Enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil: A Duty Feared by Atheists (Part three)
The Method of Enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil
It goes without saying that every task requires a specific method and approach; if that method is followed, it will yield results. When it comes to enjoining good and forbidding evil, one must proceed with wisdom, insight, and consultation. When we witness an evil act, we should not start shouting or using offensive language. Rather, we should first turn to supplication, seek help from Allah, reflect, and consult with others: Where should we start, and how should we act?
Allah the Almighty says: ادْعُ إِلَىٰ سَبِيلِ رَبِّكَ بِالْحِكْمَةِ وَالْمَوْعِظَةِ الْحَسَنَةِ وَجَادِلْهُم بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ﴾ [النحل: ۱۲۵]) Translation: “Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good advice, and argue with them in the best manner.” [An-Nahl: 125]
Response to Some Doubts About Enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil
There have been certain doubts and objections raised regarding the practice of enjoining good and forbidding evil. Here, we will address a few of them:
First Doubt
Some people say: “We should leave others to themselves and not interfere in their private lives by urging them to do good deeds they are not inclined toward or preventing them from evils they are willing to commit. Doing so contradicts the personal freedom guaranteed in Islam.”
To support this claim, they refer to the following verse in which Allah says: (لَا إِكْرَاهَ فِي الدِّينِ قَد تَّبَيَّنَ الرُّشْدُ مِنَ الْغَيِّ [البقرة: ۲۵۲]) Translation: “There is no compulsion in religion; the right path has become distinct from the wrong.”
Response to This Doubt
1. Inviting people—logically and reasonably—to perform good deeds and abandon evil is not inconsistent with personal freedom. In fact, human reason affirms and supports it. For example, if a person sees someone about to fall into a well and die, and does not guide or warn him appropriately—even with reasonable urgency—he would be condemned by wise and rational people. Sound reasoning dictates that the knowledgeable should guide the ignorant toward the path of guidance and save them from Hell through enjoining good and forbidding evil.
2. As has been established elsewhere, the ultimate goal of humanity is nearness to God, not sinking into immoralities. Therefore, human freedom must be in line with achieving this goal. From an Islamic perspective, freedom is a means to attain human perfection, unlike human ideologies that treat freedom as an end in itself.
That said, no doubt a person’s happiness and perfection are linked to their free will and choice. However, no one has the right to misuse this freedom to harm the freedom and development of others in society. A person’s liberty must not damage the collective well-being or moral structure of the society.
This is a point acknowledged not only by Islam but also by secular ideologies. People who openly commit immoral acts in public disrupt social order and spread corruption. Therefore, individual freedom is only respected as long as it does not harm the collective good.
Hence, one of the duties of the government and ruling authorities is to protect both individual freedom and the sanctity of societal values.
In Islam, freedom does not have intrinsic value—it gains value based on its purpose. If it leads to personal and social development in education, culture, and ethics, it is highly valuable. Otherwise, it is either worthless or even harmful.
The truth is, both innate freedom and social freedom each have their own philosophy and rationale. Man is created inherently free to achieve his ultimate purpose, but since he can use this freedom for either growth or decline, he has no right to use it to bring about the downfall of society. The goals of each society determine the limits of freedom within it.
3. The verse cited—“There is no compulsion in religion…”—denies coercion in matters of belief, as faith is an internal matter of the heart and cannot be forced. The phrase is a declarative statement, followed by: “…the right path has become distinct from the wrong,” which serves as a rationale. That is, since truth is clear and evident, there is no need to force anyone into belief.
Moreover, in other verses, the obligation of enjoining good and forbidding evil is explicitly stated. Also, in discussions of legal punishments (Hudud and Tazir), there is a wide emphasis on the implementation of Islamic laws to prevent repetition of immoral acts in society.
All of these are clear examples of the Islamic command to enjoin good and forbid evil.
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