٢١٨. عَنْ عَبْدِ اللّٰهِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم قَالَ:
«بَلِّغُوا عَنِّي وَلَوْ آيَةً».
218. Abdullah b. Amr (r.a.) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said:
“Even if it is one verse from me, make it available to others!..” (Bukhari, Anbiya 50; Tirmidhi, Ilm, 13/2669; Darimi, Muqaddima, 46; Ahmad, II, 159, 202, 214)
٢١٩. عَنْ عَبْدِ اللّٰهِ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللّٰهِ صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ:
«إِنَّكُمْ مَنْصُورُونَ وَمُصِيبُونَ وَمَفْتُوحٌ لَكُمْ فَمَنْ أَدْرَكَ ذٰلِكَ مِنْكُمْ فَلْيَتَّقِ اللّٰهَ وَلْيَأْمُرْ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَلْيَنْهَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَمَنْ كَذَبَ عَلَيَّ مُتَعَمِّدًا فَلْيَتَبَوَّأْ مَقْعَدَهُ مِنَ النَّارِ».
219. Abdullah b. Mas’ud (r.a.) said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) say:
“You will receive help and overcome your enemies, will gain war-booty and will conquer many places. Whoever reaches this time period should be scared of Allah, command goodness, and forbid wrong. Whoever tells a lie knowingly giving My Name should prepare a place in Hell.” (Tirmidhi, Fitan, 70/2257; Ahmad, I, 401, 436)
٢٢٠. عَنْ أَبِى سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِىِّ رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللّٰهِ صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ:
«مَنْ رَأَى مِنْكُمْ مُنْكَرًا فَلْيُغَيِّرْهُ بِيَدِهِ فَإِنْ لَمْ يَسْتَطِعْ فَبِلِسَانِهِ فَإِنْ لَمْ يَسْتَطِعْ فَبِقَلْبِهِ وَذٰلِكَ أَضْعَفُ الْاِيمَانِ».
220. Abu Sa’id al-Khudri (r.a.) narrated: “I heard the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) saying:
“He who amongst you sees something abominable should modify it with the help of his hand; and if he is not strong enough to do it, then he should do it with his tongue, and if he is not strong enough to do it, (even) then he should (abhor it) from his heart, and that is the least of faith.” (Muslim, Iman, 78. Also see. Tirmidhi, Fitan, 11; Nasai, Iman, 17)
٢٢١. عَنِ النُّعْمَانَ بْنِ بَشِيرٍ رَضِي اللّٰهُ عَنْهُمَا عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ:
«مَثَلُ الْقَائِمِ فِى حُدُودِ اللّٰهِ وَالْوَاقِعِ فِيهَا كَمَثَلِ قَوْمٍ اسْتَهَمُوا عَلَى سَفِينَةٍ فَأَصَابَ بَعْضُهُمْ أَعْلَاهَا وَبَعْضُهُمْ أَسْفَلَهَا فَكَانَ الَّذِينَ فِي أَسْفَلِهَا إِذَا اسْتَقَوْا مِنَ الْمَاءِ مَرُّوا عَلَى مَنْ فَوْقَهُمْ فَقَالُوا: لَوْ أَنَّا خَرَقْنَا فِي نَصِيبِنَا خَرْقًا وَلَمْ نُؤْذِ مَنْ فَوْقَنَا فَإِنْ يَتْرُكُوهُمْ وَمَا أَرَادُوا هَلَكُوا جَمِيعًا وَإِنْ أَخَذُوا عَلَى أَيْدِيهِمْ نَجَوْا وَنَجَوْا جَمِيعًا».
221. It is narrated from An-Nu’man bin Bashir that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said:
“The example of the person abiding by Allah’s order and restrictions in comparison to those who violate them is like the example of those persons who drew lots for their seats in a boat. Some of them got seats in the upper part, and the others in the lower. When the latter needed water, they had to go up to bring water (and that troubled the others), so they said:
“Let us make a hole in our share of the ship (and get water) saving those who are above us from troubling them.”
So, if the people in the upper part left the others do what they had suggested, all the people of the ship would be destroyed, but if they prevented them, both parties would be safe.” (Bukhari, Shirkat, 6; Shahadat, 30. Also see Tirmidhi, Fitan, 12)
٢٢٢. عَنْ حُذَيْفَةَ رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ:
«وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ لَتَأْمُرُنَّ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَلَتَنْهَوُنَّ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ أَوْ لَيُوشِكَنَّ اللّٰهُ أَنْ يَبْعَثَ عَلَيْكُمْ عِقَابًا مِنْهُ ثُمَّ تَدْعُونَهُ فَلَا يُسْتَجَابُ لَكُمْ».
222. It is narrated from Hudaifa (r.a.) that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said:
“I swear to Allah who holds my life in His hand, you either command goodness and forbid evil or Allah will send a punishment on you soon, and then you would pray Allah but your prayers would not be answered.” (Tirmidhi, Fitan, 9/2169)
٢٢٣. قَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ بَعْدَ أَنْ حَمِدَ اللّٰهَ وَأَثْنَى عَلَيْهِ:
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّكُمْ تَقْرَءُونَ هٰذِهِ الْآيَةَ وَتَضَعُونَهَا عَلَى غَيْرِ مَوَاضِعِهَا:
(عَلَيْكُمْ اَنْفُسَكُمْ لَا يَضُرُّكُمْ مَنْ ضَلَّ اِذَا اهْتَدَيْتُمْ)
قَالَ عَنْ خَالِدٍ وَإِنَّا سَمِعْنَا النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ:
«إِنَّ النَّاسَ إِذَا رَأَوُا الظَّالِمَ فَلَمْ يَأْخُذُوا عَلَى يَدَيْهِ أَوْشَكَ أَنْ يَعُمَّهُمُ اللّٰهُ بِعِقَابٍ» وقَالَ عَمْرٌو عَنْ هُشَيْمٍ: وَإِنِّي سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللّٰهِ صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ:
«مَا مِنْ قَوْمٍ يُعْمَلُ فِيهِمْ بِالْمَعَاصِي ثُمَّ يَقْدِرُونَ عَلَى أَنْ يُغَيِّرُوا ثُمَّ لَا يُغَيِّرُوا إِلَّا يُوشِكُ أَنْ يَعُمَّهُمُ اللّٰهُ مِنْهُ بِعِقَابٍ».
223. One day Abu Bakr (r.a.) said the following after completing his supplication:
“You people recite the following verse but don’t quite get it correctly:
“Guard your own souls: If you follow (right) guidance, no hurt can come to you from those who stray…” (Al-Maidah; 5:105)
As a matter of fact, we heard the Prophet (pbuh) say:
“When the people see a wrongdoer and do not prevent him, Allah will soon punish them all.”
