Text copied Link copied

Al-Fatawa – home

﴿ فَاسْأَلُوا أَهْلَ الذِّكْرِ إِن كُنتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ ﴾

Scholar
Search mode

Is changing evil by force a right for everyone?

Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Q: Is enjoining good and forbidding evil, specifically changing evil by force, a right for everyone, or is it a conditional right belonging to the one in authority and those whom the one in authority appoints?

A: Changing evil is for everyone according to their ability; because the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
He who amongst you sees something abominable should modify it with the help of his hand; and if he has not strength enough to do it, then he should do it with his tongue, and if he has not strength enough to do it, (even) then he should (abhor it) from his heart, and that is the least of faith.من رأى منكم منكرًا فليغيره بيده، فإن لم يستطع فبلسانه، فإن لم يستطع فبقلبه، وذلك أضعف الإيمان
Sahih Muslim 49a
However, changing evil by force must be done with the capacity that it does not lead to greater corruption and more evil. So, let him change by force in his home: over his children, his wife, and his servants, and so on. Likewise, the employee in the specialized authority who has been given powers changes by force according to the instructions he has. Otherwise, he does not change anything by force in which he has no authority; because if he changes by force in matters that do not fall under his authority, it leads to what is more evil, and it leads to much affliction and great evil between him and the people, and between him and the state. But he must change by the tongue, such as saying: "Fear Allah, so-and-so, this is not permissible," "This is forbidden for you," "This is obligatory for you." He explains to him with the evidence of the Shari'ah by the tongue.
As for by force, it is in the place of ability, in his home, or over those under his control, or over those whom the ruler has authorized him to enjoin good, such as the authorities that the ruler commands and gives powers to. They change according to the extent of the powers given to them in the manner prescribed by Allah, without exceeding it. And so, the leader of the country changes by force according to the instructions he has.
Source binbaz.org.sa

The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.

Similar fatwas