On the authority of Abu Saeed al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say, “Whoever of you sees an evil must then change it with his hand. If he is not able to do so, then [he must change it] with his tongue. And if he is not able to do so, then [he must change it] with his heart. And that is the slightest [effect of] faith.”
Recorded by Muslim.

1. “Whoever of you sees an evil”
   • 1.1 The Definition of Munkar (“Evil”) and its Opposite Maroof
   • 1.2 To Whom is This Command Addressed?
   • 1.3 Does This Command Extend to Evildoers?
2. “then he must change it with his hand”
   • 2.1 The Conditions for Changing an Evil by One’s Hands
3. “If he is not able to do so”
4. “then [he must change it] with his tongue”
   • 4.1 The Steps of Eradicating Evil by One’s Speech
5. “And if he is not able to do so, then [he must change it] with his heart.”
   • 5.1 What is the Meaning and Actual Benefit of “Changing it with the Heart?”
   • 5.2 Being Pleased with an Evil and The Heart that is Dead.
6. “And that is the slightest [effect of] faith.”
   • 6.1 The Relationship Between Faith and Eradicating Evil
   • 6.2 The Negative Results of Not Repelling Evil
   • 6.3 Ordering Good and Eradicating Evil is One of the Most Important Aspects of the Brotherhood of Islam
7. Other Points Related to This Hadith:

General Comments About the Hadith: This hadith touches upon one of the most important issues for the salvation and prosperity of the Muslim community. The overriding characteristic of eradicating evil is one of the characteristics that separates this Muslim community from the previous communities. In this hadith, the Prophet (peace be upon him) has made it clear that removing evil or wanting to remove evil is an essential characteristic of the faith of a Muslim. This hadith exemplifies a believer’s attitude toward evil. A believer is never willing to accept or be pleased with evil. Whenever evil is in front of him, he will oppose it and do his best to remove it given his capability.

1. “Whoever of you sees an evil”

In this hadith, the Prophet (peace be upon him) specifically mentioned the case where the person sees the evil that is being committed. If there is an open and clear evil that Muslims are witnessing, it is obligatory upon them to change it if they have the ability to do so. However, many scholars understand this portion of the hadith to be a reference to knowledge instead of specifically seeing. In other words, if one knows for certain that an evil is occurring, he must work to remove it. Even if he does not see the evil at that moment, it is sufficient that he has the knowledge that it is occurring. That knowledge requires that he remove that evil. It is also sufficient to be considered knowledge that trustworthy people inform him of that evil existing or that strong circumstantial evidence point to that evil’s existence. If there are some clear signs pointing to the existence of some evil, he may follow up those clear signs.

At the same time, though, it is not allowed to have unwarranted suspicions about others or to spy on others. If a person simply suspects, without any strong evidence, that some evil is occurring, it is not his right to pry into other’s private affairs and uncover the matter. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Do not spy on one another.” (Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim.)

1.1 The Definition of Munkar (“Evil”) and its Opposite Maroof

Munkar, in a general sense, is everything that is rejected or objectionable from a shareeah or rational point of view. However, its meaning in the expression, “ordering good and eradicating evil (munkar),” is that which is rejected or objected to by the shareeah. In other words, there may be some acts that the people do not consider good but, if the shareeah has allowed such acts, they may not be considered munkar and are not required to be removed.

It is important to note, as al-Sabt has done, that munkar is not equivalent to sin or acts of disobedience to Allah (maasiyah). Munkar is a more general term. A munkar is a munkar no matter who is performing it; even if the person performing the munkar is not sinful, because he is a minor or ignorant, for example, the act is still a munkar that must be removed. Therefore, if a small child, for example, is sipping out of a glass of beer, it is a munkar and it must be stopped. Therefore, in general, when it comes to munkar, one does not take into consideration the person performing the act but one simply looks at the act itself.

Another important aspect that must be noted here is the issues in which there are differences of opinion among the scholars. Sometimes an act may be considered “sinful” or munkar although the one who performs it is not considered a sinner. For example, Imam Ahmad said that the one who drinks nabeedh (intoxicating fruit nectar) is to be flogged, although he is not considered an evildoer if he performs that act following the opinions of those scholars who say that it is permissible. Therefore, again, the munkar must be stopped without any consideration of whether its doer is sinful or not. Maroof is the opposite of munkar. It is a word that implies
every act of obedience to Allah and every act that takes one closer to Allah, whether it be obligatory or recommended. Its meaning also has the sense that they are the deeds that people accept and are pleased with and that people can have no objection to.

Note that in this hadith, the Prophet (peace be upon him) only mentioned the changing of evil. When an obligatory deed is not performed, that is also an evil. The only way to remove that evil is by the commanding or ordering of the performance of the obligatory deed. Hence, in a sense, this hadith of the Prophet also covers aspects of ordering good and not simply of eradicating evil.

1.2 To Whom is This Command Addressed?

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Whoever of you … ” This means that this command is directed to each and every Muslim. Everyone has the obligation to forbid evil if he has the means to do so. However, there are some people who have special responsibilities to forbid evil. This is because they have more ability or power to remove it. They may be in a general position of power or they may be in a specific position of responsibility. In either case, their ability to remove evil is more than the ability of those who do not have that authority.

Therefore, this address is first and foremost directed to the rulers and scholars. They are the people of most authority. The rulers can enact laws and enforce punishments to keep people from committing evil. They have the authority to physically stop many evils and prevent them from occurring. It is obligatory upon them to remove evil “by their hands” or force because, in general, they have the means to do so. If the rulers do not fulfill this responsibility, they have betrayed their trust toward Allah and the Muslim masses. Even worse is the case where it is the rulers themselves who are encouraging or forcing the evil among the populous.

The scholars also have great authority, in that their voice is listened to and they have the knowledge of the shareeah to know what is right and what is wrong. Many times, they even have authority over the rulers. Often, if they speak out against an evil or act to remove an evil, no one, not even the ruler, can say anything to them because they have the respect and love of the people. Therefore, it is often obligatory upon the scholars to at least remove evil by their tongues because, many times, they have the means to do so. It is for this reason that when these two groups, the rulers and scholars, go bad, the society as a whole goes bad, as many scholars in the past have stated.

However, this address of the Prophet (peace be upon him) also extends to everyone who is in a position of authority, wherein he can remove an evil that exists. The director of a school, for example, often times has the power and influence to remove many evils from the school, such as mixing between the boys and girls and so forth. The boss of a company often has similar powers. The director or ameer of a mosque also has such powers. He will have, in most cases, the authority to remove disallowed pictures and unacceptable things from the premises of the mosque. When these people have the authority and power to do such acts, it becomes obligatory upon them to remove such evils when no one else is removing them or if others are not capable of removing them.

Husbands, fathers and mothers are also in special positions of responsibility. Husbands are considered the head of the household. Therefore, it is upon their shoulders to make sure their families are headed in the right direction: toward Paradise and away from Hell. It is the responsibility of the husband to keep his wife from committing evil and to order her to do what is right. If he sees her, for example, talking on the phone and backbiting others, he has the right to tell her to stop or to take the phone from her and hang it up.

Fathers and mothers also have special responsibilities toward their children. Mothers usually spend more time with their children, so this obligation is especially important upon them. As explained above, munkar or evil includes the wrong that children commit, even if they are considered sinless. Therefore, if a child is playing music, watching something objectionable or destroying somebody’s property, the parent must step in and stop the child. If the parent sees what is happening and simply decides not to do anything, the parent is sinful because he or she saw an evil and did not do anything about it although he or she had the ability to stop it. This is part of the obligation that is referred to in this hadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him): if one has the means to stop an evil, one must stop it.

1.3 Does This Command Extend to Evildoers?

Al-Qaari stated that the address in this hadith extends to “men, women, slaves, the impious or a boy who can distinguish [between right and wrong].” This leads to a very important point: one does not have to be completely pious and free of sins in order to order good and forbid evil. Yes, it is true that the more pious a person is, the more he may be positively responded to when preaching to others. However, that does not mean that such is a requirement for ordering good and eradicating evil. An impious person who commits a great deal of sin has every right to, for example, take wine out of another person’s hand and throw it down the drain, given the proper conditions.