The narrator Amr narrated from Hushaim that he heard Abu Bakr saying:
“I heard the Prophet (pbuh) saying:
“If acts of disobedience are done among any people and do not change them though they are able to do so, Allah will soon punish them all.” (Abu Dawud, Kitab Al-Malahim, 17/4338; Tirmidhi, Fitan, 8; Tafsir, 5/17; Ibn Majah, Fitan, 20; Ahmad, I, 2, 7, 9)
٢٢٤. عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللّٰهِ صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ:
«لَا يَحْقِرْ أَحَدُكُمْ نَفْسَهُ» قَالُوا:
«يَا رَسُولَ اللّٰهِ! كَيْفَ يَحْقِرُ أَحَدُنَا نَفْسَهُ؟» قَالَ:
«يَرَى أَمْرًا، لِلّٰهِ عَلَيْهِ فِيهِ مَقَالٌ ثُمَّ لَا يَقُولُ فِيهِ فَيَقُولُ اللّٰهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ لَهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ: مَا مَنَعَكَ أَنْ تَقُولَ فِي كَذَا وَكَذَا فَيَقُولُ: خَشْيَةُ النَّاسِ فَيَقُولُ: فَإِيَّايَ كُنْتَ أَحَقَّ أَنْ تَخْشَى».
224. Abu Said (r.a.) said: The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said:
“No one should be so humble as to make himself despicable!”
The Companions of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said:
“O Messenger of Allah! How could anyone among us make himself look despicable?”
The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said:
“A person faces with something and does not say anything despite the fact that he must say something about it for the sake of Allah. Allah the Exalted says to him on the Day of Judgment:
“What was the thing that stopped you from saying anything in such and such situations?”
He answers:
“I was scared of others!”
Allah the Exalted says:
“Should you not have feared from Me?” (Ibn Majah, Fitan, 20; Ahmad, III, 30, 91)
Explanations:
Allah the Exalted has made Muslims responsible from each other as brothers and sisters in Islam, from the society that they live in, and from the condition that the whole world is into. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) informed us that each of us is responsible just like the shepherd in front of the herd, and therefore we are responsible for the people that depend on us, our positions, and duties.[1] In other words, everyone, from the president to laymen, must protect his dependents, his position, and his surroundings from material and ethical disasters.
For this reason, a Muslim should not only think of himself but also try to lead others to good deeds and protect them from wrongdoings. Namely, a Muslims should be in an effort to save himself first and then the whole humanity.
Allah the Exalted says:
“The Believers, men and women, are protectors one of another: they enjoin what is just, and forbid what is evil…” (At-Tawbah; 9:71)
“You are the best of peoples, evolved for mankind, enjoining what is right, forbidding what is wrong…” (Al-i Imran; 3:110)
For this reason, enjoining the good and forbidding the evil, namely, suggesting the good and explaining why evil is bad and trying to prevent wrongdoings of those who we are responsible for is an important religious duty. Almighty Allah declares in the Noble Qur’an that believers are responsible for each other. This responsibility which is also known as “Tabligh (Delivering the message of Islam)” and “Da‘wah (Invitation to Islam)” is one of the most important duties in Islam and the essence of the religion. The order of Islam becomes perfect by this and the name of Allah gets exalted mainly by this way. Even though everyone is responsible to do this duty as much as they can, Muslim leaders and scholars have more responsibility.
Allah the Exalted says:
“(They are) those who, if We establish them in the land, establish regular prayer and give regular charity, enjoin the right and forbid wrong: with Allah rests the end (and decision) of (all) affairs.” (Al-Hajj; 22:41)
The duty of the society, beginning from its leaders, is to raise scholars who will teach what is good and right to others. That is because while there are simple facts that everyone can know, there are also issues that not everyone can understand which requires proper education. It is not right for those who do not have the proper knowledge to correct these issues. They must be left to experts. For this reason, our Almighty Lord says:
“Let there arise out of you a band of people inviting to all that is good, enjoining what is right, and forbidding what is wrong: They are the ones to attain felicity.” (Al-i Imran; 3:104)
It is understood from this noble verse that it is fard al-kifayah to organize a group that fulfills the responsibility of inviting people to goodness. The followers of Islam must train a group that can fulfill this responsibility. Unless this responsibility is fulfilled, all Muslims would be guilty.
The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) paid so much attention to this task that when he received the allegiance of his noble companions, he set as a condition to give advice to all Muslims and act sincerely. Jarir b. Abdullah (r.a.) narrated:
“I gave the oath of allegiance to the Prophet to perform prayers perfectly, to pay zakat, and to advise goodness to every Muslim.” (Bukhari, Iman, 42; Mawakit, 3; Zakat, 2; Muslim, Iman, 97-98; Nasai, Bay’ah, 6, 17)
Ubada b. al-Samit (r.a.) narrated:
“We gave the oath of allegiance to Allah’s Apostle that we would listen to and obey him both at the time when we were active and at the time when we were tired and that we would not fight against the ruler or disobey him unless they openly do something considered disbelief, and would stand firm for the truth or say the truth wherever we might be, and in the Way of Allah we would not be afraid of the blame of the blamers.” (Bukhari, Ahkam, 42; Muslim, Imara, 41; Nasai, Bay’ah, 1, 2, 3; Ibn Majah, Jihad, 41)
To those who told that they had to sit on the corners of the streets because of their jobs, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) told that they have to command what is good and right and dissuade from what is bad. (See Bukhari, Mazalim, 22; Isti’dhan, 2; Muslim, Libas, 114; Abu Dawud, Adab, 12)
All these prove the importance of announcing and inviting to what is good and right, enjoining the good, and forbidding the evil.
Our first hadith indicates that every Muslim should fulfill the responsibility of inviting others to Islam and teach Islamic knowledge even if it is one verse of the noble Qur’an or one hadith. Every Muslim can have some knowledge that those who are not close to Islam may not know. Therefore, a Muslim should teach the facts he knows about Islam to others.
In our second hadith, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) gave the good news that Muslims will overcome their enemies, will get wealthy by receiving war-booty, and gain power by widening their lands. However, Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) worried about something at this point which was: When people experience prosperity and gain power, their fancy for this world would increase and their religious values may get weak. Then, they may ignore their responsibility of inviting others to Islam.
As a matter of fact, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said in one of his hadiths:
“Unless two kinds of drunkenness appear in you, you would continue to be on the right path: The drunkenness of ignorance and fanatic love of the world. While you command what is right and good and prevent what is bad and fight in the way of Allah, when the love of this world appear, you turn into people who do not command what is good and who do not prevent what is bad and abandon fighting in the way of Allah. That day, those who talk about the noble Qur’an and Sunnah and those who try to explain them are like the first ones to convert to Islam among the Ansar and al-Muhajirun.” (Haythami, VII, 271; Abu Nuaym, Hilya, VIII, 49)
The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) invited Muslims to fear Allah and explain Islam to others by words and actions by drawing our attention to the fact that being pious is extra important in times where everyone is like drunk from the love of this world. In such time periods, supporting and encouraging what is good and preventing what is bad are some of the most important responsibilities of believers. The difficulty of accomplishing this duty is obvious. However, for sure its rewards are comparable to its difficulty. As a matter of fact, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) gave the good news that those who explain Islam and invite people to good deeds earn divine rewards as much as the first ones who converted to Islam among Ansar and al-Muhajirun.
