Chapter 1
Rulings on enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil
32725: She is complaining about her husband's
attachment to the Society for the Promotion of Virtue
Question:
I am a girl who is married to a religiously
committed young man, and I am happy with him, praise be to
Allaah. He works with some men from the Society for
the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice. I
know that his working with them is regarded as an honour
for me and Allaah knows that I am happy when he is able
to change some evils.
But my problem with him is that he is so strongly
attached to them. For example, when we go out for a walk, if
he sees something bad he follows it until he can contact
some men from the Society and they come. If I argue with
him about it, he thinks that I do not want to put an end to
evil! Allaah knows that that is not true, but I want him to
take it easy. Also, what bothers me about this matter is that
he speaks to women a lot, and this makes me crazy and
makes me jealous when he says that this one was dressed
like this and that one looked like that.
Tell me what I should do, may Allaah reward you
with good.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly we congratulate you on your good attitude of
being pleased with what your husband does, which is the
work of the Prophets themselves (peace be upon them),
namely enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil,
and calling people to Allaah.
We advise you to stand by your husband's side
and encourage him in this work, and not to have any
doubts about him or to feel fed up with what he does.
With regard to what he tells you about women, it
seems that he is telling you because he trusts you, and is
not telling you in order to upset you, or to express
his admiration for them. Rather he is telling you that in
order to inform you of some of the evil actions that people
do, so that you can beware of them, or so as to get it off
his chest. When some people see evil actions, it affects
them deeply, and they need someone to talk to about it so as
to get it off their chests. So you should be aware of that
and not let the Shaytaan get to you with regard to this matter.
There is no reason why you should not advise him
with regard to the things in which he is falling short
towards you, so long as that is done in the way that is better
and without casting aspersions on his decency and morals.
Our advice to the husband is to give his family their
rights, and to treat them in a reasonable manner. He
should respect their feelings and not describe women to his
wife; just as a man would not like his wife to describe men
to him, so too a woman does not like her husband to
describe women to her.
He should avoid speaking too much to women, and
restrict it only to what is needed in order to change the evil or
to draw attention to it, etc, because being too careless
and lax about that may lead to bad consequences. And
he should strive to lower his gaze, because looking is one
of the arrows of Iblees.
May Allaah help you both to do that which He loves
and which pleases Him.
And Allaah knows best.
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32693: Da'wah via private chat
Question:
I hope that you could tell me of a specific way to
make da'wah to the youth via chat, because I found that
some of them respond. I hope that you can help me.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Entering chat rooms may lead to many evil
consequences, hence we do not advise anyone to focus his concern
and energy on that. Many of the youth have been tempted
to use chat rooms to get to know girls, so it starts with
da'wah and ends with becoming preoccupied with and
tempted by these girls, and some of them have even
committed fornication.
Our website has heard of many sad stories, some
from girls who have repented, and some from the wives of
some righteous men whose lives have been changed by
these chat rooms.
Hence we think that this matter should be left to
some daa'iyahs to carry out in an organized and
collective fashion, because of the fear of evil consequences that
start with chatting for the purpose of da'wah and end _
usually _ with evils that are not permitted in Islam, such
as infatuation and what it leads to. The Shaytaan has
ways that he follows with those whom he wishes to tempt,
so we must beware of these things.
We appreciate your protective jealousy (gheerah)
with regard to people's falling into sin, and your keenness
to call people to Allaah, but we would prefer you to
direct your energies towards general writing on bulletin
boards and delivering khutbahs and teaching in the mosques
and in public places. This is more beneficial and is better
for you _ in sha Allaah _ than using private chat for da'wah.
And Allaah knows best.
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13450: I lose my temper with smokers _ what should I do?
Question:
I am a muslim student and i have a bad temper
towards smokers. i loose my temper when some one is smoking,
i know this is selfish but i can't breath, my eyes swall
up and i get dizzy when some 1 smokes. my mother says
i should cotrol myself but i always answer its not my
fault, but it is i should controll my self. i try but can not,
ive read through everythin on this site but can not seem
to follow any thing in these situations. is there anythng
i can do, or is this a forgiveable mistake?.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
Smoking is one of the things that are forbidden. For
more information on the evidence for it being forbidden,
please see question no. 1812 and
10922.