Some people are confused on this issue because of a misunderstanding of specific verses of the Quran or hadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him). For example, one verse quoted in this regard is: “Do you enjoin righteousness upon mankind while you yourselves forget (to practice it)? And you are readers of the Scripture! Have you then no sense?” (al-Baqara 44). This verse is used as a proof that a sinner should not or has no right to ask others not to perform sins or to prevent them from doing so. Many times this verse is used by the person himself to explain why he does not involve himself in that responsibility. He says, “I cannot order good and forbid evil because I myself am not a good Muslim. When I become a good Muslim and stop committing sins, then I will order good, forbid evil and so on. This is according to Allah’s command in the Quran … ” and then the above verse will inevitably be recited.

This argument is further enhanced with reference to the following hadith of the Prophet (peace be on him): The Messenger of Allah (peace be on him) said, “A man will be brought and thrown into hell and he will circumambulate in Hell like a donkey of a flour grinding mill. All the people of Hell will gather around him and will say to him, ‘O so and so, didn’t you order others to do good and forbid them from doing evil?’ That man will say, ‘I used to order others to do good but I myself never used to do it, and I used to forbid others from evil while I myself used to do evil. “‘ (Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim.)

The misconception related to this verse and hadith seems to stem from a lack of a complete understanding of the ”.fiqh” of “ordering good and eradicating evil”. 1 From the Quran and hadith of the Prophet (peace be on him) it is clear that, with respect to ordering good and eradicating evil, every individual Muslim has the following four obligations:
(1) He must order himself to do good.
(2) He must prevent himself from doing evil.
(3) He must order others to do good.
(4) He must restrain others from doing evil.

These are four mutually independent obligations. They must not be confused or mixed with each other. If a Muslim is not fulfilling one of those four obligations, does that mean that he should compound his error by not performing one or all of the other three obligations? If someone is not being honest, he is failing with respect to the first obligation of ordering himself to do good (be honest). lfhe sees someone killing an innocent man, should he not do anything to stop him while saying to himself, “I am not a pious person because I am not honest so I have no right to stop that murderer”? Or if he sees somebody else lying (the same sin he commits), should he say to himself, “I also lie so I shouldn’t say anything to him”? Perhaps the following example will make things most obvious. Suppose a man drinks alcohol. Suppose he then sees his son drinking alcohol. Doesn’t he still have the obligation to advise his son and tell him not to drink, even though he himself drinks?

If he does not do so, he will simply be compounding his sins. He neither stops himself from sins nor does he stop others from doing wrong. He is committing a mistake on top of another mistake. What about the verse quoted above? Doesn’t that verse condemn the person for keeping others from doing wrong while he himself does wrong? Yes, that is true. That is what the verse states. But what is the exact act that Allah is condemning the person for? Is Allah censuring the person for ordering others to do good? Is it conceivable that Allah would punish anyone for ordering good or stopping evil? Obviously, that is inconceivable. And that could not be the meaning of the above verse. That is not the act that Allah is condemning.

Allah is not blaming the person for ordering others to do good or for keeping them from evil (obligations 3 and 4 listed above). But what Allah is blaming the person for is that he himself is not performing the good deeds or keeping himself from evil (obligations 1 and 2 mentioned above). These different obligations must not be confused as confusion in this matter could lead to disastrous results in both this life and in the Hereafter. Simply because someone may be failing in performing some of his obligations does not mean that he no longer has the obligation of guiding to the straight path or correcting others when they do wrong.

2. “then he must change it with his hand”

“Change it” means “remove it”. Removing evil is a communal obligation. If a Muslim or a group of Muslims repels the evil, the rest are absolved from any responsibility. However, if none of them repel the evil, although it was within their ability to do so, they are all sinful. This is agreed upon by the scholars. This obligation can become an individual obligation, that is, it can become obligatory upon a specific person. For example, if a certain person is the only one who has knowledge of a certain evil or if he is the only one who has the ability to remove that evil, then it becomes obligatory upon him to act to remove that evil. If he does not do so, he, as an individual, will be sinful.

The means to removing it, however, depends on one’s ability. It should be done by one’s hand if possible. If not, then by one’s tongue or speech. Then, finally the last option, by one’s heart. This hadith is particularly talking about “the changing of evil” and not “the forbidding of evil.” This hadith is referring to the case where one is actually witnessing or aware of an evil that is currently happening. It is his obligation to put an end to that evil at that time. The “forbidding of evil” is a more general concept that also includes preventive measures to keep an evil for recurring. There is a difference between the two aspects and the approaches between the two are different. In the case of trying to forbid evil, one starts with speech and kindness. In the case of changing evil, one starts with one’s hands and actions. Only if that is not possible does one move to the level of trying to change it by one’s speech.

What is meant by changing something by one’s hand is to actually physically put a stop to the evil that is going on. It would include, for example, breaking containers of wine and throwing the wine out, breaking musical instruments, destroying statues, tearing up pictures, burning magazines and so forth. There is no question that this is one of the most important means by which a person can bring an end to an evil or enforce what is right. The prophets (peace be upon them) followed this means in a number of different cases. Allah quotes the Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) as saying and doing, “And, by Allah, I shall plot a plan to destroy your idols after you have gone away and turned your backs.’ So he broke them into pieces, (all) except the biggest of them, so that they may tum to it” (al-Anbiyaa 57-58). Moses is also quoted as saying, “And look at your god [idol] to which you have been devoted. We will certainly bum it and scatter its particles into the sea” (Taha 97)

Similarly, al-Bukhari records that when the Prophet (peace be upon him) entered the Kaaba, he destroyed all of the idols that were therein. This approach has been approved by the Prophet (peace be upon him) in this hadith under discussion here. Furthermore, the Prophet (peace be upon him) sent Ali out on an expedition and told him not to leave any statue but to destroy it, nor any picture but to erase it or any raised grave but to level it. (Recorded by Muslim.)

This approach has also been explicitly approved by the scholars of the past. Ahmad was asked about a person who broke his mother’s lute. He said he neither has to pay for it nor should he fix it. He was also asked about a group of people who were playing dice and were told to stop. When they did not stop, someone took their dice and destroyed them. Ahmad said that he had done well and he did not have to reimburse them for that. He said that if drums, tambourines or flutes are out in the open, they may be destroyed. He said even if such things are in the hands of children, they should be destroyed.

The reason that removing evil by one’s hand should be the first approach resorted to is that it is the most effective means and the means with the greatest lasting affect. If a person is drinking alcohol, for example, he could be told that it is bad and he should stop. That might influence him for a minute, so he may put the alcohol down or back in the refrigerator or something of that nature. Then when the influence of the speech is over, he may go right back to the evil. But when someone physically destroys or removes the evil, that temptation or alternative is no longer available. The alcohol is no longer there for the taking. If he wants to go back to drinking, he will have to restart the process of purchasing new alcohol and so forth. The same is true for musical instruments, pornography, pictures and so on.

In addition, when one destroys the evil “instrument” itself, it does not allow others to come and use that instrument. Again, a person may be convinced not to play a musical instrument. Therefore, he puts the instrument down and decides never to play it again. However, his younger brother in the house, for example, may pick up the instrument and start using it. Hence, the entire potential of the evil instrument has not been removed. But when the instrument is physically destroyed, there is no fear that someone else may come along and also use it for evil.

2.1 The Conditions for Changing an Evil by One’s Hands

A person may, for example, destroy an article which is an evil as long as he adheres to the principles or conditions related to it. These conditions include the following:
(1) Like all such noble deeds, the person must change the evil solely for the sake of Allah. He should not be simply responding to what someone else had done to him or have the intention of harming or ridiculing someone else.
(2) He must follow the shareeah principles when changing an evil in the sense that he cannot remove one evil by bringing about a greater evil. First he must study the situation to ascertain whether or not his actions will lead to greater harm. If he feels that the only way he can stop a particular evil is by doing something that will lead to greater harm, then he is not allowed to stop that evil.
(3) He must make sure that the evil is, in fact, present and is, in reality, an evil that deserves to be removed or stopped. It should not be merely a case of suspicion or unfounded accusations.
(4) He must not go beyond what is permissible for him in the shareeah. He must stop at what is necessary to stop that evil. For example, if a person is playing a cassette tape with music on it, he may remove the tape and destroy it and he is not entitled to go further and destroy the cassette player if it can also be used for good purposes.
(5) He should personally remove the evil if he has the ability or right to do so. If not, he should assist someone who is capable of removing it.

3. “If he is not able to do so”

The command to change an evil by one’s hand is conditioned by one having the ability to do so. If one is not able to do so, then he does not try to change the evil by his hand but he moves to the next level of changing the evil by his tongue. It is, therefore, important to understand what is meant by inability to change an evil. Capability to change a wrong is of two types. One is a “spiritual,” nonphysical capability and the other is a “physical” capability. The non-physical capability is in reference to knowledge and is discussed in more detail below.

The second type of capability is a “physical capability.” In order for one to be obligated to remove an evil, he must have the physical means necessary to do so. A blind person, for example, may not have the same obligations as others because of his limitation, which would imply his inability to make sure that he can forbid evil in a safe manner. A weak person who would not be able to defend himself or ward off evil would not be required to remove the same evil that a stronger person may be required to do. In order to make these aspects clear, they shall be discussed as eight different cases or scenarios. They are also drawn in Figures 34.la and 34. 1b.

Case 1: The Person Believes He Can Change the Evil with His Hand and He Fears No Harm for Himself but Changing the Evil will Lead to Greater Evil:

This was mentioned above while discussing the conditions for changing an evil. However, it deserves to be discussed in more detail. In this case, the person is capable of changing the evil. However, the purpose of changing an evil is to put an end to something that is evil. It would defeat its own purpose if the changing of an evil would lead to an even greater evil. In such a case, therefore, even if the person is capable of changing the evil, he does not do so. It is reported that ibn Taimiya was with some of his companions when they . saw a group of Mongols drinking alcohol. lbn Taimiya’s associates suggested that they go and stop the people from drinking. lbn Taimiya, however, advised them not to do so. He told them that alcohol has been prohibited because it keeps people from remembering Allah and from the prayers. But in their case, their drinking keeps them from killing people, taking slaves and taking people’s wealth. Hence, it is better to leave them alone in their lesser crime.

lbn al-Qayyim stated that if a person saw impious and wicked people playing dice, it would not be wise to stop from doing so unless the person takes them to an act which is more beloved to Allah than the act they were performing. Otherwise, it is better to leave them alone as the current evil they are performing is much less than what they usually do. This aspect of knowing when to stop an evil and when to allow an evil to continue takes a great deal of insight and understanding. Not everyone is capable of understanding this point. For example, one would not risk general harm in the case of a personal infraction by an individual. However, Allah knows best, the situations just described may be considered exceptional circumstances. Most cases of evil can be stopped without it resulting in greater evil.

Case 2: The Person Can Stop the Evil with His Hand with No Fear of Harm but Believing that it Would Result in an Equivalent Evil:

Once again, in this case, the person is considered capable. However, the overall purpose of his act, the lessening or removing of evil, will not be met because of the corresponding negative result he is expecting. lbn al-Qayyim calls this category an area of juristic ijtihaad, where the person will have to make a decision according to what he feels would be best. Allah knows best, but this also seems to be something of an exceptional case. In most cases, the expected outcome should be either lesser evil or greater evil.

Case 3: The Person Does Not Have the Knowledge to Recognize What is Truly an Evil:

The first type of capability, called the “non-physical” capability, refers to knowledge. In other words, in order for one to forbid an evil he must first have the knowledge that the act is an evil. Similarly, the person must have the knowledge that the act he is commanding is truly a good deed. Many times people try to remove acts, thinking that they are an evil, while, in fact, they are from the sunnah. On the other hand, some people try to command people to do some deed which they think is a good deed while, in reality, it is an innovation. Hence, knowledge is an essential requirement for the one who wishes to order good and forbid evil. If a person does not possess such knowledge, he is not considered capable or responsible for removing the evil that he sees.

As al-Nawawi and al-Ghazzaali both pointed out, there are some acts that every Muslim knows for certain as either obligatory or forbidden acts, such as the rulings concerning prayer, fasting, drinking alcohol, illegal sexual intercourse and so forth. Concerning these matters, every Muslim may forbid evil or enforce good. However, the detailed matters, for example, the ruling concerning specific types of business transactions, must be left for the scholars and knowledgeable people. A layman may not understand exactly what is right or wrong concerning such an issue and, therefore, he is not required to order what is right or wrong in that case. Anything that requires profound knowledge or ijtihaad is not for the laymen to order or forbid.

Many times people consider a different ijtihaad as an evil that they must remove. On the other hand, some people accept all differences of opinion and do not feel that anyone has the right to oppose any ijtihaad from anyone. Both of these extremes are incorrect. There is a famous statement which says, “There is no eradicating of evil in matters of ijtihaad.” What this means is that if a scholar or knowledgeable person comes to one conclusion, it is not the right of the others who follow a different conclusion to force him to follow their conclusion. In such a case, what he is following is not considered an evil but simply a different fiqh opinion.

This principle is conditioned by certain restrictions. The most important aspect is that the difference of opinion must be one where there is sound evidence for each opinion. In other words, there are some differences of opinion that are not respected. This is because one of the opinions is not

founded on any type of sound or strong evidence. For example, mutah marriage (“temporary marriage”) is something that is clearly forbidden in the hadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him). Although some Muslims may claim that it is permissible, no weight is given to their opinion in the face of the strong evidence against them. For that reason, if a person has a mutah marriage, he is to be punished like a fornicator. The fact that he is following a specific opinion of some people will not be considered in this case because, in reality, there is no strong basis for that opinion and it goes against the Quran and sunnah.

When there is a difference of opinion in which each side has some weighty evidence, then a person cannot oppose someone because he is following a different opinion. In this case, it is not a matter of ordering good and eradicating evil, as such. Instead, the one who believes that he is following the stronger opinion should advise and guide his fellow Muslim to what he believes is the truth. However, he must do so in a proper and respectful manner and should not be overly biased toward the opinion or scholar that he is following.

Case 4: The Person can Remove the Evil without any Resultant Evil and the Only Harm that He Fears is Verbal Abuse:

Different people have different abilities to withstand different pressures or difficulties. This must be taken into consideration when discussing ordering good and eradicating evil. Al-Masood wrote, There is no doubt that the exact requirement of “ability” is not one exact measure. People are different. One person may be able to do things that another cannot. Allah may have given one ability in knowledge and body while another is lacking in one or both of those characteristics. The real principle is that the matter is left to the person’s own conscience. However, at the same time, there must be some lower limit that everyone must be able to fulfill in order for this not to become a basis by which people abandon ordering good or eradicating evil. There must be some matters that are unacceptable as excuses for not ordering good or eradicating evil. For example, fear of blame, verbal abuse, cursing and so forth [are not valid excuses]. They cannot be used as excuses by anyone because they are all very minor and should be borne for the sake of Allah. Allah has praised those who strive in his path and do not fear the blame of those who blame others.

Ibn Abdul Barr, al-Qurtubi and al-Ghazzaali all made the same point: the fear of verbal abuse or blame without physical harm is not sufficient as an excuse to keep one from ordering good and eradicating evil. In fact, when the Prophet (peace be upon him) took the oath of allegiance from some of his Companions, part of what they pledged was, “to speak the truth wherever we are and, for the sake of Allah, not to fear the reproach of anyone who reproaches.” (Recorded by al-Bukhari and Muslim.)

Case 5: The Person Has the Physical Ability to Act But He Believes He will not be Able to Remove the Evil and He Expects He will be Harmed if He Tries to Do So:

In this case, the believer has good reason to believe that his action is not going to be of any benefit. At the same time, he knows that he will be beaten, for example, if he acts. For example, if a Muslim went into a bar in a Western country and started to smash the alcoholic beverages in the bar, the result would most likely be his being restrained by the bouncer, arrested by the police, fined and so forth. At the same time, he probably would not have actually stopped anyone from drinking. Under these circumstances, his attempting to remove the evil is not obligatory. In fact, it can even become forbidden for him if the result will simply be harmful. This is exactly the case of the person who does not have the capability to change the evil by his hand. Hence, he must move to the next level of attempting to change the evil by his tongue.

Case 6: The Person Can Stop or Lessen the Evil and He Fears No Harm or Resultant Evil:

A person knows that the evil will be stopped by bis action. At the same time, no hardship is going to come to him. In this case, it is obligatory upon him to remove the evil. This is the general or absolute case of “having ability”.

Case 7: The Person Believes that He is Not Going to Be Able to Stop or Lessen the Evil and He Also Fears No Harm if He does Act to Stop the Evil:

A person knows that his action is not going to be of any benefit. At the same time, be does not fear that any harm would come to him if he does speak or act. In this case, al-Ghazzaali says, it is not obligatory upon him to speak or act because it is void of any true benefit. However, according to al-Ghazzaali, it is still preferred for him to speak or act in order to show the teachings of Islam and to remind the people of their religion. On this point, al-Ghazzaali’s view may not be the strongest opinion. Al-Nawawi clearly disagrees with him. Even in such a case, there is evidence to show that one must still speak against the evil. By doing so, one is conveying the message. This is what is obligatory upon the person. Even if the message is not listened to, he should convey it. Ibn Rajah says that the strongest opinion and the opinion of the majority of the scholars is that it is still obligatory to attempt to remove that evil under such circumstances.

Furthermore, by doing so, the person has made himself “blameless” in front of Allah on the Day of Resurrection. In reference to those Jews who violated the laws of the Sabbath, Allah refers to three groups of people: those who were committing the wrong act, those who insisted on speaking to them about their wrong act and those who remained silent. Allah describes the situation of the latter two groups with the words, “And when a community among them said, ‘Why do you preach to a people whom Allah is about to destroy or punish with a severe torment?’ [The preachers] said, ‘ In order to be free from guilt before your Lord and perhaps that they might fear [Allah] “‘ (al-Araaf 164)

Al-Bugha and Mistu state that this is a clear refutation of those people who try to keep others from preaching for what is good. They tell them, “Why do you tire yourself and waste your time with such people?” The answer is, “We are ordered to convey and if we are not listened to, that is not our fault or responsibility. We have fulfilled our obligation to Allah.” Al-Bugha and Mistu also point out that those who oppose such preaching sometimes refer to the verse in which Allah has clearly stated, “Verily, you guide not whom you like but it is Allah who guides whom He wills. And He knows best those who are the guided” (al-Qasas 56). However, these people have forgotten that this verse was revealed to the Prophet (peace be upon him) with respect to Abu Taalib. The Prophet (peace be upon him) continued to call Abu Taalib to Islam and never stopped doing so, until the last moments of Abu Taalib’s life, while Abu Taalib was on his deathbed. That is, it was a case where the Prophet (peace be upon him) personally tired himself endlessly to try to convince his uncle to embrace Islam. Hence, that verse is actually an argument against what they are claiming.

Case 8: The Person Believes He can Remove or Lessen the Evil But He Knows that Harm will Come to Him:

A person knows that some harm is going to come to him yet, at the same time, he knows that he will be able to repel the evil. For example, he has the ability to break a person’s wine casket and spill his wine and he is certain that the person will punish him harshly for that, perhaps even take his life. In this case, the eradicating of evil is neither obligatory or forbidden. It is, though, recommended. Al-Masood also makes the point that not ordering good or eradicating evil due to fear of harm is a special exemption from the shareeah. However, it is better and more pleasing in the sight of Allah for a person to risk his life and wealth in order to make the law of Allah supreme. A strong believer is willing to act on the truth for the sake of Allah no matter what the consequences.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) stated in a hadith, “Certainly, a person should not allow the veneration of the people to keep him from speaking the truth when he knows it. Verily, the best jihad is the statement of truth in the presence of an unjust ruler.” This hadith and others show that a person is rewarded by Allah even if his statement of truth should lead to his death or punishment.

Another hadith very similar to the above states, “Verily, a person should not allow the veneration of the people to keep him from speaking the truth when he sees it or witnesses it. Certainly, to speak the truth or to remind of a great matter does not take one any closer to his appointed time nor does it keep one further from any provisions [already decreed for him].’

In fact, al-Masood argues that the ordering of good and the eradicating of evil can be obligatory upon a person even if it may surely lead to his death. This is the case where the guidance of a large number of people is dependent upon his speaking of the truth. In that case, he must speak the truth. The evidence for that is the lengthy hadith recorded by Muslim concerning the young boy and the king, the incident which Surah al-Burooj is in reference to. In that incident, the boy openly spoke the truth although he knew the king would punish him with death for doing so. However, he had to do that for if he remained silent or hid the truth, his people would not have been exposed to the truth at all.

Under all circumstances, though, the person who wants to forbid evil or order good should have the fear of Allah only in his heart. He should not fear the people. If he starts to fear the people, and forgets that everything is by the will of Allah and forgets that if he acts for Allah’s sake, Allah will protect him, then he will become very hesitant in his eradicating of evil. Indeed, he may even give it up completely. By fearing the people, he is, in reality, just belittling himself. They are just humans like himself. They have no real power over him. The only real power is with Allah. If great harm does come to him due to his efforts of standing up for the sake of Allah, that harm will be a source of reward for him and of Allah’s pleasure in the Hereafter. Al-Haakim records that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “The leader of the martyrs is Hamzah ibn Abdul Mutallib and a man who stood up to an unjust ruler and ordered him or prevented him and he [the ruler] therefore killed him.

4. “then [he must change it] with his tongue”

One of the most important means of changing an evil is changing it with one’s tongue. If one has the ability and right to change something by one’s hand, he should do so. However, if one does not have such a capability, he should move to the next step. The next step is to use one’s speech to influence the doers of evil to stop their evil. This category, first and foremost, includes screaming for help, calling for the authorities and other emergency-type acts of the tongue that may lead to the end of an act of evil. For example, if a believer sees a strong man robbing a weak person. He may conclude that he himself is not strong enough to ward off that robber. However, if he screams for help and begins to draw a crowd, the scream itself may ward off that robber and make him flee. When that happens, he has removed the evil by his tongue.

4.1 The Steps of Eradicating Evil by One’s Speech

If the above direct method of stopping evil by one’s tongue is not possible, one then resorts to other methods of changing evil by one’s tongue. According to al-Masood, there are certain steps that one should follow in eradicating evil by one’s speech. This is because the overall goal is to change and rectify one’s behavior. One is not trying to harm or injure others. Therefore, the following approach is recommended:

First, one should make the person realize that he is committing an evil. This, depending on the situation, may be done directly or indirectly. The sinner may be told, “Someone like you should not perform such an evil deed that is displeasing to Allah.” The person should continue to try to persuade the sinner kindly until he accepts his advice. Many times the sinner is not aware that he is committing a sin or he may not be aware of the gravity of the sin. Hence, by first informing the person of the matter, he may immediately and directly give up the act that he is doing. And that, obviously, is the goal. If this approach is effective, there is no need to move on to any other approach.

Al-Ghazzaali points out that it is important not to state that the person is ignorant. If the person is called ignorant or foolish, this will harm him and may drive him, due to his emotions, to defend his act and not change. One should approach him kindly without trying to harm him. In fact, if the Prophet (peace be upon him) knew that a person was committing some act that was unbecoming of him, he would speak publicly about the matter but in a general, indirect way, so that the person’s feelings would not be hurt. Many times, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) would state, “Why do a people do such and such … “

If the above proves ineffective, the second step should be followed. This is where the person is warned and advised about his action. He is reminded of Allah and made to fear Allah due to the action that he is committing. The person should be reminded of his coming death and how awful it would be if he were to die while committing such an evil act. The person should also be reminded that he is being counseled out of the brotherly love and care that all Muslims should have for each other. In this way, he will be more likely to listen to the words of advice.

In general, this approach is taken with respect to those people who are well aware of the shareeah ruling concerning the act they are performing. It is based on the Quranic verse, “Invite unto the way of your Lord with hikmah [the arguments of the Quran and sunnah] and beautiful admonition” (al-Nahl 125). Hence, the person should quote Quranic verses and hadith to the person concerning the act that he is performing. He should also encourage him to repent and ask Allah for forgiveness for his deed.

Note that if the person is committing a sin in private, then this exhortation and advice should be done privately between the advisor and the sinner. If the advice is given publicly, it will simply expose the person and drive him to defend himself. He may feel that the advisor is simply seeking to make him look bad and hurt his reputation. Therefore, the admonition may not be taken in the manner in which it was meant.

If the above approaches are not effective, one moves to the next level of harsh speech. However, before moving on to harsher actions, one must truly size up the situation. One must be certain that his new actions will not lead to more harm. One must also be certain that he is not taking a harsher approach simply for his own benefit. For example, a person may have dealt kindly with another and he did not like the way the other person responded. For example, he may feel that the brother he had counseled did not give him the amount of respect that he believes he deserves. Therefore, based on that other person’s reaction, he starts dealing with him in a harsher fashion. In this case, he is just acting on his own behalf and not truly for the sake of Allah.

It is true that the general rule is one of kindness and polite speech. Even when Allah directed Moses and Aaron to go the great tyrant Pharaoh, He stated, “Go both of you to Pharaoh, verily, he has transgressed. And speak to him mildly, perhaps he may accept admonition or fear [Allah]” (Taha 43-44). Some people, though, seem to think that polite speech is the only way. However, this is not the case.

For some people, kindness and polite admonition have no effect whatsoever. They will only be moved or affected if they are dealt with in a harsh and hard manner. The sinner should be told something of the nature of, “Be aware of Allah. Don’t you have any fear of Allah? Aren’t you ashamed to be performing such a sin,” and so forth or harsher words. However, the advisor must refrain from cursing the person or using words that are deemed inappropriate by the shareeah.

Fadhl-Ilaahi discusses the following cases where harshness is to be employed instead of polite and kind speech:
(i) When crimes “against Allah” and the sins requiring the prescribed punishments are committed, one must take a harsh stance until the situation is rectified or the criminal is punished. For example, in the verses related to punishing the fornicator, Allah makes it clear that pity or kindness cannot be invoked in order to prevent punishing such criminals. Allah states, “[As for] the woman and the man guilty of fornication, flog each of them a hundred stripes. Let not pity withhold you in their case, in a prescribed punishment of Allah, if you believe in Allah and the Last Day” (al-Noor 2)

On this point, ibn Taimiya wrote that Satan has misled many people in this area. Satan has convinced many people to accept other’s sins in the name of love and mercy that fill a person’s heart and emotions. For this reason, many of them lose their sense of honor and jealousy for the sake of Allah. They think that by not being harsh upon such sins, they are being merciful to mankind and dealing with them politely. Actually, this is nothing but compromising one’s religion as well as lack of faith and conviction. That is the real reason why they do not stop the evil that is present in their friends or associates around them.

(ii) When opposition or ridicule of the call to Islam or what is right appears, one may have to take a harsher approach. In the face of such opposition and arrogance, kindness and politeness may have no effect. One can find examples of this nature among the prophets (peace be upon them) themselves. For example, Abraham said to his people, “[Abraham] said, ‘Do you then worship besides Allah things that can neither profit you nor harm you? Fie upon you, and upon that which you worship besides Allah. Have you then no sense?“‘ (al-Anbiyaa 66-67). In another verse, Allah says, “And argue not with the people of the Scripture unless it be in a way that is better- save for those of them who do wrong” (al-Ankaboot 46).

Fadhl-Ilaahi gives the explanation of this verse by saying that, in general, their harshness should be answered with kindness, their anger with calmness. However, those among them who go beyond the limits and are not willing to listen but are only attacking or insulting, such are exempted from this approach. For them, one may use harsh words and toughness It is concerning people of this nature– those who oppose the truth and openly ridicule what is correct-that Allah revealed the verse, “O Prophet, strive hard against the disbelievers and the hypocrites, and be harsh against them” (al-Tauba 73).

The Prophet (peace be upon him) made a supplication against a person who, simply out of pride, refused to listen to the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) order. The Prophet (peace be upon him) told a man to eat with his right hand and he claimed that he was not able to. The Prophet (peace be upon him) explained that it was just pride and arrogance that kept that man from following the Prophet’s command. Therefore, he supplicated that the man would not be able to raise his right hand to his mouth again. (Recorded by Muslim.)

(iii) If the person is one who should know better or from whom one would expect better, one may then resort to harsh speech and conduct with that person. Here harshness is used to wake the person up from his mistake and make him change his ways. This kind of approach can be found in many hadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him). For example, Muslim records that the Prophet (peace be upon him) saw a man wearing a gold ring. The Prophet (peace be upon him) took it from the man’s finger and threw it away. He then said, “Does one of you intentionally go to a coal of fire and put it on his hand?“

However, the advisor himself must make sure that he does not go beyond the acceptable limits in this approach. If the person responds to his words, he should thank him and ask Allah to reward him for his listening and changing of his ways. The last stage of eradicating evil by one’s speech is that of threat. If all of the above means do not have the desired effect, one can then threaten the sinner by saying, for example, “If you do not stop your action, I will have you beaten,” or, “If you do not stop, I will contact the authorities,” and so forth. It is important that this threat be something reasonable and practicaland within the limits of the shareeah. If that is not the case, the sinner will not take the person seriously and will not care about what he is saying.

5. “And if he is not able to do so, then [he must change it] with his heart.”

If a person is not able to remove evil with his tongue, he must remove it with his heart. The notion of “being capable” is the same with respect to the tongue as it was with respect to the hand. Hence, the reader can go to Figures 34.1a and 34.1b and replace, “changing by the hand” with “changing by the tongue” to identify the cases wherein a person should is required to change the evil with his tongue and the cases where he must change it with his heart. Evil is never to be accepted. One should never be pleased with it. Everyone is required to “change” the evil around him. If a person cannot change the evil with his hand or his speech, he must then “change” it with his heart. This might be all that a person can do. Ibo Masood was quoted as saying, “Soon those who live among you will see evil and he will not be able to do anything other than have Allah know that he hates it.”

Everyone has different capabilities when it comes to changing evil. Some have the ability to change it with their hands while others do not have that ability. Those that do not have that ability are not sinful due to their shortcoming. Similarly, there are some who have the ability to change things with their speech while others, again, may not have that ability. However, there is one level concerning which everyone is capable. Nobody is excused when it comes to this level. This is the level of changing the evil with one’s heart. There are two requirements upon a Muslim with respect to his heart and evil. First, he must change it with his heart, as mentioned in this hadith.

Second, he must fight it or struggle against it (jihad) with his heart, as mentioned in the hadith narrated by Abdullah ibn Masood,

“There is no prophet that was sent to a nation before me except that he had from his nation helpers and companions. They would follow his way and implement his orders. Then came afterwards generations that would say what they did not do and do what they did not say. Whoever struggled against them with his hand is a believer. Whoever struggled against them with his tongue is a believer. And whoever struggled against them with his heart is a believer. Beyond that there is no faith, even equivalent to the amount of a mustard seed.” (Recorded by Muslim.)

Al-Nawawi states that a person should directly repel or change an evil if he has the ability to do so. He says, for example, a person should himself break musical instruments, wine caskets and so forth when he can. If he finds a stolen item and he knows its owner, he should return it. If, however, he believes that by doing such it will lead to greater harm, such as himself or others being killed or physically harmed, then he tries to change the matter by his speech and admonition. If he fears that this also might lead to some greater harm, then he must refrain from that also and simply “change” the evil by his heart. If repelling the evil is going to lead to bloodshed or fighting, he must stop himself and take the matter to the proper authorities and let them handle it. That is the only shareeah option open to him at that point. He does not have the right to stop any evil if his action would lead to greater harm for either himself or others.

It is when the person reaches this level of fearing bodily harm or loss to his wealth or family that he is no longer required to remove evil by his hand or tongue. Again, just fearing people’s speech or being verbally abused, insulted or ridiculed is not enough of an excuse to prevent one from changing evil with one’s hand or tongue. Allah knows what is in the hearts of human beings. He knows who would repel evil if he had the chance and who may claim to repel evil in his heart but does not really do so. If a person truly hates an evil in his heart and wishes that he could remove that evil but simply does not have the means to remove that evil, Allah will reward him for his intention in the same way that He rewards the one who removes that evil.

Ibn Taimiya wrote, As for love, hatred, want and dislike in the heart, it must be complete and definitive. One will only find a shortcoming in that aspect if there is a shortcoming in imaan itself. However, the actions of the body are according to one’s ability. If the want of the heart and its hatred is complete and perfect and the person acts accordingly given his ability, he will be given the reward of the person who performs the act completely [even if he did not perform the act because he did not have the ability to do so].

5.1 What is the Meaning and Actual Benefit of “Changing it with the Heart?”

“Changing it with the heart” means that the evil is hated in the person’s heart and if the person had the ability to remove it, he would remove it. This is not a completely passive aspect, as some people might suspect.
First, for the individual himself, this is one of the means by which a person keeps his heart pure. The heart is definitely affected and influenced by what it witnesses and what it becomes willing to accept. One of the worst effects of the modern media is that Muslims are witnessing on television and in movies acts that are clearly forbidden. But when they continue to watch them over and over again, they are no longer shocked by them. Their emotions no longer race and they sometimes even begin to accept such evils as normal. Then when they see other Muslims, maybe even their own children, performing the same evils, they are not shocked and scared to death but they have already been conditioned to accept it and think of it as part of modern-day life.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) stated, “Temptations and trials will be presented to men’s hearts like the way a reed mat is woven, stick by stick. And any heart which is filled by them will have a black mark put into it. But any heart which rejects them will have a white mark put into it. The result will be that there will be two types of hearts: one white like a white stone which will not be harmed by any turmoil or temptation so long as the heavens and earth endure; and the heart black and dust-colored like a vessel which is overturned, not recognizing what is good or rejecting what is evil but only being impregnated with passion.” (Recorded by Muslim.)

Second, “changing the evil with one’s heart” can save the person from Allah’s punishment. To be pleased with evil is very similar to performing the evil itself. Therefore, if a Muslim does not “change the evil with his heart,” by continuing to hate that evil, he may be exposing himself to Allah’s punishment.

Third, when someone really hates something in his heart, his behavior becomes affected. He will not be willing to sit in the presence of that evil. He will not even like those people who commit that evil. Allah says in the Quran, “And it has already been revealed to you in the Book that when you hear the Verses of Allah being denied and mocked, then sit not with them until they engage in a talk other than that; [but if you stay with them] certainly, in that case, you would be like them. Surely, Allah will collect the hypocrites and disbelievers all together in Hell” (al-Nisaa 1 40). This is a clear warning that if one does not remove himself from the place of evil and is willing to sit and witness the evil, then he may be reckoned with those people who commit the evil.

Commenting on the above verse, al-Qurtubi wrote, This can be used to indicate that one must stay away from the people of sins when they perform evil acts. This is because the one who does not stay away from them [must be] pleased with their acts and being pleased with disbelief [for example] is itself disbelief. Allah said, “Then you will be similar to them.”
Therefore, everyone who sits in a setting of sinful behavior and he does not repel their actions, he and they will be the same with respect to their responsibility [for the sins being committed there]. It is a must that he repel their evil if they speak or act in a sinful manner. If he is not able to repel their actions, then he must get up and leave them to ensure that he is not from those being discussed in this verse. .. If it is confirmed that one must stay away from the people of sins, then one must even more so stay away from the people of innovations and desires.

Hating something in the heart leads to specific attitudes and actions toward a deed. This attitude or action may lead to the evil being removed or lessened. For example, suppose there is a group of Muslims in a person’s house who begin to drink beer. One believer among them hates that deed yet he has not the ability to change it with his hand. He also realizes that if he speaks about it, a group present will start attacking “extremist Muslims” like himself. Therefore, he feels that even speaking about it will lead to more harm. His hatred for it in his heart leaves him with only one option: leave that gathering. If that believer is someone who the host or a group present respect or love and want to have present at that gathering, they may put the beer away because they know it offends him and they do not want him to leave. In that case, the believer did not act or speak against the evil. However, he changed the evil by his heart and his unwillingness to sit in the presence of that evil.

Finally, the hatred of that evil and its “changing with the heart” makes the person ever ready to remove the evil whenever he has the ability to do so. The person will never accept that evil deed. He is, in essence, just waiting for the moment that he will be able to strike out against it and put an end to it. He is in constant preparation and readiness. In this sense, it is a very positive and necessary aspect of change. If the person loses this feeling in his heart, then if he should ever be in a situation where he could have changed the evil, he may not do so because his heart and soul was not prepared to strike at that evil at the first opportunity.

5.2 Being Pleased with an Evil and The Heart that is Dead

Being pleased with an evil is a sin in itself. Every Muslim must realize that evils are displeasing to Allah. Out of his love for Allah, a Muslim must hate everything that is displeasing to his Lord. If he does not have this feeling, it is a clear sign that there is a shortcoming in his faith. In addition, he will be held accountable for his liking a sin even if he does not witness or perform that deed. Abu Dawood recorded the following hadith, “If a sin is committed on the earth, the one who witnessed it and hated it-and one time he said, ‘rebukes it’- is like one who was not present. And the one who was not present at the sin but is pleased with it is like one who was present [and did not repel it].”

If a person sees evil around him and does not have much feeling or hatred in his heart for it, this is a sign that his heart is diseased. But when the heart no longer cares about the evil that is around it, it is, in reality, a dead heart. In other words, if a person does not mind seeing evil and he does not hate seeing all of the acts that are displeasing to Allah around him, it means that his heart has lost all of its faith and is, for all intents and purposes, a dead
or useless heart. Ibn Masood was once asked what is a dead heart and he answered, “The heart that does not recognize and like the good and that does not reject and repel the evil.”

6. “And that is the slightest [effect of] faith.”

In their commentary on this hadith, al-Bugha and Mistu wrote, Ordering good and eradicating evil is a characteristic of faith. Those who order good and forbid evil are at different levels of merit based on their level of ordering good and eradicating evil. The one who changes the evil with his hand is better than the one who changes it with his tongue. And the one who changes it with his tongue is more virtuous than the one who rejects it with his heart, even if he was incapable of doing the other acts. This is indicated by the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) words, “And that is the weakest of faith.”

It is true that the Prophet (peace be upon him) literally stated, “That is the weakest of faith.” However, the interpretation given by al-Bugha and Mistu, which is a common understanding of this hadith, does not seem to be correct. This hadith is not talking about the ranks of faith and believers. Therefore, it is wrong to say, based on this hadith, that the one who removes evil by his hand is at a higher level of faith than the one who removes it by his tongue and so forth.

The reason this interpretation may not be proper is that the strength or virtue of one’s faith, in general, is not tied into what one is capable of performing. If one is not capable of performing a specific deed, it does not mean that his faith is less than the faith of the one who can perform that deed. Indeed, his faith may be much stronger but that deed may simply not be available to him. However, he may have a sincerer intention and stronger will to perform that deed if he were given the opportunity to do so. Hence, he will be rewarded according to that intention and will.

Therefore, what is meant by faith here is actually “the effect or fruit of faith”. In other words, faith has specific manifestations or effects. Among those manifestations is the obj ection to whatever is evil. The existence of “faith” will lead the person to try to remove that evil. If he can do so by his hand, he will do so. Otherwise, he will do so by his tongue. If he cannot even do that, then, the least manifestation of his faith, he will “change” that deed with his heart. The person’s faith may be as strong as those who change evil with their hands but he is simply not able to manifest his faith in the way that they are able to.

Therefore, to understand faith here as meaning, “the manifestation of faith” seems to be the best interpretation. Al-Qaari also mentions another interpretation: These words are in reference to the age of weak faith. In other words, if the people as a whole of a specific time period are of strong faith, like during the time of the Companions, they would be able to remove evil by their hands or, at the very least, by their tongues. If the believers, though, have to resort to “changing” evil just with their hearts, like they have to do in the current era, this is a sign that the faith of the people or era itself is weak. Otherwise, they would be able to do more than that. Although al-Qaari’s interpretation is an interesting interpretation, it does not seem to be the strongest interpretation.

6.1 The Relationship Between Faith and Eradicating Evil

In this hadith, the Prophet (peace be upon him) has linked faith with eradicating evil. There is a clear and definite relationship between the two. This relationship has been beautifully explained by Muhammad al-Sindi who wrote, No one is going to reject munkar in the way it should be rejected except for the one who knows Allah in the proper way, knows His right, and loves Him from the depths of the heart. [He is also only the one] who sees that everything is in Allah’s hand and no one other than Allah is of any concern to him. This is the person who, if he sees his Beloved disobeyed or His ruling contradicted, will stand out of jealousy and honor for the sake of Allah and to get closer to Him. He will rebuke the evildoer no matter who he may be and he will strive his utmost to remove that evil. The one who truly and sincerely loves Allah will not take disobedience to his Beloved lightly and he will not have the patience to witness it. And, furthermore, he will not love those people [who commit such evil]. That stance is not achieved except by those people who love Allah and whom He loves and who do not fear, for the sake of Allah, the reproach of anyone. Among those people are Umar ibn al-Khattaab.

During our time the “jealousy” or rage for the sake of Allah has been lost from the hearts of the servants. The evil has become accepted and what is good has become rejected. The one who cries should cry over that disaster.

Those Muslims who, in the name of brotherhood, love, friendship and mercy, accept and give full love to Muslims “as they are” and do not even consider removing the evil that they see around them are either lacking in their faith or have a great misunderstanding of what faith is all about. In reality, they give a preference to the feelings and wants of those Muslims over what Allah has commanded in the Quran. Obviously, in the heart of a true believer, Allah comes first. Acting in a way that is offensive or disliked to Allah can never be accepted or approved by the heart that is filled with faith.

6.2 The Negative Results of Not Repelling Evil

Before concluding the discussion of this hadith, it is important to note some of the results of not applying this hadith. In other words, what will happen if Muslims see evil and they do not repel it according to their abilities? This is a very important question. The Quran replies to this question to some extent and the Prophet (peace be upon him) also touched upon it in a number of hadith. Not eradicating evil has been a source of cursing by the prophets. Allah says, “Those among the Tribes of Israel who disbelieved were cursed by the tongue of David and Jesus son of Mary. That was because they disobeyed and were ever transgressing beyond bounds. They used not to forbid one another from the wrong which they committed. Vile indeed was what they used to do” (alMaaidah 78-79)

Allah also says in the Quran, “And fear the affliction and trial which affects not in particular (only) those of you who do wrong and know that Allah is severe in punishment” (al-Anfaal 25). It is narrated that the Companion ibn Abbas explained this verse by saying that Allah has ordered the believers not to accept any evil in their presence without working to remove it. Otherwise, Allah will afflict them with a general punishment. lbn Katheer called this explanation, “very good.”

Surah ali-Imraan verses 104-105 reads, “Let there arise out of you a party of people inviting to all that is good, enforcing what is right and eradicating what is evil. And it is they who are the successful. And be not as those who divided and differed among themselves after the clear proofs had come to them. It is they for whom there is an awful torment“. Two things should be noted about this verse. First, the Arabic structure of, “it is they who are the successful,” implies that they are the only ones who will be successful. Second, as ibn Uthaimeen pointed out, the mentioning of division and factionalism after mentioning the ordering of good and eradicating of evil indicates that abandoning the ordering of good and eradicating of evil is a cause of division and factionalism. ‘ In other words, if Muslims do not stop the evil of heresies and people spreading false ideas about others, it will lead to division and hatred among all.

Al-Bukhari recorded that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “The similitude of the one who fulfills Allah’s command [by eradicating evil] and the one who falls into what Allah forbids is like a people who drew lots for places on a boat. Some of them got the upper level of the boat while others were on the lower level. Whenever the people on the lower level wanted water, they had to go to the people on the upper level. Therefore, they said, ‘If we were to make a hole in our portion we would not have to bother the people above us [to get water].’ If they [the people on the upper level] leave them to what they want to do, all of them would be destroyed. If, instead, they take them by their hands [and stop them from what they plan on doing], they will be saved and they will save all of them.”

The Prophet (peace be upon him) also said, “There is no people among which evil is committed and they have the ability to change that but they do not change it except that Allah will soon afflict them with a punishment that will affect all of them.”

Another narration of the same hadith in Sunan Abu Dawood states, “There is no people among which evil is committed and they [the rest of them] are more than those who commit [the sins]. .. ” Another hadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him) states, “Allah does not punish the general masses for what a specific group does until they see an evil in front of them and they have the ability to repel it but they do not repel it. When they do that, Allah punishes the particular group and the masses.”

Ahmad and ibn Maajah recorded that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Certainly, Allah will ask the servant on the Day of Resurrection. He will even ask him, ‘What kept you from repelling an evil when you saw it.’ When Allah prompts the slave to understand his argument, he says, ‘O Lord, I put my hope in You [that is, Your forgiveness] and I had a fear of the people.“

Finally, the abandoning of the ordering of good and eradicating of evil is one of the causes for a person’s supplications ( dua) not to be responded to by Allah. Another hadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him) states, “By the One in whose hand is my soul, you must order good and forbid evil or Allah will soon send upon you a punishment from Himself and then you will supplicate to Him and He will not respond to you.“

One can see from the above that there are many factors that should drive a believer to ordering good and eradicating evil. These include: hoping for reward from Allah, fearing punishment from Allah for not doing it, love for Allah and love for obedience to Him, hating something for the sake of Allah when His laws are violated, and having mercy and compassion for one’s fellow Muslims by trying to take them away from acts that may lead them to Hell. If these points are kept in mind, it becomes very easy, Allah willing, to bear the hardships that often times are involved with ordering good and eradicating evil.

6.3 Ordering Good and Eradicating Evil is One of the Most Important Aspects of the Brotherhood of Islam

The ordering of good and eradicating of evil is not to be done for a person to demonstrate that he is better than others or more knowledgeable of Islam. Instead, it is done out of one’s love for Allah and out of one’s love (also for the sake of Allah) for his fellow believers. A believer should love for his brother what he loves for himself and no believer would love that he falls into acts that are displeasing to Allah. A believer should feel sad and hurt for his brothers when he sees them ignoring their obligations or falling into sins. He feels sad that Allah’s commands are being ignored and he feels sad that his brethren might be leading themselves to the Hell-fire. This feeling should drive him to act or speak to them on their behalf, to help them as one helps a child who is doing something dangerous although the child has no idea of what is gomg on.

Allah describes the believers in the following words, “The believers, men and women, are helpers and supporters of one another. They order what is good and forbid what is evil. They also establish the prayer, pay the zakat and obey Allah and His messenger. These are the ones to whom Allah will show mercy to. Verily, Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise” (al-Tauba 71 ). In other words, a believer is a protector and close friend to his fellow believers. He will not be happy to see them hurting themselves. He will realize that it is his responsibility to do what he can to keep them from the wrong acts that they are doing. They are actually hurting themselves by those acts. However, they may also be harming the remainder of the society. It is not fair that individuals be allowed to do such acts that are hurting the other members of the brotherhood. Therefore, this feeling of brotherhood for the sake of Allah is one of the driving forces behind ordering good and eradicating evil.

When Muslims stop ordering good and eradicating evil when they have the ability to do so, it is a sign that they have lost the true brotherhood of lslam. This is a sign that they do not care if their brother goes to Paradise or Hell. This is a sign that they do not care if one brother or sister does things to harm the other brothers and sisters in the community. All of this points to the importance of ordering good and eradicating evil and its direct relation to faith. If one has true faith, he will order good and forbid evil to the best of his ability. If such ordering good and eradicating evil is beyond his means, then, at the very least, he will hate the evil that is going on around him. He will hate to see what his brothers and sisters in Islam are doing and he would wish that there is something that he could do about it. This is, as this hadith points out, the least manifestation of faith. If even this is absent from the person, it means he has lost every ounce of true faith.

7. Other Points Related to This Hadith:

• It is part of Allah’s mercy upon His servants that He does not hold them responsible for things which are beyond their ability or control.

• It must be realized that what is meant by “incapability” is a case where a person believes that most likely the results will be harmful. This might be based on previous experience or knowing the nature of the people that he is dealing with. It is not referring to cases where the person is just dreaming or speculating that something negative might occur while, in reality, he has no reason or proof to expect such a negative result. In that case, the person is still obliged to change the evil. It is only when he is fairly certain or has strong reason to believe that negative results will occur that he is then
excused.

• If a person destroys another’s belonging and that article was something for which there is no benefit from an Islamic perspective, such as musical instruments, he is not required to reimburse the owner for his damages. Such articles have no value to them and, thus, cannot be reimbursed. However, some things are evil but not completely. In other words, they may also contain some good to them. Al-Masood says that if a person owns a book, for example, and some of it is good while some of it is evil, the evil parts only should be removed and destroyed and the remainder of the person’s property, the book, should not be harmed.

• The command to order good and forbid evil is irrespective of the person that one is dealing with. In other words, even if one is dealing with the ruler of the land or a famous scholar, if he is performing an evil, he should be stopped from his evil or encouraged to change his ways. One must make sure to stop the evil in such a way that it does not lead to more evil. This is especially true with respect to the rulers and scholars. Bringing down scholars and religious people or exposing their small mistakes may be very harmful, as people may lose confidence in their religion. Similarly, overly criticizing rulers may lead to greater harm as civil rebellion and unrest can break out. However, rulers are in need of reminders and correction as much as any one else.

This was the way established by the rightly-guided caliphs. Abu Bakr once said, “I have been appointed the ruler over you but I am not the best among you. If I do well, assist me. If I do wrong, straighten me out. Obey me as long as I obey Allah concerning you. If I disobey him, there is no obedience for me upon you.” Umar also said, “There is no good in you [citizens] if you do not say it [words of advice] and there is no good in us [rulers] if we do not accept it.” Saeed ibn Jubair said to ibn Abbas, “Should I order the leader what is good and keep him from evil?” He answered, “If you fear that he will kill you, then no.” He continued asking the question until ibn Abbas finally said, “If you must do so, then make it between you and him.” Imam al-Haramain stated that if the leader was unjust and could not be corrected by speech, the leaders of the country, who are known as ahl-hill wa al-aqd, should remove him from the rule. Al-Nawawi points out, though, that this is to be done only if it will not lead to greater harm. In other words, one must do one’s best to avoid bloodshed and the harming of the Muslim masses.

• Related to the previous point, one should also not allow one’s friendship, closeness or need of another influence him when it comes to eradicating evil. If a Muslim has a close Muslim friend who is doing evil, he should try to stop him. He should not value his friendship more than Allah’s command and compromise his religion for his friend. Indeed, if the other Muslim were a true friend, he would not put his companion into a situation where he has to choose between his friendship or pleasing Allah.

Similarly, one should not allow blood relationship to affect how one views evil. Sometimes people remain quiet or excuse evil when it is done by their parents although they would never accept such evil if it were done by others. This is indeed a great test for the human when he sees evil coming from someone so close and beloved to himself. But he must decide whether
to stand up for the sake of Allah or to forget about Allah because of his parents. One of the greatest trials a person faces is seeing evil from a person whom he is financially in need of. Many times, because of his financial needs, he remains silent in front of the evil that the other one does. That is not proper. The true sustenance comes from Allah and not from that other person. By remaining silent to get some financial gain, one is only risking Allah’s displeasure in the Hereafter.

• Removing evil by one’s hand is not the sole right of the government nor does one have to take the ruler’s permission to do so. Instead, it is the right of every Muslim who has the ability to do so as long as it does not lead to a greater harm or evil.

• The obligation to order good and forbid evil is not something specific for men only, as noted above. Women also, within their means and ability, must forbid evil. In particular, by their speech, they should repel evil among the other women, among their male relatives and among children. Ahmad records in his Musnad that Aisha saw a woman wearing a garment that had a shape of a cross on it. Aisha told her, “Remove that from your clothing for if the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) saw that on a garment, he would cut it off.” Aisha one time saw her brother making ablution quickly to catch the prayer and she told him to complete the ablution for she heard the Prophet (peace be upon him) say, “Woe to the heels from the fire.” (Recorded by Muslim.) If they are not able to forbid evil with their speech, then they must change it with their hearts, as is the case with men. Most likely, for women, because of the restrictions upon them, they will have to change evil most by their hearts only.

• It is recommended to advise a person concerning his faults privately. This is because, in general, people respond in a much more positive fashion when being corrected privately and not in front of others. Imam al-Shafiee stated, “Whoever admonished his brother privately, he advised him and made him better. However, the one who admonished him publicly simply exposed him and shamed him.

• If no one opposes evil, evil will be allowed to spread. It may spread so much that it dominates and takes over a society. This is one of the greatest problems facing the liberal societies of the West. This “liberal” approach and call to “freedom” must not be allowed to dominate Muslim lands. In the West, even if a person does not believe that another act is correct, under the guise of “freedom and democracy,” he has very little room to oppose it. It is even incorrect for him to oppose it in his heart, because that goes against the very foundation of freedom of thought and freedom of action that they claim to believe in.

He must accept the deed and stand up for the person’s right to perform the deed in the name of liberty and freedom. That is why, for example, one can find “Christians” standing up for the rights of gays and others who are acting in un-Christian like fashion. The right of “freedom” has become more important than ethics and morals. One cannot judge other’s deeds but must simply accept them in the name of “freedom.” Unfortunately, people are trying to spread this way of thinking throughout the Muslim lands– indeed, this way of thinking is spreading throughout the Muslim world. This way of thinking is absolutely unacceptable from an Islamic point of view. Any act that is defined as evil by the shareeah is an evil and must be opposed. It can never be accepted in the name of “freedom,” “democracy,” “progress,” “civilization,” or any other slogans it is given. These are all false and satanic plots. Evil is evil and must be changed by one’s hands, tongue or heart. If not, the Muslims are sinful and may even lose all semblance of their faith.

• Imam Ahmad said, “Ordering good and eradicating evil is like jihad. It is obligatory upon one person to have patience and struggle against two and he may not flee from those two. It is not obligatory upon him to be patient and face more than that. If he is able to bear the harm and is strong enough [so he takes on more than two people], that is best. Allah said, ‘Enjoin right and forbid evil and bear with patience whatever befalls you’ [Luqmaan 17]. If a person fears being verbally abused or having the people say something about him, something of that nature does not remove the obligation upon him.”

• Al-Bugha and Mistu point out that one must have the right intention when ordering good and eradicating evil. One must not do so out of love of fame or to have dominance or power over others. Instead, one must do so out of the love of Allah and hatred for seeing His laws ignored or violated. One must also do so as a mercy to the believers and as a kind of naseeha to them, which falls under the category of “for the sake of Allah.” Although those comments are true for any act of worship, they probably emphasized this point in their discussion of this hadith because this is an area where Satan easily misguides people. Ordering good and eradicating evil is an opportunity to display one’s knowledge and bravery for the sake of Allah. Hence, it is an area in which acting for show and popularity can be a common disease. Therefore, every Muslim must be clear to himself as to why exactly he is ordering good and eradicating evil.

• Sultaan points out that the circumstances surrounding Abu Saeed’s narration of this hadith, in which he objected to the ruler Marwaan’s actions, is evidence that it is permissible to oppose the rulers with one’s hand. However, of course, one is not allowed to do that if it will lead to bloodshed or greater harm. Ibn Rajab also states that it is allowed to spill
the wine of the rulers or break their musical instruments. He says that if they order some kind of dhulm (wrong, oppression) and one has the ability to stop it, he should do so. All of that is permissible and does not fall under the category of fighting or revolting against the ruler. However, using weapons to revolt against the Muslims rulers and the spilling of Muslim blood is not permissible.

• As noted earlier, a Muslim must remain away from evil. This is part of his “changing it with his heart” as referred to in this badith. The scholars have discussed the case where a person enters a place in which there is evil but not specifically in the portion where he will be. For example, suppose a person is in a shopping mall which contains stores that sell unacceptable items. It seems that it is permissible for him to be in that situation as long as be does not enter the actual portions where the evil is existing. If a person is invited to a wedding party and in some portion of the party area there is evil but not where he is or where the food is being served and so forth, he may stay in that place.

However, al-Sabt notes that one must distinguish between a person whose example is going to be followed and whose presence at that place may be misunderstood as accepting of that evil. In a case of that nature, that person should not stay at that wedding party. At the same time, also, avoiding the places of evil does not mean that one sacrifices acts that are required by the shareeah because of the presence of a lesser evil. For example, one must still attend the mosque even if the only mosque available to him is one which has decorations or pictures on the wall. Similarly, as has been ascribed to Imam Ahmad, if a person is following a funeral procession and then people start wailing or playing a hand-drum, one does not leave what is ordered by the shareeah due to that lesser evil that is present. Allah knows best.

• Those “callers to Islam” today who are making everything “permissible” for the Muslims– those “speakers” and others who are calling many things halaal even though they are clear violations of the Quran and sunnah and, many times, these “callers” are aware of that fact but continue in this way to “make things easy for the people”- must have a shortcoming in two areas: in their love of Allah and in their love for their fellow Muslims. No one who truly and completely loves Allah can be happy when people follow their desires and opinions rather than what Allah has commanded. No one who truly loves his fellow Muslims can be happy when they follow opinions or acts that he knows go against the Quran and sunnah. “Calling” to Islam is not some type of popularity contest. It is a matter of calling people to the way of Allah- the way that is pleasing to Allah, which may not necessarily be the same path that is pleasing to the masses.

• Innovations and heresies are from the greatest evils that exist among the Muslims. It is obligatory to repel evil according to one’s ability. Allah willing, there is a great reward for doing so. Imam Ahmad was once asked, “Who is more beloved to you, a person who fasts, prays and secludes himself in the mosque or a person who speaks out against the innovators?” He answered, “If he fasts, prays and secludes himself in the mosque, that is for his own personal benefit. If he speaks out against the innovators, that is
for the benefit of the Muslims as a whole and that is preferable.”‘ lbn
Taimiya argues that such actions are like a form of jihad that is meant to
defend the religion and preserve it.

Summary of the Hadith:
• A Muslim should never acquiesce to the presence of an evil. It is obligatory upon him to remove that evil whenever he has the ability to do so.
• Ifhe can remove that evil with his hand, then he must do so.
• Ifhe does not have the ability to remove the evil with his hand or removing it would lead to a greater evil, then he must try to remove the evil with his speech.
• If he is also not able to remove the evil with his speech, then he can only resort to removing the evil with his heart. That is the least manifestation of faith with respect to evil.