However, those who call others to Islam should satisfy some requirements and they should be very careful in their acts. It is not right for those who do not know the religion to cause confusion with their inaccurate or wrong statements. Those who talk about the religion should not say wrong things about the Messenger of Allah (pbuh). Whoever attributes to the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) the things that he did not say or do, would push himself into Hell. As a matter of fact, in our hadith there is a harsh warning that “they should prepare their place in Hell.” This expression also has the meaning of cursing for those who lie about the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) and teasing the ignorant ones who throw themselves into the Fire.
It is understood that those who know the religion should fulfill the responsibility of commanding what is good and right and preventing what is bad and wrong. However, if the matter is something that everybody knows, every Muslim can interfere properly. If the commands and preventions are about detailed subjects, only scholars should fulfill this responsibility. They too could command and prevent the issues on which there is common consensus but stay away from controversial issues.
Those who fulfill the responsibility of commanding what is good and preventing what is bad should know the method in Islam of inviting people to religion. As a matter of fact, to abide by common principles such as being nice and polite, having a soft way of talking, approaching to people with mercy are very crucial.
In our third hadith, it is pointed out that Muslims should never overlook anything that is bad. When a Muslim sees something abominable or sinful, he should try to modify it with the help of his hands, if he cannot do that he should do it with his words, if he cannot do this either, he should at least try to do it with his heart. By disliking them from their hearts, those who cannot do anything about bad deeds can at least control their hearts and save themselves from considering bad things permissible eventually. On the other hand, one should try to prevent bad things from happening by praying to Allah from his heart. This is the lowest level of faith. Those who even cannot do this would endanger their faith. Their hearts would start to look like the hearts of sinners.
It is said in a Noble hadith:
“Never was there one among the prophets who had not disciples who followed his direction and followed his ways. Then there came after them their successors who said whatever they did not practice, and practiced whatever they were not commanded to do. He who strove against them with his hand was a believer: he who strove against them with his tongue was a believer, and he who strove against them with his heart was a believer and beyond that there is no faith even to the extent of a mustard seed.” (Muslim, Iman, 80)
The state of the heart when facing wrongdoings is very important. In order to show this, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said:
“When sin is committed on earth, he who sees it and disapproves of it (assuming that he cannot do anything else) will be taken like one who was not present (and therefore he is saved from the evil of the sin), but he who is not present and approves of it (when he hears it) will be like someone who sees it and will be harmed accordingly.” (Abu Dawud, Kitab al-Malahim, 17/4345)
Another attention drawing hadith that explains how the state of the heart should be when facing wrongdoings is as follows:
“Allah inspired one of His angels as:
“Turn that city upside down upon his people!”
The angel said:
“There is a servant of You among them who did not rebel You even for a blink of an eye.”
Almighty Allah said:
“Turn that city upside down upon him too as well as the others! That is because his face haven’t change (didn’t hate them for the sake of Allah) even once (upon seeing their evil deeds.)” (Haythami, VII, 270)
In our forth hadith, the importance of announcing Islam to others and calling them to Islam and the fact that, when abandoned, the whole community will be harmed is explained with a nice example.
Due to the mistakes and sins that evil people do, discord occurs in the land and sea.[2] Almighty Allah sends troubles and calamities on bad people. It harms the world which is like a ship that everyone sails on it. If Muslims do not prevent those bad things from happening, everyone who lives in this world gets harmed. However, when Muslims spread goodness and clear off wrongdoings, then both Muslims and everyone else can be save from the great punishment.
Almighty Allah says:
“…We rescued those who forbade Evil; but We visited the wrong-doers with a grievous punishment because they were given to transgression.” (Al-Araf; 7:165)
In other words, trying to prevent wrongdoings saves everyone. Abandoning the responsibility of announcing Islam to others causes getting a share from the punishment of oppressors.
Our fifth hadith informs us about the sad consequences of over-looking wrongdoings. Increase in sins angers Almighty Allah, and in order to sober up His servants, He lets them taste some punishments of the Hereafter in this world for what they had done. By this, He wants His servants to find the right path by understanding their mistakes. This harms everyone both good and bad. Those good people who did not prevent wrongdoings would receive punishment for their acts as well. They start praying when others are in trouble but since it is too late, their prayers would not be accepted.
Drought, scarcity, natural disasters, oppression of the cruel and bad people, discord among Muslims, and similar troubles are common fates of people. They cause destruction, collapse, and annihilation. Societies that abandon or ignore the responsibility of commanding what is good and prohibit what is bad deserve these kinds of troubles.
The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) explained the fact that social corruption starts with abandoning the responsibility of announcing and inviting others to Islam through an example from the Children of Israel:
“The first defect that permeated the Israelites was that a man (of them) met another man and said:
“O so-and-so, fear Allah, and abandon what you are doing, for it is not lawful for you!” He then met him the next day and that did not prevent him from eating with him, drinking with him and sitting with him. When they did so, Allah mingled their hearts with each other.
He then recited the verse:
“Curses were pronounced on those among the Children of Israel who rejected faith, by the tongue of David and of Jesus the son of Mary: because they disobeyed and persisted in excesses. Nor did they (usually) forbid one another the iniquities which they committed: evil indeed were the deeds which they did. Thou seest many of them turning in friendship to the unbelievers. Evil indeed are (the works) which their souls have sent forward before them (with the result), that Allah’s wrath is on them, and in torment will they abide. If only they had believed in Allah, in the Messenger, and in what has been revealed to him, never would they have taken them for friends and protectors, but most of them are rebellious wrong-doers.” (Al-Maidah; 5:78-81)
Then the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said:
“By no means, I swear by Allah, you must enjoin what is good and prohibit what is evil, prevent the wrongdoer, bend him into conformity with what is right, and restrict him to what is right.” (See Abu Dawud, Kitab Al-Malahim, 17/4336; Tirmidhi, Tafsir 5/6, 7; Baihaqi, al-Sunan al-Kubra, X, 93)
In our sixth hadith, a misinterpreted verse is mentioned by those who do not want to see this danger coming:
“O you who believe! Guard your own souls: If you follow (right) guidance, no hurt can come to you from those who stray.” (Al-Maidah; 5:105)
This verse, which is sometimes misinterpreted as “you correct yourself, others are none of your business,” actually invites Muslims to perfectly fulfill all their responsibilities. The responsibility to enjoin the good is among them as well. When Muslims do their part, they would waiver from their liability and save themselves from being called to account for their share of others’ mistakes. That is because no one can be accountable for others’ mistakes.[3] However if they ignore the responsibility of enjoining the good, then they face with the threat mentioned in the hadith narrated by Abu Bakr. If they do not prevent the wrongdoings performed in their presence while they can, Allah the Almighty certainly sends a common punishment on them.
