’Uthaymeen on Hating the Sin and Not the Person and on Dealing with People Harshly as Though You Want to Take Revenge on Them

Shaykh ’Uthaymeen, may Allah have mercy on him, said, “When they see a person sinning, many brothers hate the sin and this is something correct, but they [also] hate the sinner, and then they deal with him harshly as someone who hates him would, like someone who wants to take revenge on him, and this is a huge mistake.

You must cure the sinner as a gentle doctor who treats a wound in order for it to heal does, he doesn’t treat the wound in order for it to get worse, so he treats this person with gentleness and a desire for good for him and out of mercy for him, this is how the scholars who nurture are, they look at the creation with a view to reform, not to seek revenge and out of hatred—I hate the sin which this person does, but this person is a believer so he is my brother, even if he fornicated and stole, he is still my brother, the believers are but brothers.”

Majmoo’ Fataawaa wa Rasaa’il Fadilatish-Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-’Uthaymeen, vol. 27, pp. 311-312.