Know that he who approves of something is like he who did it, and he who approves of an abomination or a sin, and applauds, praises, and elevates it - he bears his own responsibility and the responsibility of he who committed [the sin], even though he [the approver] did not do it himself and was sitting on his sofa at home [at the time]. And he who approves of a good deed receives the reward for it and the reward of he who performed it, even though he [the approver] did not do it himself, and was prevented from doing it by inability or weakness...
Allah said [Koran 4:140]: 'He has revealed to you in the Book that if you hear His signs being denied [yukfar biha] and ridiculed, do not sit with them until they turn to a different subject, since that would make you like them. Allah will gather the hypocrites and the non-believers together in Hell.'
Sheikh Suleiman ibn 'Abdallah ibn Muhammad ibn 'Abd Al-Wahhab said: The plain meaning of this verse is that if someone hears Allah's signs being denied and ridiculed, and he sits with the non-believers [al-kafirin] and the ridiculers without his having been compelled to do so, and without disavowing [what they are saying], and without leaving them until they turn to a different subject, then he is a non-believer [kafir] like them, even if he didn't do what they did, since this is in effect approval of unbelief, and approval of unbelief is unbelief.
The scholars of [Islamic] law have concluded, on the basis of this verse... that he who approves of a sin is like he who committed it, and if he claims that he disavowed it in his heart, [his claim] cannot be accepted, since one [only] judges [on the basis of] that which can be seen. He made a display of unbelief, and thus he is a non-believer...
Al-Qurtubi said in his Al-Jami' 418/5, "since that would make you like them" - [This means that] whoever doesn't steer clear of them expresses approval of their actions, and approval of unbelief is unbelief. Thus, everyone who sits [with others] in a sinful gathering and doesn't rebuke them bears the same responsibility as they do. If he is not able to rebuke them, he should try to find a way to leave their company so as not to fall in the category of people discussed in this verse.'
Some people who were drinking wine were brought before [the Umayyad Caliph] 'Umar ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz, and he ordered that they be flogged. He was told that there was one among them who refrained [from drinking wine], and he said, 'Start with him, for you have heard Allah's words: "He has revealed to you in the Book that if you hear His signs being denied and ridiculed, do not sit with until they turn to a different subject, since that would make you like them..."'
If someone witnesses a sin being committed and disapproves of it, it is as though he wasn't there, and he who wasn't there and approves of it, it is as though he witnessed it... The essential thing is one's intention...
A widespread phenomenon has caught my attention among many people who don't take religion seriously. They not only stick their noses into [Koranic verses] whose interpretation is unclear, they often meddle, without their having any knowledge [about it], with [Koranic verses] whose interpretation is clear and that clearly indicate that something is prohibited or permitted, and then they split up into supporters and opponents...
sheykh 'Abd Al-Mun'im Mustafa Halima, Abu Basir Al-Tartusi
