The obligation regarding the prevalence of evil and the scarcity of zeal
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
One of the brothers expresses disapproval, saying: Where do we learn this zeal, when all the students in the schools, except by the will of Allah, are abandoning this zeal? What is the opinion of the Muslims, especially the scholars, regarding the massive advertisements for smoking in the Saudi newspapers and elsewhere? What is the opinion of the Shaykhs regarding the silence on the exposure of women... should we remain silent about that?
Answer:
This does not necessitate despair, and it is not befitting for a servant to despair, or to abandon forbidding evil on the pretext that it has become widespread. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) informed about the obligation in every age, not just in his time, and he said -may peace and blessings be upon him-:Sahih Muslim 49a.
And this is knowledge for the fourteenth century, the fifteenth century, and what comes after them, and what came before them. And he said -may peace and blessings be upon him-:Sahih Muslim 50a.
Therefore, despair is not befitting for the believer, nor for the student of knowledge. Rather, he forbids evil, even if it is widespread in any place, whether in villages or cities, even if people sell it, or even if people buy it... and he prays for the rulers for success and guidance, and he advises his brothers whom his advice reaches, and he forbids the evil he sees, and he does not despair, and he does not discourage people from forbidding evil. Rather, he encourages forbidding evil; so that it decreases, and so that the forbidders increase. For despair is a fatal disease, despair is a fatal disease, it kills zeal, and it increases evil, and it kills hearts, so no one should despair.
As for smoking, people have been afflicted with it for a long time, and its harms are innumerable. But the love of desire blinds and deafens. We ask Allah for safety.
So the person burns himself with smoking, and yet he does not see that he has done something that destroys his soul, harms his religion, harms his health, and harms his reputation. And yet he does not see that he has done anything; because he has been afflicted with this matter, and his love for it and his habit of it have overcome him -may Allah protect us from that- until he no longer feels its harms, or the evil in it. So the obligation is to forbid it.
And the scholars have continued to advise the rulers to remove evil and put an end to it, and to discipline those who commit it and those who do it. We ask Allah for them guidance, success, and rectification of intention and action. And we ask Allah for the scholars steadfastness upon the truth, and more zeal for Allah, and forbidding evil, and advising the rulers. And we ask Allah for the rulers guidance, success, and fulfilling what is obligatory upon them of forbidding evil, and preventing it in the press, broadcasting, and otherwise. And Allah is the Helper.
One of the brothers expresses disapproval, saying: Where do we learn this zeal, when all the students in the schools, except by the will of Allah, are abandoning this zeal? What is the opinion of the Muslims, especially the scholars, regarding the massive advertisements for smoking in the Saudi newspapers and elsewhere? What is the opinion of the Shaykhs regarding the silence on the exposure of women... should we remain silent about that?
Answer:
This does not necessitate despair, and it is not befitting for a servant to despair, or to abandon forbidding evil on the pretext that it has become widespread. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) informed about the obligation in every age, not just in his time, and he said -may peace and blessings be upon him-:
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 الإيمانAnd this is knowledge for the fourteenth century, the fifteenth century, and what comes after them, and what came before them. And he said -may peace and blessings be upon him-:
Never a Prophet had been sent before me by Allah towards his nation who had not among his people (his) disciples and companions who followed his ways and obeyed his command. Then there came after them their successors who said whatever they did not practise, and practised whatever they were not commanded to do. He who strove against them with his hand was a believer: he who strove against them with his tongue was a believer, and he who strove against them with his heart was a believer and beyond that there is no faith even to the extent of a mustard seed.
ما من نبي بعثه الله في أمة قبلي إلا كان له من أمته حواريون، وأصحاب يأخذون بسنته، ويقتدون بأمره، ثم إنها تخلف من بعدهم خلوف، يقولون ما لا يفعلون، ويفعلون ما لا يؤمرون، فمن جاهدهم بيده؛ فهو مؤمن، ومن جاهدهم بلسانه؛ فهو مؤمن، ومن جاهدهم بقلبه؛ فهو مؤمن، وليس وراء ذلك من الإيمان حبة خردلTherefore, despair is not befitting for the believer, nor for the student of knowledge. Rather, he forbids evil, even if it is widespread in any place, whether in villages or cities, even if people sell it, or even if people buy it... and he prays for the rulers for success and guidance, and he advises his brothers whom his advice reaches, and he forbids the evil he sees, and he does not despair, and he does not discourage people from forbidding evil. Rather, he encourages forbidding evil; so that it decreases, and so that the forbidders increase. For despair is a fatal disease, despair is a fatal disease, it kills zeal, and it increases evil, and it kills hearts, so no one should despair.
As for smoking, people have been afflicted with it for a long time, and its harms are innumerable. But the love of desire blinds and deafens. We ask Allah for safety.
So the person burns himself with smoking, and yet he does not see that he has done something that destroys his soul, harms his religion, harms his health, and harms his reputation. And yet he does not see that he has done anything; because he has been afflicted with this matter, and his love for it and his habit of it have overcome him -may Allah protect us from that- until he no longer feels its harms, or the evil in it. So the obligation is to forbid it.
And the scholars have continued to advise the rulers to remove evil and put an end to it, and to discipline those who commit it and those who do it. We ask Allah for them guidance, success, and rectification of intention and action. And we ask Allah for the scholars steadfastness upon the truth, and more zeal for Allah, and forbidding evil, and advising the rulers. And we ask Allah for the rulers guidance, success, and fulfilling what is obligatory upon them of forbidding evil, and preventing it in the press, broadcasting, and otherwise. And Allah is the Helper.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.