Enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil

 

Enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil

Of the many good deeds that a Muslim does everyday, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong stands out as a significant obligation in the list of our responsibilities as Muslims in our communities and households. Every Muslim, be they male or female, is ordered by Allah to fulfill this duty: "And let there be (arising) from you a nation inviting to (all that is) good, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong, and those will be the successful." (3:104) Many amongst us shy away from this necessary and important function, in which there are many obstacles associated with carrying out this job successfully. However, upon closer inspection of these obstacles, one finds that they are but mere mental roadblocks that Satan whispers into our subconscious in order to avert our attention from our duty to our fellow brother or sister in Islam. Summary of Some Relevant Misconceptions 1. Some people say that abandoning the duty to 'Enjoin what is good and forbid what is wrong' (however negative the influence of this on others) does not have a negative effect whatsoever on a believer who fulfills his/her primary religious obligations. Often, the following verse is used as a reference: "O you who have believed, upon you is (responsibility for) yourselves. Those who have gone astray will not harm you when you have been guided. To Allah is your return all together; then He will inform you of what you used to do." (5:105) Answer: Abu Bakr As-Siddiq warned the Muslims against using the above-mentioned argument erroneously and reminded them that the Prophet [sallallahu alayhe wa sallam (SAWS)] said: "If people see Munkar (something forbidden) without attempting to stop it, all of them are liable to an immediate punishment from Allah." (Bukhari) The statement of the Prophet (SAWS) makes it clear that Muslims must follow 'the (right) guidance.' This includes 'enjoining what is good and forbidding what is wrong.' Said Ibnul-Musayyab once said: "If you practice enjoining good and forbidding evil, then no harm can come to you from those who are in error." Some interpreters of the Qur'an said that this verse refers to a future time when 'enjoining what is good and forbidding what is wrong' becomes imprudently impossible. However, they insisted that the Muslim should practice denouncing Munkar (something forbidden) in his heart while striving to follow the path of righteousness. 2. Some people argue that it does not make sense to practice 'enjoining good and forbidding evil' when they, themselves, are not fulfilling their other religious duties. They refer to this verse: "Do you order righteousness of the people and forget yourselves while you recite the Scripture! Then will you not reason?" (2:44) They also refer to a hadeeth in which the Prophet (SAWS) said: "A man will be brought and put in Hell and he will circumambulate in Hell like a donkey in a (flour) grinding mill, and all the people of Hell will gather around him and will say to him, 'O so-and-so! Didn't you use to order others to practice 'Amr bil-ma'ruf wa nahy an al-munkar' (Enjoining good and forbidding evil)? That man will say, 'I used to order others to do good but I myself never used to do it, and I used to forbid others from things forbidden while I myself used to do it." (Muslim) Answer: Both Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi stated that Allah cautioned people against not fulfilling their religious duties and not against ordering people to enjoin good (Ma'ruf ). In addition to that, if one does not fulfill one's duty completely, he is not, by any means, absolved from fulfilling other duties. So, if my performance of Salah is imperfect, I am not absolved from ordering others to perform it. However, people tend to accept the teachings of those who practice what they preach. Finally, the bottom line of this argument is that only those infallible are allowed to enjoin good and forbid evil; and since we know that only Prophets are infallible, and given that there is no Prophet after Muhammad (SAWS), the fulfillment of Allah's command in carrying out 'enjoining good and forbidding evil' has to be carried out by all Muslims. 3. You are eventually bound to hear the desperation from those who practice 'enjoining good and forbidding evil.' They say that no matter how hard they try, people do not seem to heed their advice, so why continue as their efforts are in vain. Answer: If we acknowledge that our obligation is only to convey the message of good and forbid what is not good, then we will not feel the desperation that comes when the message falls upon deaf ears. The Prophet (SAWS) was charged with conveying the message and not with guaranteeing the acceptance of the people. Allah said: "…but if you turn away, then the duty of Our Messenger is only to convey (the Message) clearly." (64:12) Ibn Kathir said: "If you do not obey, it is your burden. The Prophet (SAWS) is only responsible for conveying the message," and Az-Zuhri said: "The message, is from Allah, conveyance is by His Messenger, and heeding is our responsibility." In addition to the fact that this practice morally improves our society, there are several other rewards that result from carrying out this duty. Allah described those who practice this as being successful: "Let there arise out of you a group of people inviting to all that is good, enjoining Al-Ma'ruf (the good) and forbidding Al-Munkar (the evil). And it is they who are successful." (3:104) Allah also saves those who practice 'enjoining good and forbidding evil' from the punishment: "And when they forgot that by which they had been reminded, We saved those who had forbidden evil and seized those who wronged, because they were defiantly disobeying." (7:165) One should not rush to the conclusion that people are not heeding his call for the good or forbidding the wrong. The outcome of the effort might not come quickly and patience and perseverance are always needed. To give up and assume that people will never heed the advice is to claim that one knows the future, and this is simply not true. Finally, the practice of 'enjoining good and forbidding evil' aims not only for the sinner to heed the advice and better him or herself, it has a more subtle effect on society such as warning from future problems and lessening evil in general. 4. Some people may claim that they do not have the credentials to practice 'enjoining good and forbidding evil.' Answer: While, in principle, one has to be knowledgeable about the subject matter that he or she is preaching to others - the majority of issues are so basic that hardly any credentials, other than being a Muslim, are needed. A person is charged with duties according to his or her knowledge and ability - nothing more, nothing less. One does not need much knowledge to order a Muslim who does not perform Salah to Perform Salah. The common ailments of society are simple and obvious, and they require simple advice. Satan magnifies the aforementioned misconceptions in the eyes of the believers. Once these misconceptions are seen as obstacles, they will become an excuse not to enact the proper system of checks and balances that Allah devised for the Muslim society. In doing so, we are falling into a trap from Satan. Allah said: "He (Satan) only orders you to evil and immorality and to say against Allah what you do not know." (2:169) The true believer aims to please Allah and only Allah. He cares for Islam. He strives for the betterment of Muslims by advising them to do good deeds and cautioning them from bad deeds. Such a Muslim does not give up when faced with obstacles and misconceptions, because in the final analysis he will be solely responsible for his own deeds and he will report only to Allah. Allah said: "And those who strive for Us - We will surely guide them to Our ways. And indeed, Allah is with doers of good." (29:69) [From: Al Jumu'ah Vol. 14 Issue 4]