The Importance of Enjoining what is Good and Forbidding what is Evil
8. Enjoining what is Good and forbidding what is Evil is the reason for the superiority of this nation over other nations. This religious issue defines and expresses the superiority of this Ummah over other previous Ummahs. In the blessed verse below, Allah (S.W.T) has discussed the command to be known and the prohibition of disbelief and has mentioned it before mentioning faith in Him. From this verse, it is clear that the perfection of faith is dependent on commanding what is good and forbidding what is evil, and if there is no command to what is good and what is forbidding what is wrong, the essence of faith in Allah Almighty will not be realized. In the following verse, Allah Almighty says: «كُنْتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ تَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ». It means: “You are the best nation that has appeared for people: you enjoin good, forbid evil, and believe in Allah.”
9. Enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil is responding to the commands of Allah Almighty; Allah has assigned all Muslims to achieve the goal of religion in a correct way, which is possible through commanding what is good and forbidding what is bad, to build regular groups and organizations in order to successfully step on this path and fulfill this responsibility correctly. In the following verse, Allah Almighty says: «وَلْتَكُنْ مِنْكُمْ أُمَّةٌ يَدْعُونَ إِلَى الْخَيْرِ وَيَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ». It means: “And there should be a group from among you who invite [people] to good deeds, force them to do righteous deeds, and prevent them from doing ugliness, and they are the ones who will be saved.”
Ibn Kathir, may Allah have mercy on him, writes in the interpretation of the above verse: “In fact, what Allah Almighty means is that there should be a nation of you appointed to carry out the commands of Allah Almighty in calling to good and commanding good and forbidding evil.”
Allamah Saadi wrote in his interpretation below this verse: “This verse is a guidance from Allah Almighty for the believers that a group and congregation should arise from among them and be in charge of the affairs of the call and their duty should be to guide them towards religion. Scholars and Thinkers of Islamic sciences should be at the head of it, and preachers who call people to enter the religion, invite deviant people to persevere in the religion, and encourage the mujahidin in the way of Allah Almighty. Also, those who are responsible for surveying the general public in adherence to the Islamic Sharia and its rulings such as the five prayers, zakat, fasting, Hajj, etc., should play a key role and active contribution in this field.
Sheikh Sha’arawi, may Allah have mercy on him, also wrote in the commentary of the above verse: “The meaning of the verse is that from among you, O audience! It should be a nation that invites to goodness.” And its other meaning is: “All of you should be a nation that invites to goodness.” He continues that some scholars believe that the interpretation of the verse is as follows: “There must be a group among you that invites good deeds and forbids evil deeds.” There is also a deeper understanding that the above verse commands: “All Muslim groups must be a nation that calls to goodness and forbids evil.” This verse calls all the Islamic Ummah that in this case there will be no special group that enjoins what is good and forbids what is evil and others stop doing this, rather it is obligatory for all the Islamic Ummah to enjoin what is good and forbid what is evil and whoever knows a ruling, He is required to convey it to others.
10. Allah Almighty reminds us that we give power and sovereignty to those who have three important characteristics; One of them is the discussion of what is known and what is forbidden. It has been pointed out in a verse that it raises the issue of power and governance, and its meaning is that in the system of an Islamic state, there must be a plan to enjoin what is known and forbid what is evil, and the government must take measures in this field and have a regular program on the agenda. The verse related to this topic is as follows: «الَّذِينَ إِنْ مَكَّنَّاهُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ أَقَامُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتَوُا الزَّكَاةَ وَأَمَرُوا بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَنَهَوْا عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَلِلَّهِ عَاقِبَةُ الْأُمُورِ». Translation: “[Those] who, if We give them power [and government] on earth, will perform the prayer, give the zakat, and enjoin what is good and forbid what is bad, and the end of all things belongs to Allah.”
11. It has been mentioned in various verses that anyone who abandons what is good and forbids what is wrong, will eventually be among the perpetrators of wrongdoing and will have a terrible and bad end. The verse related to this topic is as follows: «فَلَمَّا نَسُوا مَا ذُكِّرُوا بِهِ أَنْجَيْنَا الَّذِينَ يَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ السُّوءِ وَأَخَذْنَا الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا بِعَذَابٍ بَئِيسٍ بِمَا كَانُوا يَفْسُقُونَ»; Translation: “So when they forgot what they were admonished, we saved those who forbade evil, and We caused those who did wrong, due to their disobedience and sins, to a severe punishment.”
12. In this Karima verse, the qualities of believers are mentioned, whom Allah Almighty praises and gives good news to heaven, which is the ultimate goal of all believers. In this verse, Allamah Alousi, may Allah have mercy on him, has interpreted what is known as faith and what is wrong as shirk, and this interpretation alone conveys a very broad concept and a lofty position of enjoining what is known and forbidding what is wrong: «التَّائِبُونَ الْعَابِدُونَ الْحَامِدُونَ السَّائِحُونَ الرَّاكِعُونَ السَّاجِدُونَ الْآمِرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَالنَّاهُونَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَالْحَافِظُونَ لِحُدُودِ اللَّهِ وَبَشِّرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ»؛ “[They] are the repentant, the devout, the grateful, the fasting, the bowing, the prostrating, the enjoiners of what is good and the forbidders of what is evil, and the keepers of the limits [and commandments] of Allah, and give glad tidings to the believers.”
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