Secondly:
If every person were able to live in this world
according to his wishes and desires, there would be no misery
in this world and it could not be described as hardship;
there would be no problems that need to be solved and
dealt with. But in reality it is a mixture of sweet and
bitter. Each of us is trying to live his life according to his
wishes and desires, wishing that others would understand
that. But there are many obstacles in the way. This is the
reality of this world; no matter how much enjoyment we find
in it, it will ultimately end in sorrow and regret.
The feelings of anger that you experience as a
reaction towards someone who smokes in front of you
are justifiable feelings. Indeed I would go further and say
that most wise people would naturally agree with you,
because man is by nature repulsed by bad actions, in addition
to that fact that you are being physically harmed by
this smoke.
But a person must understand how he can express
his feelings towards things and he must find the best way
to express his feelings in different situations that do not
suit him. When a person can overcome this obstacle successfully, he will have taken an important step
towards achieving his goal.
Therefore we have to realize that people do not
respond to the wishes of the one who issues commands with
an attitude of force and compulsion, rather they will
move far away from the one who is like that, even though
they may believe that what he is saying or demanding is
in itself correct and acceptable.
Simply feeling angry towards these things that
you mention is something that is acceptable, but anger on
its own does not bring about the desired results in most
cases. Controlling your nerves and feelings, and looking for
an appropriate way to express them will bring about
the desired results in the shortest and easiest way. Have
you tried expressing how much the smoking bothers you
and the bad effect it has on you, in a calm and polite manner?
Most smokers, if you ask them to stop in a calm
manner, explaining the reason, will respond immediately.
Conversely, they will respond to those who advise
them in a bad way in an even worse manner, with
few exceptions. If a person wants to achieve his goal, he
has to be patient, careful and speak well.
You ask "do I have to control myself"? Definitely
the answer will be yes, you have to have control yourself
with these and with other people. How many things there
are in this world that provoke anger.
Controlling yourself and your feelings must be one
of your priorities. Our noble and merciful Prophet taught
us this. When that man came to him and said, "O
Messenger of Allaah, advise me," the Messenger (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, "Do not become
angry." The man repeated his question several times and
the Messenger said, "Do not become angry."
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 6116).
How can a person live if he does not equip himself
with patience?
Try to control your nerves by all possible means. Try
to select friends who will help you to control yourself
and become patient.
Keep away from any friends and colleagues who
annoy you and get on your nerves. Try as much as possible
to avoid the situations that provoke your anger.
First and last, seek help through du'aa' and asking
Allaah to help you to be patient in all situations.
Do not say that you cannot control your nerves, for
feeling that you will fail may lead to it becoming a reality
which you give in to and accept.
If you are determined and have a sincere intention,
then in sha Allah you will reach your goal. But you
should note that you will find that difficult [in the
beginning]. But have confidence that you will eventually gain
control of yourself and this bitterness and struggle will
become sweet on the day when you find it bears fruit.
And Allaah knows best.
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11403: Enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil
Question:
Why do the Muslims consider enjoining what is
good and forbidding what is evil to be one of the basic
principles of their religion?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Man is very forgetful and makes a lot of mistakes.
His own self (nafs) tells him to do evil and the Shaytaan
tempts him to commit sin. When bodies get sick and are
afflicted with disease, one has to find a doctor who can
prescribe the appropriate medicine so that the body may be
restored to full health. Similarly, souls and hearts may be
afflicted with the diseases of desire and doubt, so people do
things which Allaah has forbidden, such as shedding
blood, committing adultery, drinking alcohol, oppressing
people and consuming their wealth unlawfully, preventing
people from following the way of Allaah and disbelieving
in Allaah.
The diseases of the heart [psychological and
spiritual diseases] are worse than diseases of the body. This
means that one must find a doctor who is skilled in treating
such diseases. Because the diseases of the heart are so
many and cause the spread of evil and corruption, Allaah
has enjoined the believers to treat these diseases, by
enjoining that which is good and forbidding that which is evil.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Let there arise out of you a group of people inviting
to all that is good (Islam), enjoining Al-Ma`roof (i.e.
