Negligence in enjoining good and forbidding evil under the pretext of freedom
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
Honorable Shaykh, some people are negligent in the matter of enjoining good and forbidding evil, claiming that it is meddling, or that it is an intrusion into personal freedom, or citing the fear of being harmed. What is your guidance?
Answer:
Enjoining good and forbidding evil is obligatory. Indeed, it is a pillar of Islam according to a group of scholars. Allah commanded it[Ali 'Imran 3:104] It is an obligatory intervention for the sake of giving advice and saving people from evil; it is an obligatory intervention and advice.
What do you say if a fire breaks out in some houses or some shops? Do we stand and remain silent, saying, "This is meddling," or do we rush to extinguish the fire and save the property and lives? Sins and transgressions are more severe than fire, O servants of Allah, more severe than fire, for they burn the religion. It is obligatory for scholars and for the men of enjoining good and forbidding evil to rush to do this. Freedom is not absolute; freedom in evil is forbidden, and it is not freedom but slavery to evil and to Satan. As for freedom in good, that is required. Yes.
Honorable Shaykh, some people are negligent in the matter of enjoining good and forbidding evil, claiming that it is meddling, or that it is an intrusion into personal freedom, or citing the fear of being harmed. What is your guidance?
Answer:
Enjoining good and forbidding evil is obligatory. Indeed, it is a pillar of Islam according to a group of scholars. Allah commanded it
And let there be [arising] from you a nation inviting to [all that is] good, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong
وَلْتَكُن مِّنكُمْ أُمَّةٌ يَدْعُونَ إِلَى الْخَيْرِ وَيَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِWhat do you say if a fire breaks out in some houses or some shops? Do we stand and remain silent, saying, "This is meddling," or do we rush to extinguish the fire and save the property and lives? Sins and transgressions are more severe than fire, O servants of Allah, more severe than fire, for they burn the religion. It is obligatory for scholars and for the men of enjoining good and forbidding evil to rush to do this. Freedom is not absolute; freedom in evil is forbidden, and it is not freedom but slavery to evil and to Satan. As for freedom in good, that is required. Yes.
Source
نعمة الإسلام — alfawzan.live (21:55)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.