The people of Sabt are one of the best examples of this:
The people of Sabt from the children of Israel used to live in the town called Eyle by the shore of the Red Sea. While they were supposed to drop everything and worship on Saturdays, they would go fishing instead on that day. That is because on Saturdays, many fish used to appear in the sea. Fish did this since they knew that people do not fish on that day, and they did not appear so many on other days. This society became furious and acted in defiance of Allah’s commands due to their desire to go fishing on Saturday upon seeing them coming like this, and they started to catch them.
After a while, the society divided up into two groups:
1. Those who broke the rules and commit sin
2. Pious and benevolent ones. However, those who practice the religion were in the minority and could not influence and stop others.
Then, those who are good also divided up into two groups:
1. Those who worked hard, tried everything, got up, took pains and advised wrong doers in order to bring them to the right path but then stopped and gave way to despair. After a while, those people abandoned their responsibility of enjoining the good.
2. Those are the Muslims who continued to give sermons and advices to disobedient people by enduring all kinds of troubles and difficulties without giving away to despair. The number of this self-sacrificing people was few.
Those who abandoned enjoining the good by giving away to despair told them:
“Why do you flounder? Why do you advise in vain? Those sinners will not listen to your advices, don’t you see how many times we’ve told them? They don’t listen.” Those few righteous people did not pay attention to these discouraging suggestions and continued by thinking of being accountable in the Hereafter.
The following verse of Qur’an expresses this as:
“When some of them said: “Why do you preach to a people whom Allah will destroy or visit with a terrible punishment?” said the preachers:” To discharge our duty to your Lord, and perchance they may fear Him.” (Al-Araf; 7:164)
Then those who continued to enjoin the good set a wall which parted them from the others in order to protect themselves from the punishment that will come to others. When they did not heard any voice from the other side of the wall, they saw that all the people turned into monkeys overnight!.. Even those who were saved from the torment did not recognize their relatives, the relatives who turned into monkeys recognized them. Those miserable people who faced with the torment stroll around their relatives crestfallenly for some time. When their relatives asked:
“Didn’t we dissuade you from sins by warning you?” they used to nod their heads with tearful eyes.
Three days later, all of the rebellious people who were turned into monkeys died.
Some of the scholars of the Qur’anic exegesis said:
“Those who did not fish on the forbidden day but kept silent without prohibiting or warning those who disobeyed the command are turned into monkeys with them.” In this case, the verse is one of the most intense warnings about those who do not forbid what is evil.
Almighty Allah says:
“So We made it an example to their own time and to their posterity, and a lesson to those who fear Allah.” (Al-Baqarah; 2:66)
When the Children of Israel worshipped the calf, Moses (pbuh) feared that those Muslims who did not stray from the right path but did not try hard to prevent this evil from happening would be perished as well, and he took refuge in Allah as:
“… would You destroy us for the deeds of the foolish ones among us?” (Al-Araf; 7:155)
The following hadith implies the same meaning:
“Allah the Exalted does not punish innocents for the sins of the community but with an exception for those who witness that sins are committed among them but do not prevent them despite the fact that they can.” (Ahmad, V, 192)
In our seventh hadith, we are reminded that one should not abstain from the responsibility of enjoining the good due to fear of others or by forgetting. We are informed that acting this way will put one into a belittling and despicable position.
Almighty Allah shows His messengers as examples about this and says:
“(It is the practice of those) who preach the Messages of Allah, and fear Him, and fear none but Allah. And enough is Allah to call (men) to account.” (Al-Ahzab; 33:39)
Again in the Noble Qur’an it is proudly declared that the distinguished people who love Allah and are loved by Allah are gentle and humble to believers; proud, honorable, rigorous, brave, and confident to non-believers, who can sacrifice everything in the way of Allah and who work hard and who do not fear any critic, who serve Islam ignoring the condemnation of others and seek not the consent of others but the consent of Allah. (Al-Maidah; 5:54)
Almighty Allah charged believers for correcting improper actions that they see contrary to Islam. A believer who sees that something that is prohibited by the religion is done is liable to Allah for announcing what is right and should try to stop them from the wrongdoing. If he keeps silent due to fear from condemnation of others or that something may happen to him, Almighty Allah will ask him on the Day of Judgment why he did not enjoin the good. When the faulty believer expresses that he feared others, Almighty Allah will remind him that a believer should fear Allah before everything else. For sure, a Muslim who puts himself into this situation did nothing else but making himself disgraced.[4]
Abu Said al-Hudri (r.a.) said:
The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) stood up and preached to people. Among his words, there were:
“Be careful! The fear felt towards others should not make one stop from telling the things that he knows are right!”
Abu Said (r.a.) cried after narrating this hadith and regretted that:
“I swear to Allah, we’ve seen things in this world but couldn’t say anything due to our fear.” (Tirmidhi, Fitan, 26/2191; Ibn Majah, Fitan, 20; Ahmad, III, 5)
As Almighty Allah will hold accoutable the believers who ignore the responsibility of enjoining the good, those who are left with their sins and have not been warned will get a hold of them as well.
Abu Huraira narrated:
We used to hear the following fact among the noble companions of the Messenger: On the Day of Judgment, a man gets held off by someone he does not know of and the man gets shocked and asks:
“What do you want from me? I do not even know you!”
The man who gets a hold of him proceeds against him as:
“When we were in the world, you used to see me doing wrong and evil things but did not warn and stop me.” (Munziri, at-Targhib wa al-tarhib, III, 164/3506; Rudani, Jam’ al-fawaid, V, 384)
We should also say that when enjoining the good and forbidding the evil, one must not cause some things to get worse. If correcting wrongdoings with one’s hands or words will cause something worse such as getting him or someone else killed, he should prefer to hate that evil from the heart. That is because risking one’s life knowingly is not considered permissible in our religion.
[1] Bukhari, Jum’a, 11; Istiqraz, 20; Itk, 17, 19; Wasaya, 9; Nikah, 81, 90; Ahkam, 1; Muslim, Imara, 20; Abu Dawud, Imara, 1, 13; Tirmidhi, Jihad, 27.
[4] Truly, to be embarrassed in front of all people in the Hereafter is much heavier and worse compared to the shame in this world. Indeed, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said:
“O people! Whoever has violated the right of someone should pay it back and never hesitate thinking he will be ashamed in this world! You should know well that the shame in this world fares really light compared to that of the Hereafter.” (Ibn Sa’d, II, 255; Ibn Athir, al-Kamil, II, 319; Tabari, Tarih, III, 189-190)
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1. The Responsibility of Calling to Islam
٢١٨. عَنْ عَبْدِ اللّٰهِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم قَالَ:
«بَلِّغُوا عَنِّي وَلَوْ آيَةً».
