The Importance of the Commission for Promoting Virtue and Prohibiting Evil
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
You know—may Allah bless you—what the men of the Commission do—may Allah help them in that—except that there is an important matter, which is the feeling of harshness in the heart. So we ask you—may Allah bless you—First: to make du'a for them, and then to direct a word to them regarding the treatment of this matter. May Allah preserve you!
I ask Allah, the Exalted and Sublime, to help us and them in what He has charged us with, which is calling to Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, and enjoining good and forbidding evil, and I ask Allah for them success.
And there is no doubt that the Commission for Promoting Virtue and Prohibiting Evil is the most beneficial of the state's institutions for the servants of Allah and in repelling corruption.And as some of the contemporary scholars express it: They are the unknown soldier whose value is not known except by his absence, and the truth is that I see them as being the most beneficial thing for the country, and that they are the most protective of security.Meaning: They are more protective of security than the regular security forces.
Because security cannot be established in the country unless the laws and rituals of Allah are established in the country, and the people are upright upon the religion of Allah.Allah, Mighty and Majestic, said: [Al-A'raf: 96].
And Allah the Exalted said: [Al-An'am: 82], so Allah coupled security with faith, [Al-An'am: 82].
And Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, informed that if there is no enjoining of good and forbidding of evil, then division will occur, and if division occurs in the Ummah, do not ask about the chaos, the hostility, and the hatred.Allah, Mighty and Majestic, says: [Al-Imran: 104-105].
So when He commanded the call to good,And regarding the enjoining of good and forbidding of evil, He said: [Al-Imran: 105], indicating that leaving off the enjoining of good and forbidding of evil and the call to Allah is a cause of division, and if the Ummah divides, do not ask about its state.
The truth is: That the Commission for Promoting Virtue and Prohibiting Evil is among the best of the state's institutions, and that it should, indeed it is obligatory, that these commissions be encouraged to establish the enjoining of good and forbidding of evil, and that they be given the authorities necessary to preserve security and repel corruption.
It is true that some of them may have strong zeal that causes them to rush in, to be harsh, and to do what they should not do; but this can be corrected.Meaning: We correct this corruption that has occurred and we keep the matter as it is.
As for the hardness of the heart, it occurs in the Commissions and in those outside the Commissions. Even a person himself, when he sits in a gathering of dhikr and admonition and softening of the heart, he feels softness and humility and the presence of the fears before us: the punishment of the grave, the Day of Resurrection, and the like. So his heart softens, then he goes out to his market, his farm, and his family, and he forgets that. But a person must always be mindful of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, with his heart and his limbs.And read the saying of Allah the Exalted:[Ali 'Imran 3:190] For whom? [Al-Imran: 190], those of understanding. So who are these people of understanding? Are they the leaders of politics? Are they the leaders of wealth? No.
[Al-Imran: 191], to the end of the descriptions mentioned by Allah.
So this is what makes the heart soften and become tender: that a person always remembers Allah, the Mighty and Majestic. It is not in the speech—the tongue—the most important thing is the heart.Mention the saying of Allah, the Exalted: [Al-Kahf: 28], He did not say: "whom We have caused to neglect his tongue from Our remembrance." Remembrance, in reality, is the remembrance of the heart.
If a person is always with Allah, remembering Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, if he stands, it is for Allah and in Allah, seeking help from Allah, the Exalted, standing in worship of Him and in fear of Him, he will find much good in this.
I ask Allah, the Exalted and Sublime, to help us and them in what He has charged us with, which is calling to Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, and enjoining good and forbidding evil, and I ask Allah for them success.
And there is no doubt that the Commission for Promoting Virtue and Prohibiting Evil is the most beneficial of the state's institutions for the servants of Allah and in repelling corruption.And as some of the contemporary scholars express it: They are the unknown soldier whose value is not known except by his absence, and the truth is that I see them as being the most beneficial thing for the country, and that they are the most protective of security.Meaning: They are more protective of security than the regular security forces.
Because security cannot be established in the country unless the laws and rituals of Allah are established in the country, and the people are upright upon the religion of Allah.Allah, Mighty and Majestic, said:
And if only the people of the cities had believed and feared Allah, We would have opened upon them blessings from the heaven and the earth; but they denied [the messengers], so We seized them for what they were earning."