Islamic Monotheism and all that Islam orders one to do)
and forbidding Al-Munkar (polytheism and disbelief and
all that Islam has forbidden). And it is they who are
the successful"
[Aal `Imraan 3:104]
Enjoining what is good (al-ma'roof) and forbidding
what is evil (al-munkar) is one of the most important
Islamic duties, indeed it is the noblest and most sublime. This
is the task of the Prophets and Messengers (peace be
upon them all), as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Messengers as bearers of good news as well as
of warning in order that mankind should have no
plea against Allaah after the (coming of) Messengers"
[al-Nisaa' 4:165]
Allaah has made the Muslim ummah the best nation
ever raised up for mankind, in order to do this important
task, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"You (true believers in Islamic Monotheism, and
real followers of Prophet Muhammad and his Sunnah)
are the best of peoples ever raised up for mankind; you
enjoin Al-Ma`roof (i.e. Islamic Monotheism and all that
Islam has ordained) and forbid AlMunkar (polytheism,
disbelief and all that Islam has forbidden), and you believe
in Allaah" [Aal `Imraan 3:110]
If the ummah fails to do its duty of enjoining what
is good and forbidding what is evil, wrongdoing
and corruption will spread throughout the ummah, and it
will deserve the curse of Allaah. For Allaah cursed
those among the Children of Israel who disbelieved
because they failed in this important duty. Allaah
says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Those among the Children of Israel who
disbelieved were cursed by the tongue of Dawood (David) and
`Eesa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary). That was because
they disobeyed (Allaah and the Messengers) and were
ever transgressing beyond bounds.
They used not to forbid one another from
Al-Munkar (wrong, evildoing, sins, polytheism, disbelief) which
they committed. Vile indeed was what they used to do
[al-Maa'idah 5:78]
Enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil is
one of the basic principles of this religion, and doing this
is jihaad for the sake of Allaah. Jihaad requires putting
up with difficulties and bearing insults and harm
with patience, as Luqmaan said to his son:
"O my son! AqimisSalaah (perform AsSalaah), enjoin
(on people) AlMa`roof (Islamic Monotheism and all that
is good), and forbid (people) from AlMunkar (i.e.
disbelief in the Oneness of Allaah, polytheism of all kinds and
all that is evil and bad), and bear with patience
whatever befalls you. Verily, these are some of the
important commandments (ordered by Allaah with no exemption"
[Luqmaan 31:17 _ interpretation of the
meaning]
Enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil is
an important mission, hence those who undertake
this mission must be of good character and must
understand the objectives of sharee'ah; they must call people
with wisdom and fair preaching and deal with them in a
kind and gentle manner, so that Allaah may guide those
whom He wills at their hands. Allaah says (interpretation of
the meaning):
"Invite (mankind, O Muhammad) to the way of your
Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom (i.e. with the Divine
Revelation and the Qur'aan) and fair preaching, and argue with
them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best
who has gone astray from His path, and He is the Best
Aware of those who are guided"
[al-Nahl 16:125]
The ummah which establishes the symbols of
Islam, enjoins what is good and forbids what is evil, will
attain happiness in this world and in the Hereafter. Allaah
will send them His support and grant them victory, as He
says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Verily, Allaah will help those who help His
(Cause). Truly, Allaah is AllStrong, AllMighty.
Those (Muslim rulers) who, if We give them power in
the land, (they) enjoin IqamaatasSalaah [i.e. to perform
the five compulsory congregational Salaah (prayers)
(the males in mosques)], to pay the Zakaah and they
enjoin AlMa`roof (i.e. Islamic Monotheism and all that
Islam orders one to do), and forbid AlMunkar (i.e.
disbelief, polytheism and all that Islam has forbidden) [i.e.
they make the Qur'aan as the law of their country in all
the spheres of life]. And with Allaah rests the end of
(all) matters (of creatures)"
[al-Hajj 22:40-41]
Enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil is
a mission which will never end until the Hour begins. It
is obligatory upon all the ummah, rulers and subjects,
men and women, each according to his or her
circumstances. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said: "Whoever among you sees an evil action, let
him change it with his hand [by taking action]; and if he
cannot, then with his tongue [by speaking out]; and if he
cannot, then with his heart [by feeling that it is wrong] _ and
that is the weakest of faith."
