Is enjoining good and forbidding evil a pillar of Islam?
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Q: I have heard that some scholars counted enjoining good and forbidding evil as a pillar of Islam. Is this correct?
A: Yes, some scholars have said so, but there is no clear text regarding this; rather, it is one of the greatest obligations of Islam.
The pillars of Islam that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) explained are five. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2609Sahih (Darussalam) It is agreed upon by al-Bukhari and Muslim.
Thus, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) explained the pillars and supports of Islam, so it is not permissible to add to them except with valid evidence. However, enjoining good and forbidding evil is one of the supports and one of the obligations, but it is not said to be a sixth pillar due to the lack of evidence for that.
Similarly, jihad in the path of Allah is one of the supports... and likewise, leaving the prohibitions that Allah has forbidden for His servants is one of the supports that is necessary, but it is not said that they are pillars of Islam due to the lack of evidence for that.
Knowing that it is obligatory for us to adhere to everything that Allah has made obligatory and to leave everything that Allah has forbidden.
A: Yes, some scholars have said so, but there is no clear text regarding this; rather, it is one of the greatest obligations of Islam.
The pillars of Islam that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) explained are five. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
Islam is based upon five: the testimony of La Ilaha Illallah, and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, the establishment of the Salat, giving the Zakat, fasting (the month of) Ramadan, and performing Hajj to the House.
بني الإسلام على خمس شهادة أن لا إله إلا الله وأن محمدا رسول الله وإقام الصلاة وإيتاء الزكاة وصوم رمضان وحج البيتThus, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) explained the pillars and supports of Islam, so it is not permissible to add to them except with valid evidence. However, enjoining good and forbidding evil is one of the supports and one of the obligations, but it is not said to be a sixth pillar due to the lack of evidence for that.
Similarly, jihad in the path of Allah is one of the supports... and likewise, leaving the prohibitions that Allah has forbidden for His servants is one of the supports that is necessary, but it is not said that they are pillars of Islam due to the lack of evidence for that.
Knowing that it is obligatory for us to adhere to everything that Allah has made obligatory and to leave everything that Allah has forbidden.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.