Ethics of Giving Sincere Advice
Dear scholars, As-Salaam `Alaykum. Is it okay to keep quiet if we see a wrongdoing by our close relatives (parents, siblings) because we fear our advice might hurt their feelings or turn into nasty arguments? Giving advice in such occasion might also make us feel proud of ourselves, i.e., thinking that we know more than them or that we are better than them. Shall we keep silent? I always find it difficult to give advice to people (especially elders) as they tend to be hypersensitive towards advice. They think I'm trying to belittle them. For example, I know some of my relatives purposely delay their prayers, not out of forgetfulness or sleep, but because they busy themselves with their daily chores. How do I approach this problem? Jazakum Allah khayran.