Author: Shukran Ahmadi
Da’wah’s Necessity and Method in the modern world (Part 4)
Prioritizing What Is Good Over Forbidding What Is Evil
The one who commands the Good must be fully familiar with the Ma’roof and understand the various degrees of both the Ma’roof and the Munker. As the saying goes, «ادعو إلى الله على بصیرة» (call to Allah with insight). The jewel of insight is friendship and tenderness. Enjoining the good and forbidding the evil is an obligatory duty. If Muslims fulfill all their other duties but neglect the obligation of enjoining good and forbidding evil, they will be held accountable by Allah on the Day of Judgment. When duties and obligations are abandoned, good is assumed, and when prohibitions become common, the prohibition of evil is also assumed. Enjoining good should be prioritized over forbidding evil. While anyone can perform acts of goodness, forbidding what is bad is not for everyone, as doing good typically yields positive results, whereas forbidding bad behavior can sometimes lead to negative consequences.
Scholars have only made the knowledge of assumptions a condition for doing good; however, they have set several conditions to forbid negativity, including:
1. The ability to remove the negativity: The individual must have enough power to effectively address the negative behavior. For example, in a country, the ruler typically has the most authority to enact change; this role is not suited for everyone.
2. Potential harm to the claimant: If the act of prohibiting negativity results in harm to the one doing the forbidding or encourages the other party to sin, then the prohibition is not valid. This is especially true if a person is denying or insulting religion or mocking religious issues. In such a case, outright prohibition is not permissible; rather, one should pray for the individual and refrain from direct confrontation.
3. Religious narration: It is stated in the narration: «من رأی منکم منکراً فلیغیره بیده فان لمیستطع فبلسانه فان لمیستطع فبقلبه و ذلک أضعف الإیمان» Translation: “Anyone of you who sees something wrong should change it with their hand; if they can’t, then with their tongue; if they can’t, then they should dislike it in their heart, and this is the weakest level of faith.”
Changing negativity differs from simply removing it. Many people can refuse to accept wrongdoing, and many cannot act upon their refusal. Nevertheless, change is their duty, and if they cannot enact that change, they should at least dislike it in their heart, which represents the lowest level of faith.
4. Public command and societal influence: When a command is widely known and takes root in society, the prevalence of negativity will automatically diminish. As Allah’s (S.W.T) states: «إِنَّ الصَّلَاةَ تَنْهَى عَنِ الْفَحْشَاءِ وَالْمُنْكَرِ» Whenever prayer, which is one of the most important duties, is revitalized, this act serves as a deterrent against immorality and vices, effectively dismantling them. Therefore, one of the means to combat evil is to reinvigorate sound practices, positioning the prohibition of evil as a secondary priority.