(Narrated by Muslim, 49)
The Muslim ummah is one nation, and if
corruption becomes widespread in it and its circumstances turn
bad, then all the Muslims are obliged to reform it, rid it of
evil things, enjoin what is good and forbid what is bad,
and offer sincere advice to all. The Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
"Religion is sincerity." We said, "To whom?" He
said, "To Allaah and His Book, and His Messenger, and to
the leaders of the Muslims and their common folk."
(Narrated by Muslim, 95).
If a Muslim is commanded to do something, he
should be the quickest of people to do it, and if he is forbidden
to do something, he must be the one who keeps furthest
away from it. Allaah has issued a warning to those who
go against that, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):
"O you who believe! Why do you say that which you
do not do?
Most hateful it is with Allaah that you say that which
you do not do" [al-Saff 61:2-3]
No matter how righteous a person may be, he still
needs sincere advice, guidance and reminders in the light of
the Qur'aan and Sunnah. Allaah said to the Messenger of
the Lord of the Worlds, the most perfect of all
creation (interpretation of the meaning):
"O Prophet (Muhammad)! Keep your duty to Allaah,
and obey not the disbelievers and the hypocrites (i.e., do
not follow their advice). Verily, Allaah is Ever
AllKnower, AllWise"
[al-Ahzaab 33:1]
So we must all enjoin that which is good and forbid
that which is evil, so that we may attain the Pleasure of
Allaah and His Paradise.
From Usool al-Deen al-Islami, by Shaykh
Muhammad ibn Ibraaheem al-Tuwayjri (www.islam-qa.com)
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8957: Denouncing evil actions in one's heart
Question:
What is meant by denouncing evil actions in one's heart?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah. When we speak of denouncing
evil actions with the heart, it refers to two things, when
and how.
With regard to when: this is done when the Muslim
is unable to take action or speak out against the evil
action, but he is aware of the conditions and guidelines of
al-amr bi'l-ma'roof wa'n-nahy `an al-munkar
(enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil). The
basic principle concerning this is the hadeeth narrated by
Imaam Muslim in his Saheeh which he attributes to the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him):
"Whoever among you sees an evil action, then let him change
it with his hand [by taking action]; if he cannot, then
with his tongue [by speaking out]; and if he cannot, then
with his heart _ and that is the weakest of faith." So this
answers the question of when.
As for how: it means that the believer feels in his
heart that he hates and detests this evil action, and he
wishes that he were able to change it, and feels sad that he
is unable to change this evil action. This last point is one
of the signs of one's sincerity in denouncing the evil
action in one's heart. The person should also ask Allaah to
help him change and eradicate this evil. We ask Allaah to
help us and all the believers to develop this blessed attitude.
It should also be pointed out that a person may be unable
to change an evil action, but he can still keep away from
the places where that sin is being committed. Indeed, he
has to keep away; it is not enough only to denounce the
evil in one's heart. Allaah says (interpretation of the meanings):
"And when you (Muhammad) see those who engage in
a false conversation about Our Verses (of the Qur'aan)
by mocking at them, stay away from them till they turn
to another topic. And if Shaitaan (Satan) causes you to
forget, then after the remembrance sit not you in the company
of those people who are the Zaalimoon (polytheists
and wrongdoers)." (al-An'aam 6:68)
"And it has already been revealed to you in the
Book (this Qur'aan) that when you hear the Verses of
Allaah being denied and mocked at, then sit not with them,
until they engage in a talk other than that; (but if you
stayed with them) certainly in that case you would be like
them. Surely, Allaah will collect the hypocrites and
disbelievers all together in Hell" (al-Nisaa' 4:140)
May Allaah bless our Prophet and all his family
and companions, and grant them peace.