وَلَوْ أَنَّ أَهْلَ الْقُرَى آمَنُوا وَاتَّقَوْا لَفَتَحْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ بَرَكَاتٍ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَلَكِنْ كَذَّبُوا فَأَخَذْنَاهُمْ بِمَا كَانُوا يَكْسِبُونَAnd Allah the Exalted said:
They who believe and do not mix their belief with injustice - those will have security
الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَلَمْ يَلْبِسُوا إِيمَانَهُمْ بِظُلْمٍ أُولَئِكَ لَهُمُ الْأَمْنُThey who believe and do not mix their belief with injustice - those will have security, and they are [rightly] guided.
الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَلَمْ يَلْبِسُوا إِيمَانَهُمْ بِظُلْمٍ أُولَئِكَ لَهُمُ الْأَمْنُ وَهُمْ مُهْتَدُونَAnd Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, informed that if there is no enjoining of good and forbidding of evil, then division will occur, and if division occurs in the Ummah, do not ask about the chaos, the hostility, and the hatred.Allah, Mighty and Majestic, says:
(104) And let there be [arising] from you a nation inviting to [all that is] good, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong, and those will be the successful. (105) And do not be like the ones who became divided and differed after the clear proofs had come to them
وَلْتَكُنْ مِنْكُمْ أُمَّةٌ يَدْعُونَ إِلَى الْخَيْرِ وَيَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ * وَلا تَكُونُوا كَالَّذِينَ تَفَرَّقُوا وَاخْتَلَفُوا مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا جَاءَهُمُ الْبَيِّنَاتُSo when He commanded the call to good,And regarding the enjoining of good and forbidding of evil, He said:
And do not be like the ones who became divided
وَلا تَكُونُوا كَالَّذِينَ تَفَرَّقُواThe truth is: That the Commission for Promoting Virtue and Prohibiting Evil is among the best of the state's institutions, and that it should, indeed it is obligatory, that these commissions be encouraged to establish the enjoining of good and forbidding of evil, and that they be given the authorities necessary to preserve security and repel corruption.
It is true that some of them may have strong zeal that causes them to rush in, to be harsh, and to do what they should not do; but this can be corrected.Meaning: We correct this corruption that has occurred and we keep the matter as it is.
As for the hardness of the heart, it occurs in the Commissions and in those outside the Commissions. Even a person himself, when he sits in a gathering of dhikr and admonition and softening of the heart, he feels softness and humility and the presence of the fears before us: the punishment of the grave, the Day of Resurrection, and the like. So his heart softens, then he goes out to his market, his farm, and his family, and he forgets that. But a person must always be mindful of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, with his heart and his limbs.And read the saying of Allah the Exalted:
Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day are signs
إِنَّ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَاخْتِلافِ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ لَآياتٍFor those of understanding
لِأُولِي الْأَلْبَابِWho remember Allah while standing or sitting or [lying] on their sides and give thought to the creation of the heavens and the earth, [saying], "Our Lord, You did not create this aimlessly; exalted are You [above such a thing]; then protect us from the punishment of the Fire.
الَّذِينَ يَذْكُرُونَ اللَّهَ قِيَاماً وَقُعُوداً وَعَلَى جُنُوبِهِمْ وَيَتَفَكَّرُونَ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ رَبَّنَا مَا خَلَقْتَ هَذَا بَاطِلاً سُبْحَانَكَ فَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِSo this is what makes the heart soften and become tender: that a person always remembers Allah, the Mighty and Majestic. It is not in the speech—the tongue—the most important thing is the heart.Mention the saying of Allah, the Exalted:
and do not obey one whose heart We have made heedless of Our remembrance and who follows his desire
وَلا تُطِعْ مَنْ أَغْفَلْنَا قَلْبَهُ عَنْ ذِكْرِنَا وَاتَّبَعَ هَوَاهُIf a person is always with Allah, remembering Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, if he stands, it is for Allah and in Allah, seeking help from Allah, the Exalted, standing in worship of Him and in fear of Him, he will find much good in this.