The Criterion for Changing Evil
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The questioner: In the hadith of Abu Sa'id, which al-Bukhari narrated, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever among you sees an evil...
...is it? Is the hadith on the basis of choice or on the basis of sequence? And if it is on the basis of sequence, what is the criterion for moving from one stage of disapproval to another?The Shaykh: Read the hadith in order to know.
The questioner: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said: "Whoever among you sees an evil, let him change it with his hand, and if he cannot, then with his tongue, and if he cannot, then with his heart, and that is the weakest of faith".
The Shaykh: Is this a sequence or a choice?The questioner: A sequence.
The Shaykh: So it is on the basis of sequence.
The questioner: Because some people think that the embarrassment that may result for them from disapproving of evil, such as disapproving to a girl...
The Shaykh: No, look, may Allah reward you, disapproving of evil is not the same as changing it. Changing it is only for an authority,For example, I say to the person: This is a mistake, it is forbidden, it is evil, but I am not able to change it. For example, if he has a rabab, I disapprove of it in him. This is why the command to enjoin good and forbid evil did not come restricted by ability. But I cannot change it. Am I able to break it? I am not able. So we must not confuse matters. Disapproving of evil is not the same as changing evil.And so we say in our present time: When desires multiplied and ignorance multiplied, there is no changing of evil by hand except by one who has authority.
This is the criterion. You do not have the right to change evil by hand. And this is because in our present time, when desire and ignorance have prevailed, the one who thinks may think that this is evil when it is not evil. There are people who are extreme now; everything is evil to them, everything is a religious innovation to them. If we let these people run wild, what corruption will occur? There will occur corruption that only the Lord of creation knows.
Glory be to You, O Allah, our Lord, and praise be to You, I testify that there is no god but You, I seek Your forgiveness and I repent to You.
...is it? Is the hadith on the basis of choice or on the basis of sequence? And if it is on the basis of sequence, what is the criterion for moving from one stage of disapproval to another?The Shaykh: Read the hadith in order to know.
The questioner: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said: "Whoever among you sees an evil, let him change it with his hand, and if he cannot, then with his tongue, and if he cannot, then with his heart, and that is the weakest of faith".
The Shaykh: Is this a sequence or a choice?The questioner: A sequence.
The Shaykh: So it is on the basis of sequence.
The questioner: Because some people think that the embarrassment that may result for them from disapproving of evil, such as disapproving to a girl...
The Shaykh: No, look, may Allah reward you, disapproving of evil is not the same as changing it. Changing it is only for an authority,For example, I say to the person: This is a mistake, it is forbidden, it is evil, but I am not able to change it. For example, if he has a rabab, I disapprove of it in him. This is why the command to enjoin good and forbid evil did not come restricted by ability. But I cannot change it. Am I able to break it? I am not able. So we must not confuse matters. Disapproving of evil is not the same as changing evil.And so we say in our present time: When desires multiplied and ignorance multiplied, there is no changing of evil by hand except by one who has authority.
This is the criterion. You do not have the right to change evil by hand. And this is because in our present time, when desire and ignorance have prevailed, the one who thinks may think that this is evil when it is not evil. There are people who are extreme now; everything is evil to them, everything is a religious innovation to them. If we let these people run wild, what corruption will occur? There will occur corruption that only the Lord of creation knows.
Glory be to You, O Allah, our Lord, and praise be to You, I testify that there is no god but You, I seek Your forgiveness and I repent to You.