ON COMMANDING GOOD AND PROHIBITING EVIL

Anas ibn Mâlik narrates that the Messenger of Allâh said: “The person who sends one salutation to me, Allâh creates from the breath of the person a white cloud. Allâh then commands it to take from the ocean of mercy. It takes thereof and Allâh then commands it to rain down [the mercy]. It then rains down. Whichever drop falls on land, Allâh creates gold from there. Whichever drop falls on a mountain, Allâh creates silver from there. Whichever drop falls on an unbeliever, Allâh blesses him with îmân.”

Allâh says: “You are the best of nations, appointed for mankind.” [48] Al-Kalbî said: “This verse explains the position of thisummah in its virtue over other nations. In it is proof that this Islamic nation is the best of nations without exception. And that this superiority is shared by the early members of this ummah and by the latter members when compared to other nations. Even though there may be differences in status within this ummah as mentioned with regard to the higher status of the Sahâbah y over others. The meaning of the word “appointed” is that this ummah has been appointed for the benefit and welfare of mankind in all eras to the extent that it is distinguished and recognized in this regard. The verse continues: “you command good, you prohibit evil, and you believe in Allâh.” This sentence explains why they are the best of nations and that they will remain so as long as they uphold these qualities. Allâh thus made them the best of nations for the nations because they command good, they prohibit evil, and they fight the unbelievers so that they may believe. So their benefit goes to others. Just as the Messenger ofAllâh said: “The best of people is he who benefits people. And the worst of people is he who harms people.” The words “you believe in Allâh” mean that you affirm the oneness of Allâh , you remain steadfast on this, and that you affirm that Muhammad is the Prophet of Allâh . This is because the person who does not believe in Muhammad actually does not believe in Allâh because he alleges that the miraculous signs which he brought were from his own side [and not from Allâh ].

The Messenger of Allâh said: “Whoever from among you sees an evil should change it with his hand. If he is unable to do so, then with his tongue. If he is unable to do so, then with his heart. And this is the weakest stage of îmân.” In other words, it is the weakest act of the believers. Some scholars are of the opinion that the duty of changing evil with the hand [physical power] rests with the rulers. With the tongue, with the 'ulamâ’. And with the heart, with the masses. Others state that whoever is able to change the evil in whatever way, that becomes incumbent upon him. Allâh says: “Help each other in good deeds and in piety. Do not help each other in sin and oppression.” [49] Among the ways of helping each other is to prompt others towards good, to make easy the ways of goodness, and to block the ways of evil and enmity to the best of one’s ability. The Messenger of Allâh said: “Allâh fills with peace and îmân the heart of a person who reprimands another who commits an innovation. Allâh will give sanctuary on the day of resurrection to the person who disgraces another who commits an innovation. The person who commands good and prohibits evil is the deputy of Allâh on earth, the deputy of His Book and the deputy of His Messenger .”

Hudhayfah is reported to have said: “There will come upon the people a time when the dead body of a donkey would be more beloved to them than a believer who commands them and prohibits them.” Mûsâ asked: “O my Sustainer! What is the reward of the person who invites his fellow brother, commands him to do good and prohibits him from evil?” Allâh replied: “I will record in his favour one year’s of worship for every word that he uttered and I would feel ashamed to punish him with My fire.” It is stated in a Hadîth Qudsî that Allâh said: “O man! Do not be a person who delays repentance, has high hopes and returns in the hereafter without any [good] deeds. He speaks as though he is a great worshipper [of Allâh ] while his deeds are those of hypocrites. When he is bestowed with bounties, he is not content. When bounties are withheld from him, he is not patient. He loves the righteous people but is not among them. He abhors the hypocrites but is among them. He commands good but does not do it himself. He prohibits evil but does not abstain from it himself.”

‘Alî says that he heard the Messenger of Allâh saying: “Towards the end of time such people will come who will be young in age and deficient in intelligence. They will utter the best of words which do not even go beyond their throats. They will deviate from Islam just as an arrow deviates from its target.”

The Messenger of Allâh said: “On the night when I was taken up to the heavens [the night of mi‘râj], I saw people whose lips were being cut off with scissors of fire. I asked: ‘Who are these people, O Jibra’îl?’ He replied: ‘These are the orators [and lecturers] from your ummah who command the people to do good while they forget their own selves.’ Allâh says: “Do you order the people to piety and forget yourselves, while you read the Book? Then why do you not think?” [50] In other words, you recite the Book of Allâh but you do not act on what is in it. They used to order the people to give in charity while they themselves did not give in charity. It is therefore the duty of the believers to command good and prohibit evil without forgetting their own selves. Allâh says: “The believing men and the believing women are helpers of each other. They enjoin the good and prohibit the evil, they establish salâh…”[51] Allâh describes the believers in this verse as being those who command good. So the person who abstains from commanding good is out of this group of believers who are described in this verse. Allâh rebukes those who abstain from commanding good. He says: “They would not prevent one another from the evil which they committed. How evil is that which they were doing!” [52]

It is narrated on the authority of Abû Dardâ’ who said: “You should certainly command good and certainly prohibit evil, or else, Allâh will empower over you an oppressive ruler who neither respects your elders nor shows mercy to your youngsters. Your best people will supplicate to Allâh but their supplications will not be answered. They will ask for help, but no help will be given to them. They will ask for forgiveness, but they will not be forgiven.”

