Is it obligatory for the believer to forbid every wrong he sees?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
As we know, wrongs and harms have multiplied, and corruption has spread on land and sea. Is it required of the Muslim to forbid every harm he sees, or what is required of him?
Answer:
It is obligatory for the believer to forbid evil. The great calamity has come from being lax. One says, "This is not my concern," and another belittles himself and does not see himself as qualified to forbid evil, and another fears that he will be met with what is not appropriate. This is a great calamity.
The messengers (peace be upon them) did not fear. They exerted what they could, even though people mocked them, ridiculed them, and harmed them. Indeed, some of them were killed, as you heard in the Qur'an: [Al-Imran: 21], in verses. The fear of people did not prevent them from fulfilling the obligation.
Therefore, it is obligatory for the people of knowledge and for the believers to follow their example, and that the fear of people, or the saying of some people, "Mind your own business," "Attend to yourself," or the ridicule of him, or other things done by the ignorant and the foolish, does not prevent them from doing so. No, this does not concern you. Fear Allah and act. If it is accepted from you, that is what is sought. If it is not accepted from you, your responsibility is cleared.
And you know what happened to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in Makkah. This did not prevent him from calling to Allah. He was harmed, and so were the believers in Makkah, and so it has been in every land from the time Allah sent His Prophet until this day. Indeed, from the time Adam descended to the earth, affliction is present. Allah has related to us what happened between His two sons, Qabil and Habil, until one of them killed the other.
So this matter has existed from the time of Adam until our day. It is necessary to forbid what is wrong, and it is necessary to have patience. Allah, regarding Luqman, says to his son: [Luqman:17], and Allah says in His great Book: [Al-Anfal:46]. And 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "We found the best of our life to be through patience." And 'Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Patience is to faith as the head is to the body." Then he raised his voice and said: "Know that there is no faith for one who has no patience," meaning: there is no complete faith. Whoever does not have patience; his faith is weak, and he falls into errors.
And among that is the issue of enjoining good and forbidding evil: in your home, on the road, according to your ability. If you hear singing, forbid it. If you see negligence regarding prayer, forbid it. If you see someone shaving his beard, forbid it to him with wisdom. If you see someone letting his garment hang below the ankles, forbid it to him. If you see someone drinking intoxicants or smoking, forbid it to him. If you see someone being undutiful to his parents or one of them, forbid it to him. And so on for every sin you know is a sin, where you have the evidence. Do not command or forbid except with knowledge, with insight. If you speak with insight, you are on the right path, even if you are rebuffed, even if you are mocked, even if you are struck. This is better for you; following the example of the prophets and the righteous.
As we know, wrongs and harms have multiplied, and corruption has spread on land and sea. Is it required of the Muslim to forbid every harm he sees, or what is required of him?
Answer:
It is obligatory for the believer to forbid evil. The great calamity has come from being lax. One says, "This is not my concern," and another belittles himself and does not see himself as qualified to forbid evil, and another fears that he will be met with what is not appropriate. This is a great calamity.
The messengers (peace be upon them) did not fear. They exerted what they could, even though people mocked them, ridiculed them, and harmed them. Indeed, some of them were killed, as you heard in the Qur'an:
kill the prophets without right
وَيَقْتُلُونَ النَّبِيِّينَ بِغَيْرِ حَقٍّTherefore, it is obligatory for the people of knowledge and for the believers to follow their example, and that the fear of people, or the saying of some people, "Mind your own business," "Attend to yourself," or the ridicule of him, or other things done by the ignorant and the foolish, does not prevent them from doing so. No, this does not concern you. Fear Allah and act. If it is accepted from you, that is what is sought. If it is not accepted from you, your responsibility is cleared.
And you know what happened to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in Makkah. This did not prevent him from calling to Allah. He was harmed, and so were the believers in Makkah, and so it has been in every land from the time Allah sent His Prophet until this day. Indeed, from the time Adam descended to the earth, affliction is present. Allah has related to us what happened between His two sons, Qabil and Habil, until one of them killed the other.
So this matter has existed from the time of Adam until our day. It is necessary to forbid what is wrong, and it is necessary to have patience. Allah, regarding Luqman, says to his son:
O my son, establish prayer, enjoin what is right, forbid what is wrong, and be patient over what befalls you. Indeed, [all] that is of the matters [requiring] determination.
يَا بُنَيَّ أَقِمِ الصَّلَاةَ وَأْمُرْ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَانْهَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَاصْبِرْ عَلَى مَا أَصَابَكَ إِنَّ ذَلِكَ مِنْ عَزْمِ الْأُمُورِand be patient. Indeed, Allah is with the patient.
وَاصْبِرُوا إِنَّ اللَّهَ مَعَ الصَّابِرِينَAnd among that is the issue of enjoining good and forbidding evil: in your home, on the road, according to your ability. If you hear singing, forbid it. If you see negligence regarding prayer, forbid it. If you see someone shaving his beard, forbid it to him with wisdom. If you see someone letting his garment hang below the ankles, forbid it to him. If you see someone drinking intoxicants or smoking, forbid it to him. If you see someone being undutiful to his parents or one of them, forbid it to him. And so on for every sin you know is a sin, where you have the evidence. Do not command or forbid except with knowledge, with insight. If you speak with insight, you are on the right path, even if you are rebuffed, even if you are mocked, even if you are struck. This is better for you; following the example of the prophets and the righteous.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.