Chapter: On Commanding Good and Forbidding Evil

باب الامر بالمعروف — نیکی یا معروف بات کے حکم دینے کے بارے میں

بَابُ الْأَمْرِ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَالنَّهْيِ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ — Commanding Good, Forbidding Evil

فَاصْدَعْ بِمَا تُؤْمَرُ وَأَعْرِضْ عَنِ الْمُشْرِكِينَ

"So proclaim what you are commanded and turn away from the polytheists." (Al-Hijr, 15:94)

كُنتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ تَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ وَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ

"You are the best community produced for mankind. You enjoin what is right, forbid what is wrong, and believe in Allah." (Al-Imran, 3:110). The author explains: The Muslim community's distinction as the 'best community' (khayr ummah) is tied to the fulfilment of this duty. When Muslims abandon commanding good and forbidding evil, they lose their distinctive merit and fail their divine mandate.

The author discusses the conditions and etiquette of this duty: it must be done with wisdom, compassion, knowledge of the ruling, and assessment of probable benefit. Condemning wrong with the tongue is obligatory when the heart alone is insufficient; yet one should begin with the gentlest means and escalate only when necessary. The purpose is always reform, not humiliation.

عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ: مَنْ رَأَى مِنكُمْ مُنكَرًا فَلْيُغَيِّرْهُ بِيَدِهِ فَإِنْ لَّمْ يَسْتَطِعْ فَبِلِسَانِهِ فَإِنْ لَّمْ يَسْتَطِعْ فَبِقَلْبِهِ وَذَلِكَ أَضْعَفُ الْإِيمَانِ

Narrated by Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him): I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) say: 'Whoever among you sees an evil, let him change it with his hand; if he is unable, then with his tongue; if he is unable, then with his heart — and that is the weakest of faith.' (Muslim)

عَنْ عُرْسِ بْنِ عَمِيرَةَ الْكِنْدِيِّ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: إِذَا عُمِلَتِ الْخَطِيئَةُ فِي الْأَرْضِ كَانَ مَن شَهِدَهَا فَأَنْكَرَهَا كَمَنْ غَابَ عَنْهَا وَمَنْ غَابَ عَنْهَا فَرَضِيَهَا كَانَ كَمَن شَهِدَهَا

Narrated by 'Urs ibn 'Amira al-Kindi (may Allah be pleased with him): The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: 'When a sin is committed on earth, whoever witnesses it and denounces it is like one who was not there; and whoever was absent but consented to it is like one who witnessed it.' (Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi)