ูููุชูู ู ุฎูููุฑู ุฃูู ููุฉู ุฃูุฎูุฑูุฌูุชู ููููููุงุณู ุชูุฃูู ูุฑูููู ุจูุงููู ูุนูุฑูููู ููุชููููููููู ุนููู ุงููู ููููุฑู ููุชูุคูู ูููููู ุจูุงูููููู
Enjoining the Good and Forbidding the Evil
The defining duty of the Muslim Ummah and the path to societal reform
"Ye are the best of peoples, evolved for mankind, enjoining what is right, forbidding what is wrong, and believing in Allah..." โ Surah Aal Imran (3:110)
Introduction
The above verse from the Holy Qur'an describes the duties, function, and responsibilities of Muslims. If anyone has to ask what is Islam, this one verse aptly describes it. Let us analyse these two words: Ma'ruf and Munkar.
๐ Ma'ruf vs. Munkar
- Ma'ruf means all good, right, truth, justice, decency, prayer, fasting, charity, honesty, kindness, unity, harmony โ anything that is constructive, uplifting, righteous, clean, and wholesome for society
- Munkar means all evil, bad, wrong, indecent, immoral, unjust, shameless, lies, backbiting, disunity, gambling, alcohol โ anything that is harmful and destructive to an individual or society as a whole
The Crisis of the Ummah
Muslims today are leaderless, powerless, and disunited. We have become confused and lost direction, rushing towards gambling, drugs, pornography, adultery, abortions, suicides, fitnah, and all other sorts of Munkar.
โ ๏ธ A Wake-Up Call
We do not give enough love and attention to our families and children. That is why they are rushing to drugs, casinos, and teenage sex. We are not following the Qur'anic injunction of "enjoining the right and forbidding the wrong" to our families.
The Obligation to Change Corruption
๐ Qur'anic Command
"The believers, men and women, are Awliya (helpers) of one another, they enjoin the good (Ma'ruf) and forbid the evil (Munkar)." โ [9:71]
Most certainly the corrupt situation and weakness of the Muslims is due to their abandonment of Islam as a system of life.
Indeed, changing the corrupt situation of the Muslims is not a miracle but a distinct possibility within the ability of Muslims to undertake. Allah ta'ala has legislated a method and rules for this objective. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) and his companions proceeded according to its guidance until they changed the Jahili society to an Islamic society by establishing the Islamic state, which at that time transformed most of the inhabited world from Dar al-Kufr to Dar al-Islam.
๐ฟ The Prophet's Achievement
The Holy Prophet liberated us from Jahiliya in a matter of 23 years. Today the whole world is steeped in Jahiliya and we are rushing to join it. Today the verse of the Qur'an has been changed to: "Enjoin the evil and forbid the good."
The Three Levels of Forbidding Evil
๐ The Hadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him)
"Whoever of you sees a Munkar, let him change it by his hand, and if he could not then let him do that by his tongue, and if he could not do that let him deny it by his heart (i.e. hate it), and this is the weakest (degree of) Iman."
- By the hand โ Physical action and intervention where possible
- By the tongue โ Speaking out against evil with wisdom
- By the heart โ At minimum, hating the evil in one's heart
The Consequences of Inaction
โ ๏ธ Warnings from the Prophet (peace be upon him)
- "By the One in Whose hands my soul rests, you have to enjoin right and forbid the wrong, otherwise Allah will be about to send upon you a punishment from Him, then you would pray to Him but He would not answer you."
- "Any people amongst whom sins are committed, and they could change them but they did not, Allah will be about to bring a punishment which will reach everybody."
- "Nay, by Allah, you have to enjoin the good and forbid the wrong, and to hold against the hand of the tyrant, and to force him on the truth and restrict him to the truth, otherwise Allah will strike the hearts of some of you against others, then He will curse you as He cursed them."
Allah's Law of Change
๐ The Divine Principle
"Verily! Allah will not change the condition of a people as long as they do not change what is within themselves." โ [13:11]
It is a request which has come in the form of a statement to indicate its certainty and importance. Thus, it has become one of the laws of the universe which Allah ta'ala has created. This law demands that people work for change as a community until Allah changes what is within themselves. This is indicated by the wording of the ayah which has come in the plural: "people, they change, themselves."
The Need for Collective Action
๐ The Obligation of a Group
"Let there arise out of you a group of people inviting to the good (Khayr), enjoining the good (Ma'ruf) and forbidding the evil (Munkar). And it is they who are the successful." โ [3:104]
The definite order in this verse is directed towards the forming of a group from amongst the Muslims which will invite the people to Islam and enjoin the good and forbid the evil. The call to Islam requires that Islam is brought into the reality of life in terms of its creed and system, and this cannot take place without a group which will implement and carry Islam to the rest of the people. The obligation of this group is to work to bring about unity, leadership, and direction to the Ummah and to enjoin the good and forbid the evil.
Practical Steps We Can Take Today
๐ฟ Start in Your Own Sphere
- Do not allow evil posters in front of our mosques or houses
- Organise boycotts of shops that sell pornography magazines, lottery tickets, and race cards
- Give love and attention to our families and children so they do not rush to drugs and casinos
- Speak out against injustice and immorality in our communities
Conclusion
It is incumbent on the Muslims who wish to be saved from the punishment of Allah in this dunya and in the Hereafter to embark upon the work to change the evil situation in which they live, following the lawful path towards change, to re-establish Islam in life as a state and system. Work to re-establish Islam in life by the establishment of the True Islamic Leadership.
The changing of the Munkar is fard on the Muslims. There is a Munkar which no individual on his own or separate individuals can change โ that is the reality such as the one we live today, which is due to the absence of the Khilafah state. Thus, Allah has legislated a method for the community to change this Munkar by obliging on the Muslims to form a group from amongst them which will work for the return of the Khilafah state.
โ (By Abdullah Osman) โ