218. Abdullah b. Amr (r.a.) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said:
“Even if it is one verse from me, make it available to others!..” (Bukhari, Anbiya 50; Tirmidhi, Ilm, 13/2669; Darimi, Muqaddima, 46; Ahmad, II, 159, 202, 214)
٢١٩. عَنْ عَبْدِ اللّٰهِ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللّٰهِ صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ:
«إِنَّكُمْ مَنْصُورُونَ وَمُصِيبُونَ وَمَفْتُوحٌ لَكُمْ فَمَنْ أَدْرَكَ ذٰلِكَ مِنْكُمْ فَلْيَتَّقِ اللّٰهَ وَلْيَأْمُرْ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَلْيَنْهَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَمَنْ كَذَبَ عَلَيَّ مُتَعَمِّدًا فَلْيَتَبَوَّأْ مَقْعَدَهُ مِنَ النَّارِ».
219. Abdullah b. Mas’ud (r.a.) said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) say:
“You will receive help and overcome your enemies, will gain war-booty and will conquer many places. Whoever reaches this time period should be scared of Allah, command goodness, and forbid wrong. Whoever tells a lie knowingly giving My Name should prepare a place in Hell.” (Tirmidhi, Fitan, 70/2257; Ahmad, I, 401, 436)
٢٢٠. عَنْ أَبِى سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِىِّ رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللّٰهِ صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ:
«مَنْ رَأَى مِنْكُمْ مُنْكَرًا فَلْيُغَيِّرْهُ بِيَدِهِ فَإِنْ لَمْ يَسْتَطِعْ فَبِلِسَانِهِ فَإِنْ لَمْ يَسْتَطِعْ فَبِقَلْبِهِ وَذٰلِكَ أَضْعَفُ الْاِيمَانِ».
220. Abu Sa’id al-Khudri (r.a.) narrated: “I heard the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) saying:
“He who amongst you sees something abominable should modify it with the help of his hand; and if he is not strong enough to do it, then he should do it with his tongue, and if he is not strong enough to do it, (even) then he should (abhor it) from his heart, and that is the least of faith.” (Muslim, Iman, 78. Also see. Tirmidhi, Fitan, 11; Nasai, Iman, 17)
٢٢١. عَنِ النُّعْمَانَ بْنِ بَشِيرٍ رَضِي اللّٰهُ عَنْهُمَا عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ:
«مَثَلُ الْقَائِمِ فِى حُدُودِ اللّٰهِ وَالْوَاقِعِ فِيهَا كَمَثَلِ قَوْمٍ اسْتَهَمُوا عَلَى سَفِينَةٍ فَأَصَابَ بَعْضُهُمْ أَعْلَاهَا وَبَعْضُهُمْ أَسْفَلَهَا فَكَانَ الَّذِينَ فِي أَسْفَلِهَا إِذَا اسْتَقَوْا مِنَ الْمَاءِ مَرُّوا عَلَى مَنْ فَوْقَهُمْ فَقَالُوا: لَوْ أَنَّا خَرَقْنَا فِي نَصِيبِنَا خَرْقًا وَلَمْ نُؤْذِ مَنْ فَوْقَنَا فَإِنْ يَتْرُكُوهُمْ وَمَا أَرَادُوا هَلَكُوا جَمِيعًا وَإِنْ أَخَذُوا عَلَى أَيْدِيهِمْ نَجَوْا وَنَجَوْا جَمِيعًا».
221. It is narrated from An-Nu’man bin Bashir that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said:
“The example of the person abiding by Allah’s order and restrictions in comparison to those who violate them is like the example of those persons who drew lots for their seats in a boat. Some of them got seats in the upper part, and the others in the lower. When the latter needed water, they had to go up to bring water (and that troubled the others), so they said:
“Let us make a hole in our share of the ship (and get water) saving those who are above us from troubling them.”
So, if the people in the upper part left the others do what they had suggested, all the people of the ship would be destroyed, but if they prevented them, both parties would be safe.” (Bukhari, Shirkat, 6; Shahadat, 30. Also see Tirmidhi, Fitan, 12)
٢٢٢. عَنْ حُذَيْفَةَ رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ:
«وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ لَتَأْمُرُنَّ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَلَتَنْهَوُنَّ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ أَوْ لَيُوشِكَنَّ اللّٰهُ أَنْ يَبْعَثَ عَلَيْكُمْ عِقَابًا مِنْهُ ثُمَّ تَدْعُونَهُ فَلَا يُسْتَجَابُ لَكُمْ».
222. It is narrated from Hudaifa (r.a.) that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said:
“I swear to Allah who holds my life in His hand, you either command goodness and forbid evil or Allah will send a punishment on you soon, and then you would pray Allah but your prayers would not be answered.” (Tirmidhi, Fitan, 9/2169)
٢٢٣. قَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ بَعْدَ أَنْ حَمِدَ اللّٰهَ وَأَثْنَى عَلَيْهِ:
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّكُمْ تَقْرَءُونَ هٰذِهِ الْآيَةَ وَتَضَعُونَهَا عَلَى غَيْرِ مَوَاضِعِهَا:
(عَلَيْكُمْ اَنْفُسَكُمْ لَا يَضُرُّكُمْ مَنْ ضَلَّ اِذَا اهْتَدَيْتُمْ)
قَالَ عَنْ خَالِدٍ وَإِنَّا سَمِعْنَا النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ:
«إِنَّ النَّاسَ إِذَا رَأَوُا الظَّالِمَ فَلَمْ يَأْخُذُوا عَلَى يَدَيْهِ أَوْشَكَ أَنْ يَعُمَّهُمُ اللّٰهُ بِعِقَابٍ» وقَالَ عَمْرٌو عَنْ هُشَيْمٍ: وَإِنِّي سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللّٰهِ صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ:
«مَا مِنْ قَوْمٍ يُعْمَلُ فِيهِمْ بِالْمَعَاصِي ثُمَّ يَقْدِرُونَ عَلَى أَنْ يُغَيِّرُوا ثُمَّ لَا يُغَيِّرُوا إِلَّا يُوشِكُ أَنْ يَعُمَّهُمُ اللّٰهُ مِنْهُ بِعِقَابٍ».
223. One day Abu Bakr (r.a.) said the following after completing his supplication:
“You people recite the following verse but don’t quite get it correctly:
“Guard your own souls: If you follow (right) guidance, no hurt can come to you from those who stray…” (Al-Maidah; 5:105)
As a matter of fact, we heard the Prophet (pbuh) say:
“When the people see a wrongdoer and do not prevent him, Allah will soon punish them all.”
