The Evil Consequences of Neglecting to Enjoin Good and Forbid Evil

08/04/2015| IslamWeb

Muslims who neglect enjoining good and forbidding evil hold this corrupted saying as a pretext, "Leave the creation for Allah The Almighty to judge them; I am not responsible for all human beings", and the like.

In one of his speeches, after praising Allah The Almighty, Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, said, “O people, you read this verse often:{“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 you return all together; then He will inform you of what you used to do. ”} [Quran 5:105] However, you have misunderstood it. I heard the Messenger of Allah say: “If acts of disobedience are done among any people and they do not change them even though they are able to do so, Allah will soon smite them all with punishment.”[Ahmad, Abu Daawood, An-Nasaa’i, Al-Tirmithi and Ibn Maajah] [Saheeh]

 

Enjoining good and forbidding evil has different degrees; the first of which is abhorrence of the wrongdoing. Only a pious Muslim’s heart would shiver to know about an evildoing that is being committed. Then, a Muslim should advise the wrongdoer to quit his misdeed, and if the wrongdoer does not respond, then a Muslim has to try modifying the misdeed with his hands, if he is able to. On the other hand, some scholars believe that the correct order of these levels is to modify the wrongdoing with the hand, then with speaking out, then with the heart. However, one cannot modify a misdeed with his hands unless he, in his heart, abhors it first, Abhorring a wrongdoing is the least degree of forbidding evil, and if the wrongdoer does not stop, then a Muslim should leave the place where the misdeed is being committed.       

It is wrong for a Muslim to say, “As long as I have disapproved of the wrongdoing, I can stay where the wrongdoing is being committed." In fact, by doing so, such a Muslim is actually following his own desires.

To Muslims who act in such a way we say that were they to abhor the wrongdoing, they would leave the place just as they would do if someone cursed them or their father; they would either defend themselves or their father or leave that place immediately.

However, it should be noted that there is a significant difference between disapproving of a wrongdoing and self-assertion; it is not necessary that the wrongdoer should obey his advisor and give up his misdeed. If a Muslim woman fulfills her role and reproves such misdeeds and leaves the place where they are happening; she would have absolved herself of all blame or punishment and only then would she have duly accomplished her mission as she cannot control others. Allah The Exalted says (what means):{"You are not over them a controller.”}[Quran 88:22] but not before that.

The devil misleads people to say, "Corruption has prevailed, enjoining good and forbidding evil will be in vain… we cannot reform others” and so on.

Sufyaan Ath-Thawri was once asked, “Should one advise someone whom he is certain would not accept his advice?" Sufyaan Ath-Thawrii answered, “Yes, he should, and let it be a means of absolving himself of potential punishment and blame of Allah The Exalted”, meaning that one should fulfill his duty at any rate and at least he would absolve himself.

Also, the devil misleads a Muslim to say to himself, “A wrongdoer and as negligent as I am; how could I enjoin good and forbid evil?”

Sa‘eed bin Jubayr, said, “If no Muslims enjoined good and forbade evil until they have duly reformed themselves, no one would enjoin good or forbid evil.”

Al-Hasan Al-Basri said to Mutarrif bin ‘Abdullaah, “Advise your friends.” He replied, "I am afraid that I would be advising them to do what I do not do myself.” Al-Hasan Al-Basri replied, “May Allah have mercy upon you!  Who does what he says? Satan would love all Muslims to give up enjoining good and forbidding evil.” 

If Muslims did not advise the wrongdoers, who would, now that the Prophet, , is not with us anymore?   

Examples of how women can enjoin good and forbid evil:

• If a Muslim woman sees another wearing Niqaab (face cover) or gloves during performing Tawaaf (circumambulation), she should advise her and tell her that the Prophet, , said:"A woman in Ihraam (sacral state) should wear neither Niqaab nor gloves.” [Al-Bukhari] 
• If a Muslim woman sees another woman wearing a cloak over her shoulders, she should advise her that it is an act of imitating men, which is prohibited in Islam, as the Prophet, , cursed women who imitate men, according to a narration by Al-Bukhari.
• If she sees another woman who depilates her facial hair, she should advise her not to do that and clarify to her that the Prophet, , cursed women who do so.
• If she sees another woman who extends her hair or wears a wig, she should advise her not to do such a thing.
• If she sees another woman wearing a tight or revealing outfit or trousers, even if among other women, she ought to advise her that such an outfit is what the Prophet, , referred to in this Hadeeth (narration): “Two are the types of the denizens of Hell whom I have not [yet] seen (in life):[…] And women are dressed yet naked, who would be inclined (to evil) and make [others] incline [to it]. Their heads are like the inclined humps of camels. They will not enter Paradise and they would not smell its fragrance whereas its fragrance would be smelt at such and such a distance.”[Muslim]

   

Thus, Muslim women should enjoin each other to do what is good and forbid one another from doing what is evil. Furthermore, they should leniently and politely advise their fathers, siblings, and husbands as well. 

This exchange of advice is the secret to success as Allah The Exalted explains in Soorat Al-‘Asr which reads (what means):{"By time,* Indeed, mankind is in loss,*Except for those who have believed and done righteous deeds and advised each other to truth and advised each other to patience. ”} [Quran 103:1-3]

 We would be ineffectual if we did not enjoin good and forbid evil; if we did not enjoin each other to do what is good and forbid each other from doing what is evil. Allah The Almighty cursed the Children of Israel for abandoning enjoining good and forbidding evil; Allah The Exalted Says (what means):

{"Cursed were those who disbelieved among the Children of Israel by the tongue of David and of Jesus, the son of Mary. That was because they disobeyed and [habitually] transgressed.* They used not to prevent one another from wrongdoing that they did. How wretched was that which they were doing. ”} [Quran 5:72-73]

Allah The Exalted also says (what means):

       {“And you see many of them hastening into sin and aggression and the devouring of [what is] unlawful. How wretched is what they have been doing.* Why do the rabbis and religious scholars not forbid them from saying what is sinful and devouring what is unlawful? How wretched is what they have been practicing.”} [Quran 5:62-63]

 

The Prophet, , said:“Any people  among whom acts of disobedience are committed and they are able to make a change (i.e., reformation) yet do not make a change, Allah will smite them with punishment before they die.” [Ahmad and others] [Saheeh] 

The previous narration proves that a silent witness of a wrongdoing is even worse than the wrongdoer himself; because by abstaining from disapproving the misdeed and advising the wrongdoer, he is actually encouraging him as well as other wrongdoers to continue committing wrongdoings. If people leniently forbade evil and advised the wrongdoers to quit abominable conduct, no wrongdoing would prevail.