Is It Permissible and Beneficial for a Lay Muslim to Share Practical, Non-Islamic Advice to Help Others?
Answered by Shaykh Irshaad Sedick
Question
Is it permissible and beneficial for a lay Muslim to share practical, non-Islamic advice (such as habit-breaking techniques) to help others, as long as it does not contradict Islamic teachings? Does this advice have value alongside Islamic guidance, or does it distract from it?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate.
Allah (Most High) says, “Help one another in goodness and righteousness, and do not help one another in sin and transgression.” [Quran, 5:2]
It is permissible and even praiseworthy for a Muslim to share beneficial advice, albeit “non-Islamic” (meaning not religious), provided that it does not contradict Sacred Law. Such advice can potentially complement Islamic teachings. Sharing practical advice that aligns with Islamic values is permissible and beneficial. It can enhance, rather than distract from, Islam’s holistic guidance.
Tirmidhi, Ibn Maja, and others relate from Abu Hurayra (Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “The wise word is the lost property of the believer. Wherever they find it, they are most deserving of it.” [This is the wording of Imam Tirmidhi.]
This hadith has been deemed weak (da‘if), despite its various narrations, as indicated by Imam Tirmidhi himself. [Ajluni, Kashf al-Khafa’; Qari, Mirqat al-Mafatih]
However, its meaning is sound, [ibid.] as confirmed by many other texts from the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace).
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Explanation
Islam encourages the pursuit and dissemination of all beneficial knowledge. Sharing advice on habit-breaking, productivity, or other practical matters can be of great help to others, provided two conditions are met:
- It must not contradict Sacred Law — meaning it must not involve anything impermissible or lead to harm.
- It must maintain the proper priorities — Islamic guidance remains central, and secular advice should be seen as a complement, not a replacement.
When done with sincerity and wisdom, sharing can be a means of spreading goodness and assisting others in more effectively fulfilling their religious and worldly responsibilities.
Guidance
Continue to share helpful advice with sincerity and humility, always ensuring that your words and methods reflect Islamic ethics. Remember to prioritize Islamic teachings and view practical advice as a tool to facilitate living those teachings fully and beautifully. Do beware of the sources of your advice, too. While their content may be permissible, our tradition teaches us to choose our teachers carefully.
And Allah knows best.
[Shaykh] Irshaad Sedick
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Shaykh Irshaad Sedick was raised in South Africa in a traditional Muslim family. He graduated from Dar al-Ulum al-Arabiyyah al-Islamiyyah in Strand, Western Cape, under the guidance of the late world-renowned scholar Shaykh Taha Karaan.
Shaykh Irshaad received Ijaza from many luminaries of the Islamic world, including Shaykh Taha Karaan, Mawlana Yusuf Karaan, and Mawlana Abdul Hafeez Makki, among others.
He is the author of the text “The Musnad of Ahmad ibn Hanbal: A Hujjah or not?” He has served as the Director of the Discover Islam Centre and Al Jeem Foundation. For the last five years till present, he has served as the Khatib of Masjid Ar-Rashideen, Mowbray, Cape Town.
Shaykh Irshaad has thirteen years of teaching experience at some of the leading Islamic institutes in Cape Town). He is currently building an Islamic online learning and media platform called ‘Isnad Academy’ and has completed his Master’s degree in the study of Islam at the University of Johannesburg. He has a keen interest in healthy living and fitness.
