Is it known that there are many instances of evil in the cities, while the committed youth remain silent on the grounds that the Committee for Promoting Virtue and Preventing Vice exists?
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The questioner : Peace be upon you.
As Your Eminence knows, and as everyone knows, there are some apparent instances of evil, especially in the large cities and the trials present in them. It has been difficult for many to understand how to forbid evil, and whether it is limited to the men of the Committee for Promoting Virtue and Preventing Vice. Most of the committed youth, may Allah guide them, do not perform the duty of forbidding evil on the grounds that this duty is lifted from them because the men of the Committee exist. Some do not forbid evil on the grounds of fear of making a mistake and being held accountable. Therefore, O Shaykh, the instances of evil are increasing day by day, and Allah is the One to be sought for help. What is your opinion?
The Shaykh : My opinion is that this, namely enjoining good and forbidding evil, is a collective obligation. If a sufficient number of people perform it, it is lifted from the people. If a sufficient number do not perform it, it becomes obligatory for the people to enjoin good and forbid evil. However, it must be done with wisdom, gentleness, and softness, for Allah (Mighty and Majestic) sent Musa and Harun to Pharaoh and said:[Taha 20:44].
As for violence, whether in the manner of speech or action, this contradicts wisdom and is contrary to what Allah commanded. However, sometimes a person encounters something and says: This is a well-known instance of evil, such as shaving the beard, for example. Everyone knows that it is forbidden, especially the citizens of this country. He says: If I were to stop and forbid this whenever I see a man shaving his beard, and there are many of them, I would miss out on many benefits. In this case, we might say that the duty to forbid it is lifted from him, because he would miss out on many benefits for himself. But if, for example, you happen to meet this man in a shop, a restaurant, or a cafe, then it is good to warn him of Allah and say: This is a forbidden matter. And if you persist in this minor sin, it becomes a major sin in your case. And say what is appropriate. As for the fear of being violent in enjoining and forbidding, that is up to the person. A person is able to enjoin with gentleness and forbid with gentleness.
The questioner : He says, "There are men of the Committee for Promoting Virtue and Preventing Vice?"
The Shaykh : The men of the Committee for Promoting Virtue and Preventing Vice are not in every place. This is why we said it is a collective obligation. If a sufficient number of people perform it, it is lifted from the people. If they do not perform it, it becomes obligatory for the people. This is different from changing evil, because there are three matters: calling, enjoining, and changing.
Calling is obligatory upon everyone. It is obligatory upon everyone to call to Allah by presenting Islam and encouraging it, and warning against associating partners with Allah and open sinfulness. Enjoining is to address a specific person and say: Do such and such, or forbidding: Do not do such and such directly.
And changing is that you yourself change the evil.
Therefore, the command to call to Allah came in an absolute form. Allah the Exalted said: The command to enjoin good and forbid evil came in an absolute form. And the command to change evil came with a condition, and He said: Sahih Muslim 49a Some people are confused by these states. They think that the command to change evil is like the command to enjoin good and forbid evil, but that is not the case. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) distinguished between them. Indeed, he distinguished between all three of these. So if we do not find, for example, someone who enjoins good and forbids evil, it becomes obligatory for us to enjoin good and forbid evil. But if we direct the command to a specific person, his enjoining of good or forbidding of evil becomes known. However, if we stand, for example, in this community or this gathering and we speak about the sin that this man is committing, this falls under the category of calling to Allah.
As Your Eminence knows, and as everyone knows, there are some apparent instances of evil, especially in the large cities and the trials present in them. It has been difficult for many to understand how to forbid evil, and whether it is limited to the men of the Committee for Promoting Virtue and Preventing Vice. Most of the committed youth, may Allah guide them, do not perform the duty of forbidding evil on the grounds that this duty is lifted from them because the men of the Committee exist. Some do not forbid evil on the grounds of fear of making a mistake and being held accountable. Therefore, O Shaykh, the instances of evil are increasing day by day, and Allah is the One to be sought for help. What is your opinion?
The Shaykh : My opinion is that this, namely enjoining good and forbidding evil, is a collective obligation. If a sufficient number of people perform it, it is lifted from the people. If a sufficient number do not perform it, it becomes obligatory for the people to enjoin good and forbid evil. However, it must be done with wisdom, gentleness, and softness, for Allah (Mighty and Majestic) sent Musa and Harun to Pharaoh and said:
And speak to him with gentle speech that perhaps he may be reminded or fear [Allah]."
قُولا لَهُ قَوْلاً لَيِّناً لَعَلَّهُ يَتَذَكَّرُ أَوْ يَخْشَىAs for violence, whether in the manner of speech or action, this contradicts wisdom and is contrary to what Allah commanded. However, sometimes a person encounters something and says: This is a well-known instance of evil, such as shaving the beard, for example. Everyone knows that it is forbidden, especially the citizens of this country. He says: If I were to stop and forbid this whenever I see a man shaving his beard, and there are many of them, I would miss out on many benefits. In this case, we might say that the duty to forbid it is lifted from him, because he would miss out on many benefits for himself. But if, for example, you happen to meet this man in a shop, a restaurant, or a cafe, then it is good to warn him of Allah and say: This is a forbidden matter. And if you persist in this minor sin, it becomes a major sin in your case. And say what is appropriate. As for the fear of being violent in enjoining and forbidding, that is up to the person. A person is able to enjoin with gentleness and forbid with gentleness.
The questioner : He says, "There are men of the Committee for Promoting Virtue and Preventing Vice?"
The Shaykh : The men of the Committee for Promoting Virtue and Preventing Vice are not in every place. This is why we said it is a collective obligation. If a sufficient number of people perform it, it is lifted from the people. If they do not perform it, it becomes obligatory for the people. This is different from changing evil, because there are three matters: calling, enjoining, and changing.
Calling is obligatory upon everyone. It is obligatory upon everyone to call to Allah by presenting Islam and encouraging it, and warning against associating partners with Allah and open sinfulness. Enjoining is to address a specific person and say: Do such and such, or forbidding: Do not do such and such directly.
And changing is that you yourself change the evil.
Therefore, the command to call to Allah came in an absolute form. Allah the Exalted said: