Enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil: Importance and Methods (Part One)
Abstract
Enjoining good and forbidding evil is founded on faith in Allah Almighty, respect for religious and human values, and safeguarding the Islamic community from intellectual and moral deviation. In reality, this principle represents an effort to be saved from divine punishment both in this world and the Hereafter, and it is a practical step toward affirming virtue, eliminating corruption, creating a healthy environment for the growth of goodness, and eradicating evil. It is also a means for cultivating a conscious and responsible conscience among members of society.
Whenever this social responsibility is neglected, spirituality fades away, and carnal desires dominate both the individual and society. Religion disappears, ignorance and corruption rise, and as a result, divine punishment encompasses both the righteous and the wicked. Therefore, it is an obligation upon Muslims not to spare any effort in upholding this foundational and constructive social duty. They must always strive to fulfill their responsibility toward this noble command of Shari‘ah, and never allow the dust of negligence to settle upon it.
The Meaning and Definition of Enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil
The word “amr” means “command or instruction, motivating toward something,” while “nahy” means “prohibiting or preventing from something.” Linguistically, “ma‘ruf” means “recognized or well-known,” and “munkar” means “unknown or unrecognized.” Thus, righteous deeds are considered familiar and known, while evil and undesirable acts are seen as unfamiliar and unrecognized.
Raghib al-Isfahani (may Allah have mercy on him) states: “Ma‘ruf refers to actions whose goodness is known through reason or through religious revelation, while munkar refers to actions whose repulsiveness is established through reason or revelation.”
Some scholars have said: “Ma‘ruf is everything that the Shari‘ah commands—whether as an obligation or a recommendation—and considers to be good, and which sound human nature also accepts as good. Munkar is that which the Lawgiver prohibits—whether as a strict prohibition or a discouragement—and considers to be evil, and which sound human nature also finds detestable.”
In other words, enjoining good implies commanding and encouraging actions that are considered good and desirable by both reason and Shari‘ah, while forbidding evil means preventing actions that are considered bad and reprehensible by both.
The Importance and Necessity of Enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil
Enjoining good and forbidding evil is the foundation of all religious and worldly affairs and is one of the fundamental pillars of Islamic civilization. Its vital and central role in Islamic culture is like the circulation of blood in a living body—neglecting it leads to the gradual death of the Muslim Ummah. Reforming human society is not possible without faith, calling to truth, and combating corruption.
Experience shows that a society in which this duty is carried out clearly and consciously remains pure and secure. However, if these two responsibilities are forgotten and violations and disorder are ignored, society faces dangerous consequences, and no one will feel safe in such an environment.
Due to its importance, Islamic scholars have considered it the very foundation and core of religion. Imam Abu Hamed al-Ghazali (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “Enjoining good and forbidding evil is one of the central pillars of religion, and all prophets were sent for this purpose. If this duty becomes extinct and vanishes from among the people, the entire Shari‘ah will become void.”
Based on what has been mentioned above, enjoining good and forbidding evil is an advisory and sincere responsibility and a collective obligation, not something limited to a specific class of Muslims, as many wrongly assume. Everyone must contribute to reforming society and establishing Allah’s system on Earth. Muslims will only be considered an “excellent nation” when every individual in the Islamic community actively calls to virtue and resists corruption. The day this great divine duty is forgotten, they will no longer be the best of nations, nor will they benefit humanity.
Imam Sayyed Abul Hasan Nadwi (may Allah have mercy on him) stated: “Alongside the prophethood of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH), Allah also appointed his Ummah to the mission of da‘wah (inviting to Islam), enjoining good, and forbidding evil—so that both during the Prophet’s lifetime and after his passing until the Day of Judgment, they would carry this responsibility and call humanity to the truth, fulfilling the proof of Allah upon them in every time and place.”
On this same basis, Imam Shah Waliullah Dehlawi (may Allah have mercy on him) referred to the Prophet’s mission as “Ba ‘that Maqrunah”—meaning that the Prophet’s mission was accompanied by the collective mission of the Ummah itself.
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