The Role of Women in the Obligation of Enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil

Question:
This brother, 'Abd al-'Aziz Abu 'Umar from Riyadh, sent a set of questions. We begin this episode with his first question, and he says: Women are the counterparts of men, so could you please clarify, Honorable Shaykh, and explain—may Allah forgive us and you—the role of women in the system of accountability regarding enjoining good and forbidding evil?

Answer:
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds. May Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his Companions. There is no doubt that the obligation of enjoining good and forbidding evil is general for both men and women. Allah the Exalted said: ... they establish prayer, pay zakah, and obey Allah and His Messenger. Those are the ones whom Allah will have mercy upon. Indeed, Allah is Mighty and Wise. So it is obligatory for a woman to enjoin good and forbid evil within the scope of what she is able to do, in her home with her children, with the women who come to her, with her female colleagues in the school where she teaches, and with her sisters at gatherings and women’s assemblies. Nowadays, there are many wrongdoings among women. It is a great obligation upon a woman to rebuke her sisters, to rebuke within the circle of women, and to rebuke her children as well. It is her obligation according to her specific capacity and her ability. Yes.