The Correct Method of Enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil

Q: What is the correct method of enjoining good and forbidding evil? And what is the wisdom intended in such a station?

A: This is a great question worthy of attention; because enjoining good and forbidding evil is among the most important obligations and among the obligatory duties of Islam, and because carrying this out by those of knowledge, faith, and insight is among the greatest causes for the rectification of society and its safety from the punishment of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He), and its uprightness upon the straight path. For this reason, He (Glorified and Exalted is He) says: [Al Imran: 110] Thus He made them the best of nations because of these good deeds.
And He (Glorified and Exalted is He) said: [Al Imran: 104] Thus Allah described them with success for this great matter: their calling to good, their enjoining of what is right, and their forbidding of what is wrong. Thus He made them successful by their good deeds. And success is the attainment of all good and the attainment of the causes of happiness.
And He ﷺ said: : [al-Tawbah: 71] So He promised them mercy for their good deeds, among which are enjoining good and forbidding evil. This indicates that this is obligatory upon the believing men and women, and it is not specific to one person over another. It is among their great attributes and noble morals, but it must be done with wisdom and knowledge, not with ignorance, violence, or harshness. One should forbid and command with knowledge and insight, for what is right is what Allah and His Messenger commanded, and what is wrong is what Allah and His Messenger forbade.
So, it is obligatory upon the one who commands and forbids to be upon insight and knowledge, whether he is a man or a woman. Otherwise, let him hold back so that he does not command what is wrong or forbid what is right. Allah the Exalted said: [Yusuf: 108] His saying, the Exalted: means with knowledge.
And He (Glorified and Exalted is He) says: [An Nahl: 125] And wisdom is knowledge and insight and placing things in their appropriate places. Calling to Allah is of the same kind as enjoining good and forbidding evil; because it is the clarification of the truth and its manifestation to people. The one who commands also calls to Allah, and the one who forbids also does so. However, the one who commands and forbids may have authority with which he deters the doer of evil and compels him to do what is right. The caller to Allah has a broader task than that; he clarifies for people and guides them to the truth, and he may not have authority to compel.
So the conclusion is that it is obligatory upon the caller, the one who enjoins good, and the one who forbids evil to be upon knowledge, clarity, and insight, so that he does not command what contradicts the Shari'ah, and so that he does not forbid what is in accordance with the Shari'ah. It is also obligatory that he be gentle, without violence or foul language, but rather with good speech, a good manner, and gentleness, as Allah ﷺ said: : [Al Imran: 159] And He, the Exalted and Majestic, said to Musa and Harun when He sent them to Pharaoh: [Ta Ha: 44].
So, it is prescribed for the one who enjoins good and forbids evil to be gentle with people, to command them with good words, and to forbid them with good words; so that this is closer to the acceptance of his command and prohibition and benefiting from it. Except for one who oppresses, transgresses, and refuses. For him, there is another method, as He (Glorified and Exalted is He) said: [Al Ankabut: 46] Thus, rebuke and discipline occur when one does not adhere to what is right and does not stop from what is wrong. As for at the beginning, the one who enjoins and forbids addresses people with that which is best. So, if one is stubborn and refuses, he has another status in that he deserves rebuke and severity, or whatever else the pure Shari'ah requires.