The narrator Amr narrated from Hushaim that he heard Abu Bakr saying:
“I heard the Prophet (pbuh) saying:
“If acts of disobedience are done among any people and do not change them though they are able to do so, Allah will soon punish them all.” (Abu Dawud, Kitab Al-Malahim, 17/4338; Tirmidhi, Fitan, 8; Tafsir, 5/17; Ibn Majah, Fitan, 20; Ahmad, I, 2, 7, 9)
٢٢٤. عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللّٰهِ صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ:
«لَا يَحْقِرْ أَحَدُكُمْ نَفْسَهُ» قَالُوا:
«يَا رَسُولَ اللّٰهِ! كَيْفَ يَحْقِرُ أَحَدُنَا نَفْسَهُ؟» قَالَ:
«يَرَى أَمْرًا، لِلّٰهِ عَلَيْهِ فِيهِ مَقَالٌ ثُمَّ لَا يَقُولُ فِيهِ فَيَقُولُ اللّٰهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ لَهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ: مَا مَنَعَكَ أَنْ تَقُولَ فِي كَذَا وَكَذَا فَيَقُولُ: خَشْيَةُ النَّاسِ فَيَقُولُ: فَإِيَّايَ كُنْتَ أَحَقَّ أَنْ تَخْشَى».
224. Abu Said (r.a.) said: The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said:
“No one should be so humble as to make himself despicable!”
The Companions of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said:
“O Messenger of Allah! How could anyone among us make himself look despicable?”
The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said:
“A person faces with something and does not say anything despite the fact that he must say something about it for the sake of Allah. Allah the Exalted says to him on the Day of Judgment:
“What was the thing that stopped you from saying anything in such and such situations?”
He answers:
“I was scared of others!”
Allah the Exalted says:
“Should you not have feared from Me?” (Ibn Majah, Fitan, 20; Ahmad, III, 30, 91)
Explanations:
Allah the Exalted has made Muslims responsible from each other as brothers and sisters in Islam, from the society that they live in, and from the condition that the whole world is into. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) informed us that each of us is responsible just like the shepherd in front of the herd, and therefore we are responsible for the people that depend on us, our positions, and duties.[1] In other words, everyone, from the president to laymen, must protect his dependents, his position, and his surroundings from material and ethical disasters.
For this reason, a Muslim should not only think of himself but also try to lead others to good deeds and protect them from wrongdoings. Namely, a Muslims should be in an effort to save himself first and then the whole humanity.
Allah the Exalted says:
“The Believers, men and women, are protectors one of another: they enjoin what is just, and forbid what is evil…” (At-Tawbah; 9:71)
“You are the best of peoples, evolved for mankind, enjoining what is right, forbidding what is wrong…” (Al-i Imran; 3:110)
For this reason, enjoining the good and forbidding the evil, namely, suggesting the good and explaining why evil is bad and trying to prevent wrongdoings of those who we are responsible for is an important religious duty. Almighty Allah declares in the Noble Qur’an that believers are responsible for each other. This responsibility which is also known as “Tabligh (Delivering the message of Islam)” and “Da‘wah (Invitation to Islam)” is one of the most important duties in Islam and the essence of the religion. The order of Islam becomes perfect by this and the name of Allah gets exalted mainly by this way. Even though everyone is responsible to do this duty as much as they can, Muslim leaders and scholars have more responsibility.
Allah the Exalted says:
“(They are) those who, if We establish them in the land, establish regular prayer and give regular charity, enjoin the right and forbid wrong: with Allah rests the end (and decision) of (all) affairs.” (Al-Hajj; 22:41)
The duty of the society, beginning from its leaders, is to raise scholars who will teach what is good and right to others. That is because while there are simple facts that everyone can know, there are also issues that not everyone can understand which requires proper education. It is not right for those who do not have the proper knowledge to correct these issues. They must be left to experts. For this reason, our Almighty Lord says:
“Let there arise out of you a band of people inviting to all that is good, enjoining what is right, and forbidding what is wrong: They are the ones to attain felicity.” (Al-i Imran; 3:104)
It is understood from this noble verse that it is fard al-kifayah to organize a group that fulfills the responsibility of inviting people to goodness. The followers of Islam must train a group that can fulfill this responsibility. Unless this responsibility is fulfilled, all Muslims would be guilty.
The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) paid so much attention to this task that when he received the allegiance of his noble companions, he set as a condition to give advice to all Muslims and act sincerely. Jarir b. Abdullah (r.a.) narrated:
“I gave the oath of allegiance to the Prophet to perform prayers perfectly, to pay zakat, and to advise goodness to every Muslim.” (Bukhari, Iman, 42; Mawakit, 3; Zakat, 2; Muslim, Iman, 97-98; Nasai, Bay’ah, 6, 17)
Ubada b. al-Samit (r.a.) narrated:
“We gave the oath of allegiance to Allah’s Apostle that we would listen to and obey him both at the time when we were active and at the time when we were tired and that we would not fight against the ruler or disobey him unless they openly do something considered disbelief, and would stand firm for the truth or say the truth wherever we might be, and in the Way of Allah we would not be afraid of the blame of the blamers.” (Bukhari, Ahkam, 42; Muslim, Imara, 41; Nasai, Bay’ah, 1, 2, 3; Ibn Majah, Jihad, 41)
To those who told that they had to sit on the corners of the streets because of their jobs, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) told that they have to command what is good and right and dissuade from what is bad. (See Bukhari, Mazalim, 22; Isti’dhan, 2; Muslim, Libas, 114; Abu Dawud, Adab, 12)
All these prove the importance of announcing and inviting to what is good and right, enjoining the good, and forbidding the evil.
Our first hadith indicates that every Muslim should fulfill the responsibility of inviting others to Islam and teach Islamic knowledge even if it is one verse of the noble Qur’an or one hadith. Every Muslim can have some knowledge that those who are not close to Islam may not know. Therefore, a Muslim should teach the facts he knows about Islam to others.
In our second hadith, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) gave the good news that Muslims will overcome their enemies, will get wealthy by receiving war-booty, and gain power by widening their lands. However, Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) worried about something at this point which was: When people experience prosperity and gain power, their fancy for this world would increase and their religious values may get weak. Then, they may ignore their responsibility of inviting others to Islam.
As a matter of fact, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said in one of his hadiths:
“Unless two kinds of drunkenness appear in you, you would continue to be on the right path: The drunkenness of ignorance and fanatic love of the world. While you command what is right and good and prevent what is bad and fight in the way of Allah, when the love of this world appear, you turn into people who do not command what is good and who do not prevent what is bad and abandon fighting in the way of Allah. That day, those who talk about the noble Qur’an and Sunnah and those who try to explain them are like the first ones to convert to Islam among the Ansar and al-Muhajirun.” (Haythami, VII, 271; Abu Nuaym, Hilya, VIII, 49)
The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) invited Muslims to fear Allah and explain Islam to others by words and actions by drawing our attention to the fact that being pious is extra important in times where everyone is like drunk from the love of this world. In such time periods, supporting and encouraging what is good and preventing what is bad are some of the most important responsibilities of believers. The difficulty of accomplishing this duty is obvious. However, for sure its rewards are comparable to its difficulty. As a matter of fact, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) gave the good news that those who explain Islam and invite people to good deeds earn divine rewards as much as the first ones who converted to Islam among Ansar and al-Muhajirun.