‘Â’ishah radiyallâhu 'anhâ narrates that the Messenger of Allâh said: “Allâh inflicted a punishment on a village in which there were 18 000 people who did [good] deeds like Prophets.” The Companions asked: “Why was this so, O Messenger of Allâh?” He replied: “They would not become angry for the sake of Allâh [when His commands were disobeyed], they did not command good and abstained from prohibiting evil.” Abû Dharr al-Ghifârî says that Abû Bakr said: “O Messenger of Allâh! Is there any jihâd apart from fighting the polytheists?” The Messenger of Allâh replied: “Yes, O Abû Bakr! Allâh has on earth muhâhidînwho are better than martyrs who are alive and provided with sustenance from Allâh . They walk on the surface of the earth whileAllâh boasts about them before the angels of Paradise. Paradise is adorned for them just as Umme Salamah beautifies herself for the Messenger of Allâh.” Abû Bakr asked: “O Messenger of Allâh! Who are these people?” He replied: “They are the ones who command good, prohibit evil, who love for the sake of Allâh and hate for the sake of Allâh .” The Messenger of Allâh then said: “I take an oath in the name of that being in whose control is my life, that such a person will be in a room above other rooms, above the rooms of the martyrs. Each room will have 300 doors made of sapphires and green emeralds. Each door will have a special light. The person will marry 300 000 maidens of Paradise (hûrs) who would lower their gazes. Each time he turns to one of them and looks at her, she will say to him: ‘Do you remember such and such day in which you commanded good and prohibited evil?’ Each time he turns to one of them, she will remind him of the place in which he commanded good and prohibited evil.”

It is stated in a Tradition that Allâh said: “O Mûsâ! Did you ever do any deed for My sake?” Mûsâ replied: “I offered salâh for You, I kept fast for You, I gave in charity for Your sake, I prostrated before You, I praised You, I recited Your Book and I remembered You.” Allâh said: “O Mûsâ! As for the salâh, it is a proof for you. As for fasting, it is a shield for you. As for charity, you shall receive shade for that. As for glorifying Me, you shall receive trees in Paradise for that. As for your reciting My Book, you shall receive the maidens of Paradise and palaces for that. As for remembering Me, you shall receive illumination for that. Now what have you done solely for Me?” Mûsâ replied: “O my Sustainer! Show me a deed which I can do solely for You.”Allâh replied: “O Mûsâ! Have you ever befriended a friend solely for Me? Have you ever considered someone to be an enemy solely for Me?” Mûsâ thus realized that the greatest of deeds is loving solely for the pleasure of Allâh and hating his enemies solely for the pleasure of Allâh.

Abû ‘Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrâh said: “I asked, O Messenger of Allâh! Which martyr is the most honourable in the sight of Allâh ?” He replied: “A person who stands before an unjust ruler and commands him to do good and prohibits him from evil. [On hearing this], the unjust ruler kills him. If he does not kill him, his deeds are not recorded as long as he lives.”

Al-Hasan al-Basrî rahmatullâhi 'alayh said that the Messenger of Allâh said: “The best martyr from my ummah is a person who stands before an unjust ruler and commands him to do good and prohibits him from evil, and so he kills him for that. The position of such a martyr is in Paradise between Hamzah and Ja‘far .”

Allâh inspired to Yûsha‘ ibn Nûn saying to him: “I am going to destroy 40 000 of the best people from your nation and 60 000 of the worst people from your nation.” He replied: “O my Sustainer! It is understood if you destroy the worst ones. But what is wrong with the best ones [that You are destroying them]?” Allâh replied: “They did not get angry for My sake. Instead they used to eat and drink with these evil ones [without prohibiting them from their evil].”

Anas relates: “We asked: ‘O Messenger of Allâh! Should we not command good only when we ourselves act on all good deeds first? And should we not prohibit evil only when we ourselves abstain from all evil deeds firsts?” The Messenger of Allâh replied: “You should command good even if you do not practice on all of it yourselves. And you should prohibit evil even if you do not abstain from all of it yourselves.”

A person advised his sons with the following: “If any of you decides to command good, he should habituate himself to remain patient and rely on Allâh for reward. This is because the person who relies on Allâh for reward, he will not feel any pain and difficulty.”