small. You do not need to give a lecture. Just ask, "You alright, bro? You have not been to Fajr. You need a wakeup call?" That is dawah. Or say, "I have been listening to lectures on this topic. You want me to explain what I learned?" That is dawah. Or write a letter to a brother you know is struggling. Quote an ayah. Share a hadith. Remind him that Allah is merciful. That is dawah.
You can memorize short surahs and teach them to new Muslims. You can explain how to make wudu. You can sit with someone who just took shahada and show him how to pray. You can share Islamic books you have finished reading. You can translate khutbahs and articles for Spanish-speaking brothers. You can organize a weekly Quran study in your pod. You can fast Mondays and Thursdays and invite others to join you.
These are not grand gestures. These are simple actions that any of you can do. But the reward for them is immense. And the impact on your community can be transformative.
And when you advise, remember the manners of dawah. Speak gently. Do not embarrass your brother in front of others. Do not lecture him like you are better than him. Speak with love and concern, the way you would want someone to speak to you.
The Prophet ﷺ said, "Make things easy, not difficult. Give glad tidings, not warnings that drive people away." Start with encouragement. Remind him of Allah's mercy before you remind him of Allah's punishment. Build him up before you address what needs correction.
And be patient. Change takes time. The brother who ignores you today might come back to you in a month and say, "You know what, you were right." Or he might not change until years later. Or he might never change. But that is not your concern. Your concern is to fulfill your duty.
Because on the Day of Judgment, someone may say:
"You saw me slipping... and you stayed quiet."
"You watched me stray... and said nothing."
Do not let that be your legacy. Do not let your silence be the reason a brother fell. Do not let your fear of rejection be greater than your fear of Allah.
You have brothers in this place who are waiting for someone to care enough to speak to them. They are waiting for someone to guide them. They are waiting for someone to remind them that Allah has not forgotten them, that there is still hope, that they can still change.
Will you be that person? Or will you stay silent?
The choice is yours. But remember—you will be asked about it. On the Day when excuses will not help, when regret will be too late, when the only thing that matters is what you did with the knowledge and opportunities Allah gave you.
Speak gently. Advise quietly. Act sincerely. But do not be silent.
We ask Allah to make us firm upon His straight path, to guide us and not let us go astray, to have mercy on us and forgive us. We ask Allah to make us from those who speak the truth with wisdom and compassion, who fulfill the rights of our brothers, who are lights in the darkness for those who are lost. We ask Allah to accept our efforts, forgive our shortcomings, and grant us the courage to never be silent when silence is betrayal.
Whatever good was said in this khutbah is from Allah alone, and whatever mistakes or errors are from myself and from Shaytan. I ask Allah to forgive me and you for any shortcomings.
I say these words of mine, and I seek forgiveness from Allah for myself and you all. Seek His forgiveness—indeed, He is Most Forgiving, Most Merciful.
[Arabic,أَقُولُ قَوْلِي هَذَا، وَأَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ لِي وَلَكُمْ، فَاسْتَغْفِرُوهُ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ. ]