However, those who call others to Islam should satisfy some requirements and they should be very careful in their acts. It is not right for those who do not know the religion to cause confusion with their inaccurate or wrong statements. Those who talk about the religion should not say wrong things about the Messenger of Allah (pbuh). Whoever attributes to the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) the things that he did not say or do, would push himself into Hell. As a matter of fact, in our hadith there is a harsh warning that “they should prepare their place in Hell.” This expression also has the meaning of cursing for those who lie about the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) and teasing the ignorant ones who throw themselves into the Fire.
It is understood that those who know the religion should fulfill the responsibility of commanding what is good and right and preventing what is bad and wrong. However, if the matter is something that everybody knows, every Muslim can interfere properly. If the commands and preventions are about detailed subjects, only scholars should fulfill this responsibility. They too could command and prevent the issues on which there is common consensus but stay away from controversial issues.
Those who fulfill the responsibility of commanding what is good and preventing what is bad should know the method in Islam of inviting people to religion. As a matter of fact, to abide by common principles such as being nice and polite, having a soft way of talking, approaching to people with mercy are very crucial.
In our third hadith, it is pointed out that Muslims should never overlook anything that is bad. When a Muslim sees something abominable or sinful, he should try to modify it with the help of his hands, if he cannot do that he should do it with his words, if he cannot do this either, he should at least try to do it with his heart. By disliking them from their hearts, those who cannot do anything about bad deeds can at least control their hearts and save themselves from considering bad things permissible eventually. On the other hand, one should try to prevent bad things from happening by praying to Allah from his heart. This is the lowest level of faith. Those who even cannot do this would endanger their faith. Their hearts would start to look like the hearts of sinners.
It is said in a Noble hadith:
“Never was there one among the prophets who had not disciples who followed his direction and followed his ways. Then there came after them their successors who said whatever they did not practice, and practiced whatever they were not commanded to do. He who strove against them with his hand was a believer: he who strove against them with his tongue was a believer, and he who strove against them with his heart was a believer and beyond that there is no faith even to the extent of a mustard seed.” (Muslim, Iman, 80)
The state of the heart when facing wrongdoings is very important. In order to show this, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said:
“When sin is committed on earth, he who sees it and disapproves of it (assuming that he cannot do anything else) will be taken like one who was not present (and therefore he is saved from the evil of the sin), but he who is not present and approves of it (when he hears it) will be like someone who sees it and will be harmed accordingly.” (Abu Dawud, Kitab al-Malahim, 17/4345)
Another attention drawing hadith that explains how the state of the heart should be when facing wrongdoings is as follows:
“Allah inspired one of His angels as:
“Turn that city upside down upon his people!”
The angel said:
“There is a servant of You among them who did not rebel You even for a blink of an eye.”
Almighty Allah said:
“Turn that city upside down upon him too as well as the others! That is because his face haven’t change (didn’t hate them for the sake of Allah) even once (upon seeing their evil deeds.)” (Haythami, VII, 270)
In our forth hadith, the importance of announcing Islam to others and calling them to Islam and the fact that, when abandoned, the whole community will be harmed is explained with a nice example.
Due to the mistakes and sins that evil people do, discord occurs in the land and sea.[2] Almighty Allah sends troubles and calamities on bad people. It harms the world which is like a ship that everyone sails on it. If Muslims do not prevent those bad things from happening, everyone who lives in this world gets harmed. However, when Muslims spread goodness and clear off wrongdoings, then both Muslims and everyone else can be save from the great punishment.
Almighty Allah says:
“…We rescued those who forbade Evil; but We visited the wrong-doers with a grievous punishment because they were given to transgression.” (Al-Araf; 7:165)
In other words, trying to prevent wrongdoings saves everyone. Abandoning the responsibility of announcing Islam to others causes getting a share from the punishment of oppressors.
Our fifth hadith informs us about the sad consequences of over-looking wrongdoings. Increase in sins angers Almighty Allah, and in order to sober up His servants, He lets them taste some punishments of the Hereafter in this world for what they had done. By this, He wants His servants to find the right path by understanding their mistakes. This harms everyone both good and bad. Those good people who did not prevent wrongdoings would receive punishment for their acts as well. They start praying when others are in trouble but since it is too late, their prayers would not be accepted.
Drought, scarcity, natural disasters, oppression of the cruel and bad people, discord among Muslims, and similar troubles are common fates of people. They cause destruction, collapse, and annihilation. Societies that abandon or ignore the responsibility of commanding what is good and prohibit what is bad deserve these kinds of troubles.
The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) explained the fact that social corruption starts with abandoning the responsibility of announcing and inviting others to Islam through an example from the Children of Israel:
“The first defect that permeated the Israelites was that a man (of them) met another man and said:
“O so-and-so, fear Allah, and abandon what you are doing, for it is not lawful for you!” He then met him the next day and that did not prevent him from eating with him, drinking with him and sitting with him. When they did so, Allah mingled their hearts with each other.
He then recited the verse:
“Curses were pronounced on those among the Children of Israel who rejected faith, by the tongue of David and of Jesus the son of Mary: because they disobeyed and persisted in excesses. Nor did they (usually) forbid one another the iniquities which they committed: evil indeed were the deeds which they did. Thou seest many of them turning in friendship to the unbelievers. Evil indeed are (the works) which their souls have sent forward before them (with the result), that Allah’s wrath is on them, and in torment will they abide. If only they had believed in Allah, in the Messenger, and in what has been revealed to him, never would they have taken them for friends and protectors, but most of them are rebellious wrong-doers.” (Al-Maidah; 5:78-81)
Then the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said:
“By no means, I swear by Allah, you must enjoin what is good and prohibit what is evil, prevent the wrongdoer, bend him into conformity with what is right, and restrict him to what is right.” (See Abu Dawud, Kitab Al-Malahim, 17/4336; Tirmidhi, Tafsir 5/6, 7; Baihaqi, al-Sunan al-Kubra, X, 93)
In our sixth hadith, a misinterpreted verse is mentioned by those who do not want to see this danger coming:
“O you who believe! Guard your own souls: If you follow (right) guidance, no hurt can come to you from those who stray.” (Al-Maidah; 5:105)
This verse, which is sometimes misinterpreted as “you correct yourself, others are none of your business,” actually invites Muslims to perfectly fulfill all their responsibilities. The responsibility to enjoin the good is among them as well. When Muslims do their part, they would waiver from their liability and save themselves from being called to account for their share of others’ mistakes. That is because no one can be accountable for others’ mistakes.[3] However if they ignore the responsibility of enjoining the good, then they face with the threat mentioned in the hadith narrated by Abu Bakr. If they do not prevent the wrongdoings performed in their presence while they can, Allah the Almighty certainly sends a common punishment on them.
