Combining Two Hadiths on Leaving What Does Not Concern One and Changing What Is Wrong

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Question:
Your Eminence! This questioner, Abu Sa'd, asks: What is the difference between the hadith of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him):

Part of a person’s goodness in Islam is his leaving alone that which does not concern him.

من حسن إسلام المرء تركه ما لا يعنيه

Sunan Ibn Majah 3976Da’if (Darussalam)

and the hadith of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him):

He who amongst you sees something abominable should modify it with the help of his hand

من رأى منكم منكرًا فليغيره بيده ..

Sahih Muslim 49a

to the end of the hadith?

Answer:
There is no contradiction between them. One means one thing, and the other means another.

Part of a person’s goodness in Islam is his leaving alone that which does not concern him.

من حسن إسلام المرء تركه ما لا يعنيه

Sunan Ibn Majah 3976Da’if (Darussalam)

The thing that does not concern him, in which he has no share, and which does not matter to him, he does not involve himself in, nor does he insert himself into anything that is not obligatory for him. A person asks his brother, "What do you say? What is it to you from them? What harm does it do him?" A person goes to visit his brother, and he says, "Why are you visiting him? Why do you want to visit him?" Meaning: it does not occupy him. What does not concern him, what does not matter to him, the thing in which he has no obligation, he does not ask about it, nor does he enter into what does not concern him.
As for what is wrong, it does concern him. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded the changing of what is wrong. Indeed, Allah commanded that. He said (Exalted and Majestic is He):

And let there be [arising] from you a nation inviting to [all that is] good, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong, and those will be the successful.

وَلْتَكُنْ مِنْكُمْ أُمَّةٌ يَدْعُونَ إِلَى الْخَيْرِ وَيَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَأُوْلَئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ

[Al-Imran: 104]. So the believer is commanded to do this. And He said: :

You are the best nation produced [as an example] for mankind. You enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and believe in Allah.

كُنْتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ تَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ وَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ

[Al-Imran: 110]. And He said (Exalted and Majestic is He):

The believing men and believing women are allies of one another. They enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong

وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتُ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلِيَاءُ بَعْضٍ يَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ

[At-Tawbah: 71]. And the Prophet (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

. So this concerns the believer, meaning: every believer, and every believing woman. Indeed, it is obligatory upon all of them to change what is wrong. It is not included in the hadiths:

Part of a person’s goodness in Islam is his leaving alone that which does not concern him.

من حسن إسلام المرء تركه ما لا يعنيه

Sunan Ibn Majah 3976Da’if (Darussalam)

. This is one thing, and that is another. Yes.

The presenter: May Allah reward you, His Eminence the Shaykh, and bless you.

Source binbaz.org.sa

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

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