When does enjoining good and forbidding evil become a collective obligation?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
Our sister also asks about this topic, saying: If people carry out enjoining good and forbidding evil, is the sin dropped from the rest? And is leaving off this enjoining considered one of the major sins?
Answer:
Yes, if Muslims in any country carry out forbidding evil, and a group does so, the sin is dropped from the rest of the people in that country, because the intended purpose has been achieved. If a group takes on this matter, forbids the evil, and removes it, they receive a great reward, and the sin is dropped from the rest of the people in the village, or the town, or the tribe. However, the obligation remains on the second village, and on the second town. Every town, every village, and every tribe is responsible. If a group in one of the towns, or one of the villages, or one of the tribes forbids the evil and it is removed by their hands, the sin is dropped from the rest, and those who forbade it gain a great reward and much good. And so it is with every village, every town, and every tribe: they must perform the obligation. If some of them do so, the sin is dropped from the rest. Yes.
The presenter : So in this case, it is a collective obligation?
The Shaykh : It is a collective obligation. No, but if there is a place where he is the only one, and there is no one else to forbid the evil for him, it becomes an individual obligation. That is, if he witnesses the evil in one of the neighborhoods and there is no one there, or in one of the tribes and there is no one there to forbid it, he must forbid it if he is able to do so with his hand, or with his tongue. Yes.
The presenter : May Allah bless you, and may Allah reward you with good.
He divided this matter into three categories, Your Eminence, and said: Forbidding with the hand is for the authority, forbidding with the tongue is for the scholars, and forbidding with the heart is for the general public. What do you say?
The Shaykh : No, that is not correct; it is not correct. Forbidding with the hand is for whoever is able to do so, even if they are not scholars, and even if they are not rulers. Whoever the rulers have appointed for this, such as the committee established in the countries, has what has been assigned to them of forbidding with the hand. Likewise, if they appoint specific individuals other than the committee to forbid it for them.
The point is: whoever is able to forbid with the hand, whether from the side of the rulers, or in his home and tribe, the point is: the ruling is tied to ability, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said. Whether he is a tribal chief, a ruler, or a neighborhood head who can do it himself, or it has been delegated to him by the authorities, he can do it himself. Likewise, the head of the household, or the one who is in charge of the house, can forbid with his hand the evil that occurs among his family. Then the rest forbid with the tongue, whether they are scholars or not, even the general public forbid with the tongue if they see an evil, because some evils are apparent and not hidden, known by both the general public and the specialists. For example, a woman’s display of her adornment is known by everyone. Cursing and insulting is known by everyone to be an evil. Being late for prayer, where he sits while the mu'adhdhin is calling and he remains sitting and does not get up to pray, is known by the general public and the specialists; he should be forbidden. And so on with similar things: intoxicants are known by everyone. If this believer knows this, even if he is not a scholar, he knows that this is an evil and that these people are drinking it, so he forbids them. Shaving the beard is a known evil. He says: My brother! Fear Allah, let your beard grow, do not shave it, do not cut it. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Letting garments hang below the ankles is a known evil, known by the specialists and the general public. And if he says to his brother: My brother! Fear Allah; lift your garments, do not let them hang, this is the truth. Yes.
The presenter : May Allah reward you with good.
Our sister also asks about this topic, saying: If people carry out enjoining good and forbidding evil, is the sin dropped from the rest? And is leaving off this enjoining considered one of the major sins?
Answer:
Yes, if Muslims in any country carry out forbidding evil, and a group does so, the sin is dropped from the rest of the people in that country, because the intended purpose has been achieved. If a group takes on this matter, forbids the evil, and removes it, they receive a great reward, and the sin is dropped from the rest of the people in the village, or the town, or the tribe. However, the obligation remains on the second village, and on the second town. Every town, every village, and every tribe is responsible. If a group in one of the towns, or one of the villages, or one of the tribes forbids the evil and it is removed by their hands, the sin is dropped from the rest, and those who forbade it gain a great reward and much good. And so it is with every village, every town, and every tribe: they must perform the obligation. If some of them do so, the sin is dropped from the rest. Yes.
The presenter : So in this case, it is a collective obligation?
The Shaykh : It is a collective obligation. No, but if there is a place where he is the only one, and there is no one else to forbid the evil for him, it becomes an individual obligation. That is, if he witnesses the evil in one of the neighborhoods and there is no one there, or in one of the tribes and there is no one there to forbid it, he must forbid it if he is able to do so with his hand, or with his tongue. Yes.
The presenter : May Allah bless you, and may Allah reward you with good.
He divided this matter into three categories, Your Eminence, and said: Forbidding with the hand is for the authority, forbidding with the tongue is for the scholars, and forbidding with the heart is for the general public. What do you say?
The Shaykh : No, that is not correct; it is not correct. Forbidding with the hand is for whoever is able to do so, even if they are not scholars, and even if they are not rulers. Whoever the rulers have appointed for this, such as the committee established in the countries, has what has been assigned to them of forbidding with the hand. Likewise, if they appoint specific individuals other than the committee to forbid it for them.
The point is: whoever is able to forbid with the hand, whether from the side of the rulers, or in his home and tribe, the point is: the ruling is tied to ability, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said. Whether he is a tribal chief, a ruler, or a neighborhood head who can do it himself, or it has been delegated to him by the authorities, he can do it himself. Likewise, the head of the household, or the one who is in charge of the house, can forbid with his hand the evil that occurs among his family. Then the rest forbid with the tongue, whether they are scholars or not, even the general public forbid with the tongue if they see an evil, because some evils are apparent and not hidden, known by both the general public and the specialists. For example, a woman’s display of her adornment is known by everyone. Cursing and insulting is known by everyone to be an evil. Being late for prayer, where he sits while the mu'adhdhin is calling and he remains sitting and does not get up to pray, is known by the general public and the specialists; he should be forbidden. And so on with similar things: intoxicants are known by everyone. If this believer knows this, even if he is not a scholar, he knows that this is an evil and that these people are drinking it, so he forbids them. Shaving the beard is a known evil. He says: My brother! Fear Allah, let your beard grow, do not shave it, do not cut it. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
Trim the mustaches and let the beards grow.
قصوا الشوارب، وأعفوا اللحىTrim the mustaches and let the beards grow; differ from the polytheists
قصوا الشوارب، ووفروا اللحى؛ خالفوا المشركينThe presenter : May Allah reward you with good.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.