﷽
Enjoining Good, Forbidding Evil
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Allah ﷻ says in the Qur’an:
وَلْتَكُن مِّنْكُمْ أُمَّةٌ يَدْعُوْنَ إِلَى الْخَيْرِ وَيَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ ۚ
And let there be [arising] from you a nation inviting to [all that is] good, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is evil,
وَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْمُفْلِحُونَ
And it is they who are the successful.
[3:104]
This Ayah means that there should be a segment of this Muslim Ummah fulfilling this task, even though it is also an obligation on every member of this Ummah, each according to his ability.
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Abu Hurayrah رضي الله عنه said that Prophet ﷺ said:
Whoever among you witnesses an evil, let him change it with his hand. If he is unable, then let him change it with his tongue. If he is unable, then let him change it with his heart, and this is the weakest faith.
[Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 49]
In another narration,
The Prophet ﷺ said:
There is no faith beyond that (changing it with the heart), not even the weight of a mustard seed
[Sahih Muslim]
Imam Ahmad رحمه الله recorded that Hudhayfah bin Al-Yaman said that the Prophet ﷺ said:
By He in Whose Hand is my soul! You will enjoin righteousness and forbid evil, or Allah shall send down a punishment from Him to you. Then, you will supplicate to Him, but He will not accept your supplication.
[Sunan al-Tirmidhī 2169, Grade: Hasan]
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Allah ﷻ Has cursed the earlier generation because they did not forbid evil.
As Allah ﷻ says in the Qur’an
لُعِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ مِنۢ بَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ عَلَىٰ لِسَانِ دَاوُۥدَ وَعِيسَى ٱبْنِ مَرْيَمَ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ بِمَا عَصَوا۟ وَّكَانُوا۟ يَعْتَدُونَ▪كَانُوا۟ لَا يَتَنَاهَوْنَ عَن مُّنكَرٍۢ فَعَلُوهُ ۚ لَبِئْسَ مَا كَانُوا۟ يَفْعَلُونَ
Cursed by the tongue of David and of Jesus the son of Mary were those who disbelieved among the children of Israel. That was because they disobeyed and transgressed. They would not prevent one another from the wrongdoing they did. How evil was that which they were doing.
[5:78-79]
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The scholars have said that enjoining good and forbidding evil is based upon three principles, or prerequisite and necessary conditions:
▪️Knowledge
▪️Gentleness
▪️Patience
It is not appropriate for someone to enjoin good or forbid evil unless they have knowledge of Islamic rulings and their relevancy to real-life situations, they are able to be patient and forbearing with the harm this duty entails, and they are gentle with people as much as possible.
Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله writes:
One who enjoins good must have three qualities: knowledge, gentleness, and patience. Knowledge comes before it, gentleness comes during it, and patience comes after it.
[Al-Amr bil Ma’rūf li-Ibn Taymīyyah 1/20]
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May Allah ﷻ guide us all and make us among those who enjoin good and forbid evil.
آمِيْن يَارَبَّ الْعَالَمِينْ
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