The people of Sabt are one of the best examples of this:
The people of Sabt from the children of Israel used to live in the town called Eyle by the shore of the Red Sea. While they were supposed to drop everything and worship on Saturdays, they would go fishing instead on that day. That is because on Saturdays, many fish used to appear in the sea. Fish did this since they knew that people do not fish on that day, and they did not appear so many on other days. This society became furious and acted in defiance of Allah’s commands due to their desire to go fishing on Saturday upon seeing them coming like this, and they started to catch them.
After a while, the society divided up into two groups:
1. Those who broke the rules and commit sin
2. Pious and benevolent ones. However, those who practice the religion were in the minority and could not influence and stop others.
Then, those who are good also divided up into two groups:
1. Those who worked hard, tried everything, got up, took pains and advised wrong doers in order to bring them to the right path but then stopped and gave way to despair. After a while, those people abandoned their responsibility of enjoining the good.
2. Those are the Muslims who continued to give sermons and advices to disobedient people by enduring all kinds of troubles and difficulties without giving away to despair. The number of this self-sacrificing people was few.
Those who abandoned enjoining the good by giving away to despair told them:
“Why do you flounder? Why do you advise in vain? Those sinners will not listen to your advices, don’t you see how many times we’ve told them? They don’t listen.” Those few righteous people did not pay attention to these discouraging suggestions and continued by thinking of being accountable in the Hereafter.
The following verse of Qur’an expresses this as:
“When some of them said: “Why do you preach to a people whom Allah will destroy or visit with a terrible punishment?” said the preachers:” To discharge our duty to your Lord, and perchance they may fear Him.” (Al-Araf; 7:164)
Then those who continued to enjoin the good set a wall which parted them from the others in order to protect themselves from the punishment that will come to others. When they did not heard any voice from the other side of the wall, they saw that all the people turned into monkeys overnight!.. Even those who were saved from the torment did not recognize their relatives, the relatives who turned into monkeys recognized them. Those miserable people who faced with the torment stroll around their relatives crestfallenly for some time. When their relatives asked:
“Didn’t we dissuade you from sins by warning you?” they used to nod their heads with tearful eyes.
Three days later, all of the rebellious people who were turned into monkeys died.
Some of the scholars of the Qur’anic exegesis said:
“Those who did not fish on the forbidden day but kept silent without prohibiting or warning those who disobeyed the command are turned into monkeys with them.” In this case, the verse is one of the most intense warnings about those who do not forbid what is evil.
Almighty Allah says:
“So We made it an example to their own time and to their posterity, and a lesson to those who fear Allah.” (Al-Baqarah; 2:66)
When the Children of Israel worshipped the calf, Moses (pbuh) feared that those Muslims who did not stray from the right path but did not try hard to prevent this evil from happening would be perished as well, and he took refuge in Allah as:
“… would You destroy us for the deeds of the foolish ones among us?” (Al-Araf; 7:155)
The following hadith implies the same meaning:
“Allah the Exalted does not punish innocents for the sins of the community but with an exception for those who witness that sins are committed among them but do not prevent them despite the fact that they can.” (Ahmad, V, 192)
In our seventh hadith, we are reminded that one should not abstain from the responsibility of enjoining the good due to fear of others or by forgetting. We are informed that acting this way will put one into a belittling and despicable position.
Almighty Allah shows His messengers as examples about this and says:
“(It is the practice of those) who preach the Messages of Allah, and fear Him, and fear none but Allah. And enough is Allah to call (men) to account.” (Al-Ahzab; 33:39)
Again in the Noble Qur’an it is proudly declared that the distinguished people who love Allah and are loved by Allah are gentle and humble to believers; proud, honorable, rigorous, brave, and confident to non-believers, who can sacrifice everything in the way of Allah and who work hard and who do not fear any critic, who serve Islam ignoring the condemnation of others and seek not the consent of others but the consent of Allah. (Al-Maidah; 5:54)
Almighty Allah charged believers for correcting improper actions that they see contrary to Islam. A believer who sees that something that is prohibited by the religion is done is liable to Allah for announcing what is right and should try to stop them from the wrongdoing. If he keeps silent due to fear from condemnation of others or that something may happen to him, Almighty Allah will ask him on the Day of Judgment why he did not enjoin the good. When the faulty believer expresses that he feared others, Almighty Allah will remind him that a believer should fear Allah before everything else. For sure, a Muslim who puts himself into this situation did nothing else but making himself disgraced.[4]
Abu Said al-Hudri (r.a.) said:
The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) stood up and preached to people. Among his words, there were:
“Be careful! The fear felt towards others should not make one stop from telling the things that he knows are right!”
Abu Said (r.a.) cried after narrating this hadith and regretted that:
“I swear to Allah, we’ve seen things in this world but couldn’t say anything due to our fear.” (Tirmidhi, Fitan, 26/2191; Ibn Majah, Fitan, 20; Ahmad, III, 5)
As Almighty Allah will hold accoutable the believers who ignore the responsibility of enjoining the good, those who are left with their sins and have not been warned will get a hold of them as well.
Abu Huraira narrated:
We used to hear the following fact among the noble companions of the Messenger: On the Day of Judgment, a man gets held off by someone he does not know of and the man gets shocked and asks:
“What do you want from me? I do not even know you!”
The man who gets a hold of him proceeds against him as:
“When we were in the world, you used to see me doing wrong and evil things but did not warn and stop me.” (Munziri, at-Targhib wa al-tarhib, III, 164/3506; Rudani, Jam’ al-fawaid, V, 384)
We should also say that when enjoining the good and forbidding the evil, one must not cause some things to get worse. If correcting wrongdoings with one’s hands or words will cause something worse such as getting him or someone else killed, he should prefer to hate that evil from the heart. That is because risking one’s life knowingly is not considered permissible in our religion.
[1] Bukhari, Jum’a, 11; Istiqraz, 20; Itk, 17, 19; Wasaya, 9; Nikah, 81, 90; Ahkam, 1; Muslim, Imara, 20; Abu Dawud, Imara, 1, 13; Tirmidhi, Jihad, 27.
[2] Al-Rum; 30:41.
[3] al-Fatir; 35:18.
[4] Truly, to be embarrassed in front of all people in the Hereafter is much heavier and worse compared to the shame in this world. Indeed, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said:
“O people! Whoever has violated the right of someone should pay it back and never hesitate thinking he will be ashamed in this world! You should know well that the shame in this world fares really light compared to that of the Hereafter.” (Ibn Sa’d, II, 255; Ibn Athir, al-Kamil, II, 319; Tabari, Tarih, III, 189-190)
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