Is It Obligatory to Correct Every Mistake We Encounter?
Answered by Mawlana Ilyas Patel
Question
Would correcting every “mistake” we find, especially online, be obligatory? For example, I was looking through the Wikipedia page titled “Sunna prayer,” and I could be wrong, although it seems there is a mistake in the list of the “confirmed” sunna prayers for the Hanafi madhab. I’m pretty sure the source listed is an article on this site, although the list seems to include “4 raka’s before ‘isha”, which is not present in the original article.
I apologize if this sounds overscrupulous, although I habitually obsess over things. I’m not sure if it has to do with OCD-related issues or OCD itself, although it becomes a burden when I start obsessing over questions similar to these. I really appreciate any help you can provide.
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate
I pray you are in good faith and health. Thank you for your question. It is good of you to have fine detail about any mistakes you find online and be concerned about them.
Nevertheless, you don’t need to correct every online mistake you find. This can lead to an unnecessary obsession as the mistakes can be numerous and unaccountable. However, if you have time and can quickly point it out and forward it to scholars or the online site, you will be rewarded in sha’ Allah.
The online world is vast, with numerous mistakes, misunderstandings, misinterpretations, and negativity. It is a monumental task to change something every wrong matter with one’s hand or even tongue. The best way forward is by following this beautiful hadith of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace):
Whoever Sees evil should Change it if Possible
Abu Sa’id al-Khudri (Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Whoever among you sees evil, let him change it with his hand. If he cannot do so, then with his tongue. If he cannot do so, then with his heart, which is the weakest level of faith.” [Muslim]
The One Who is a Key to Goodness
Anas bin Malik (Allah be pleased with him) said: “The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said: ‘Some people open the door to good and close the door to evil, and some people open the door to evil and close the door to good. Glad tidings to those in whose hands Allah Most High places the keys to good, and woe to those in whose hands Allah places the keys to evil.’” [Ibn Maja]
May Allah Most High reward you for your concern, and may you be a means and key to all good, amin.
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[Mawlana] Ilyas Patel
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Mawlana Ilyas Patel is a traditionally-trained scholar who has studied in the UK, India, Pakistan, Syria, Jordan, and Turkey.
He started his early education in the UK. He went on to complete hifz of the Quran in India, then enrolled into an Islamic seminary in the UK, where he studied the secular and Alimiyyah sciences. He then traveled to Karachi, Pakistan.
He has been an Imam in Rep of Ireland for a number of years. He has taught hifz of the Qur’an, Tajwid, Fiqh, and many other Islamic sciences to both children and adults onsite and online extensively in UK and Ireland. He was teaching at a local Islamic seminary for 12 years in the UK, where he was a librarian and a teacher of Islamic sciences.
He currently resides in the UK with his wife. His personal interest is the love of books and gardening.
