Answered by Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him).
How do we strike a balance between criticising the bad sides of Western society while at the same time recognising the good sides? Please clarify for us the principles here.
Any culture, understanding and moral character in agreement with the Sacred Law should be praised. We cannot accept for ourselves anything that is contrary to the Sacred Law in Western society. We have to clarify the bad sides of Western society in the best possible way. Our call to Allah should not, however, focus on this. Rather it is founded upon knowledge of Allah and prophethood. When someone accepts this, we gradually introduce legal aspects and we clarify things with the best words and best intentions.