BENEFIT 55: Important points related to enjoining good and forbidding evil

● What is the ruling on enjoining good and forbidding evil? Imām An-Nawawi raḥimahullāh said: «إن الأمر بالمعروف والنهي عن المنكر فرض كفاية إذا قام به بعض الناس سقط الحرج عن الباقين، وإذا تركه الجميع أثم كل من تمكن منه بلا عذر ولا خوف، ثم إنه قد يتعين كما إذا كان في موضع لا يعلم به إلا هو، أو لا يتمكن من إزالته إلا هو كمن يرى زوجته أو ولده أو غلامه على منكر أو تقصير في المعروف» “Enjoining good and forbidding evil is a communal obligation. If some people carry it out, the burden is removed from the rest, but if everyone abandons it, then everyone who is able to do it is sinful if they have no excuse or fear not. And in some cases it may be obligatory on an individual basis, like if someone is faced with a situation that only he knows about, or no one else is able to carry it out except him, like someone who sees his wife, child, or servant committing an evil act or neglecting good deeds.” The evidence to prove that this is a communal obligation is the statement of Allah ﷻ: ﴿وَلْتَكُنْ مِنْكُمْ أُمَّةٌ يَدْعُونَ إِلَى الْخَيْرِ وَيَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُون﴾ “Let there be a group among you who call to goodness, encourage what is good, and forbid what is evil—it is they who will be successful.” [Sūrah Āli-ʿImrān: 104] The evidence to prove that it may be obligatory on an individual basis is the statement of the Prophet ﷺ: ((مَن رأى منكم منكراً فليغيره بيده، فإن لم يستطع فبلسانه، فإن لم يستطع فبقلبه؛ وذلك أضعف الإيمان)) “Whoever amongst you sees an evil then 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 that is the weakest form of Ēmān.” [Reported by Muslim] ● Requirements for enjoining good and forbidding evil: 1. Knowledge "Good" is what the Shari’ah has determined to be good, and "evil" is what the Shari’ah has determined to be evil. So before anyone undertakes this task of enjoining good and forbidding evil, they have to know that the matter they are calling others to is good before enjoining it, or evil before forbidding it. Allāh ﷻ said: {قُلۡ هَـٰذِهِۦ سَبِیلِیۤ أَدۡعُوۤا۟ إِلَى ٱللَّهِۚ عَلَىٰ بَصِیرَةٍ أَنَا۠ وَمَنِ ٱتَّبَعَنِی} “Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “This is my way. I invite to Allah with insight (i.e. Knowledge) —I and those who follow me.” [Sūrah Yūsuf: 108] Imām An-Nawawi raḥimahullāh explained that people vary in this affair depending on their level: إنما يأمر وينهى من كان عالما بما يأمر به وينهى عنه ، وذلك يختلف باختلاف الشيء ، فإن كان من الواجبات الظاهرة والمحرمات المشهورة ، كالصلاة ، والصيام ، والزنا ، والخمر ، ونحوها ، فكل المسلمين علماء بها. وإن كان من دقائق الأفعال والأقوال ، ومما يتعلق بالاجتهاد ، لم يكن للعوام مدخل فيه ، ولا لهم إنكاره ، بل ذلك للعلماء. “Enjoining good and forbidding evil is limited to those who have knowledge relating to what they are commanding with and forbidding, and this varies depending on the matter at hand. If it is from the clear obligations and well-known prohibitions, such as prayer, fasting, adultery, alcohol, and the like, the all Muslims are knowledgeable in this regard. But if it is from the intricate acts or utterances, which are related to ijtihad, the common people have no say in this, nor do they have the right to forbid it. Rather, that is for the people of knowledge.” [Sharh Muslim (2/ 23)] The requirement of knowledge is crucial as ’Umar ibn ’Abdil Azeez raḥimahullāh said: من عمل بغير علم كان ما يفسد أكثر مما يصلح. “Whoever acts without knowledge will do more harm than good.” [Muṣannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah (7/175)] 2. He needs to know the condition of the person he is addressing: Is he/she religiously accountable? If he sees someone and doubts if they are accountable or not, he should not enjoin good or forbid evil until he finds out. 3. Is the matter applicable to the person being addressed? For example, if he sees a person entering the masjid and then sitting down and he doubts whether he has prayed two rak’ahs or not,