The Guidelines for Enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil and Their Ranks
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Your Eminence, is there a limit to enjoining good and forbidding evil, or is the command absolute?
Answer: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) detailed this, saying:Sahih Muslim 49a. These are its limits: by the hand when one has the ability. This applies to those in authority from the state who have been given power over this matter, or for a person with his family and children, where he can do so by the hand, or with his servants or the like, where he has the ability. The second: one who has no authority and no ability does so by the tongue, saying: "O servant of Allah! This is not permissible, this is obligatory upon you, this is forbidden upon you, fear Allah, may Allah guide you, may Allah reform you," and the like. The third: the heart, when one is unable to speak, he disapproves with his heart. He does not attend the evil; he leaves the evil, he disapproves... and hates it in his heart. Yes.
The presenter: So enjoining good and forbidding evil has degrees, and each is according to his capacity?
The Shaykh: Yes, and it is also a condition in this that this disapproval does not cause something worse, that this disapproval does not lead to the occurrence of something more evil. If his disapproval of this evil is feared to lead to a greater evil, let him avoid it, so that the greater one does not occur. If, for example, he disapproves of his sitting in an unsuitable place, or disapproves of his smoking or the like, drinking intoxicants, drinking wine, to spite him, or if he disapproves and the Muslim curses Allah, cursing the Muslim was not enough for him, so he curses Allah, then this is left until it is dealt with in another way. The point is that he should be careful in disapproving of evil so that the removal of the evil results, and that something worse does not occur. If, in a group, if he disapproves to them, something worse would occur from them, he leaves them until another time, or until other parties deal with them. Yes.
The presenter: So there are limits and rules that the one who enjoins good and forbids evil must follow and adhere to?
The Shaykh: Yes, and Abu al-Abbas Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) explicitly stated this meaning in his book: Al-Hisbah, the book he named: Al-Hisbah, he explicitly stated this meaning. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good. It appears to me that enjoining good and forbidding evil is an independent science in itself, Your Eminence?
Answer: Yes, it is an independent science, an independent science that requires attention. People are of different categories, so it is necessary to ensure the realization of benefit and the removal of harm. The purpose of disapproving of evil is the removal of evil and the realization of good; this is the purpose. If this disapproval leads to an increase in evil, he delays it and does not do it.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good and do you good.
Answer: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) detailed this, saying:
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 الإيمانThe presenter: So enjoining good and forbidding evil has degrees, and each is according to his capacity?
The Shaykh: Yes, and it is also a condition in this that this disapproval does not cause something worse, that this disapproval does not lead to the occurrence of something more evil. If his disapproval of this evil is feared to lead to a greater evil, let him avoid it, so that the greater one does not occur. If, for example, he disapproves of his sitting in an unsuitable place, or disapproves of his smoking or the like, drinking intoxicants, drinking wine, to spite him, or if he disapproves and the Muslim curses Allah, cursing the Muslim was not enough for him, so he curses Allah, then this is left until it is dealt with in another way. The point is that he should be careful in disapproving of evil so that the removal of the evil results, and that something worse does not occur. If, in a group, if he disapproves to them, something worse would occur from them, he leaves them until another time, or until other parties deal with them. Yes.
The presenter: So there are limits and rules that the one who enjoins good and forbids evil must follow and adhere to?
The Shaykh: Yes, and Abu al-Abbas Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) explicitly stated this meaning in his book: Al-Hisbah, the book he named: Al-Hisbah, he explicitly stated this meaning. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good. It appears to me that enjoining good and forbidding evil is an independent science in itself, Your Eminence?
Answer: Yes, it is an independent science, an independent science that requires attention. People are of different categories, so it is necessary to ensure the realization of benefit and the removal of harm. The purpose of disapproving of evil is the removal of evil and the realization of good; this is the purpose. If this disapproval leads to an increase in evil, he delays it and does not do it.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good and do you good.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.