The Criterion for Inability in Forbidding Evil in Its Three Ranks

Question:
May Allah reward you and bless you. A number of questions have reached us, the first of which is: The questioner asks, “What is the criterion for inability to forbid evil in its three levels?”

Answer:
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: As for if you know nothing and see nothing, do not search, do not search. But if you see it, forbidding it becomes obligatory upon you, and the forbidding is according to one’s ability. If one is able to remove the evil with his hand and his authority, let him do so. This is for the one in authority and the men of the Hisbah (public order) to whom the one in authority has delegated this. If you have no authority and no hand, then you forbid it with your tongue through admonition, advice, explanation, and reporting to the rulers what is happening so that they may remove it, by writing to the rulers or speaking to them face-to-face about what occurs until they address it. It is not necessary that you go to the great one in authority.
The holders of authority below him, the governors, the bodies, the men of Hisbah, you report to them. This is forbidding with the tongue. Do not say, “It is not my responsibility; they know, and they are the responsible ones.” No, you are also responsible according to your ability, and no one prevents you. No one prevents you from forbidding with your tongue. You say, “This is not permissible, this is evil, leave it, fear Allah,” and so on. This is if you have knowledge. You have knowledge, but you do not have authority, so you spread your knowledge.
And if you have no authority and no knowledge, then you should disapprove of the evil in your heart only, and you should withdraw from the people of evil and the place of evil, keeping your distance from it. As for , as for the one who does not disapprove of the evil, not with his hand, not with his tongue, and not with his heart, then he is not one who does wrong. . Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, said regarding the hypocrites: There is no faith in their hearts, and therefore they do not disapprove of the evil; rather, they command its opposite. They command it; they do not disapprove of the evil, but rather they command it. They command the evil, and may Allah protect us from that, and they forbid what is right. This is the characteristic of the hypocrites. Yes.

The presenter:
May Allah reward you,