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10287: Ruling on justifying evil actions by saying that a
lot of people are doing it
Question:
What is the ruling on a case when, if you tell a man or
a woman, "What you are doing is haraam" _ such as
telling a woman not to wear short clothes, or telling a man not
to smoke cigarettes _ they reply by saying that everyone
does that, or that all the women in our country dress this way?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
The response that you describe is wrong, and the
people's evil actions cannot be justified. Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"And if you obey most of those on the earth, they
will mislead you far away from Allaah's path"
[al-An'aam 6:116]
Rulings on what is halaal and what is haraam are
taken from the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of His
Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), not
from what people do, because people may be wrong or
they may be right.
From Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah, 12/347 (www.islam-qa.com)
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9287: Degrees of denouncing evil actions, and sitting
with people who do evil actions
Question:
Does the hadeeth about changing evil actions mean
to change it by leaving the place where it is happening,
or should we stay there and hate it and denounce it in
our hearts?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
There are varying degrees with regard to the
Muslims denouncing evil actions. Some have to deal with the
evil action by their hands (i.e., by taking action), such as
the imaam or leader, or his deputy to whom he has
given authority, e.g. a father with his children, a master with
his slave, a husband with his wife, if the person who
is committing the sin cannot be stopped in any other
way. Some people are obliged to deal with the evil action
by giving advice, teaching others, telling them off,
rebuking them or calling them in a manner that is best,
without taking action or using force, lest that provoke
fitnah (tribulation) and spread chaos. Some people have
to respond to the evil action in their hearts only,
because they are too weak to take action or speak out _ and that
is the weakest of faith. The Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) explained that in his hadeeth:
"Whoever among you sees an evil action, let him
change it with his hand (by taking action); and if he cannot
do that, then with his tongue (by speaking out); and if
he cannot do that, then with his heart (by believing that it
is wrong and hating it) _ and that is the weakest of
faith." (Narrated by Muslim in his
Saheeh from the hadeeth of Abu Sa'eed al-Khudri (may Allaah be pleased with
him). If the interests of sharee'ah are better served by a
person's staying in the environment where the evil action is
taking place, and they outweigh the negative outcomes, and
he does not fear that he will be overcome by temptation
if he stays among people who are committing this sin,
and he also denounces it according to his means, (this is
OK); otherwise, he should forsake them in order to protect
his own commitment to religion. From Fataawaa
al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah, 12/335 (www.islam-qa.com)
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10231: How should she deal with friends who are
not religiously committed?
Question:
I have friends who I am very close to, but they do
not wear hijaab. I spend a lot of time with them and I
am influenced by their foolish and aimless talk. They
waste their time going out to the club and to the beach, and
they spare little thought for Allaah and His Messenger,
except for a few occasions that are hardly worth
mentioning. When I speak about Allaah and what His Messenger
said, they start to call me "Our shaykhah". That
discourages me from speaking (about these things). Is what I am
doing sinful? How can I help them to find the right path?
Please note that I cannot give them up.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
If the relationship between you and them is as
you describe, then adhere to the Book of Allaah and
the guidance of His Messenger (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him). Try to advise them, enjoin upon them
that which is right and good, and forbid them to do that
which is evil. Be patient in bearing their insults and harm,
and do not let their insults deter you from carrying out
your duty towards them, which is to enjoin what is good
and forbid what is evil. This is the way of Allaah
concerning the callers and those who are called. Allaah has
explained that in the aayah where He tells us that Luqmaan said
to his son (interpretation of the meaning):
"O my son! AqimisSalaat (perform AsSalaah), enjoin
(on people) AlMa`roof (Islamic Monotheism and all that
is good), and forbid (people) from AlMunkar (i.e.
disbelief in the Oneness of Allaah, polytheism of all kinds and
all that is evil and bad), and bear with patience
whatever befalls you. Verily, these are some of the
important commandments (ordered by Allaah with no exemption)"
[Luqmaan 31:17]
If you fulfil your obligation of advising them, and you
do this repeatedly but do not find any way to reach
their hearts, or they cling more stubbornly to their
falsehood, then withdraw from them lest you become weak in
your religious commitment and moral standards, or
their influence over you leads to bad consequences. Be
sincere towards Allaah and Allaah will help you. Do not
worry about feeling lonely if you leave them, for loneliness
is better than bad companions.
"And whosoever fears Allaah and keeps his duty to
Him, He will make a way for him to get out (from
every difficulty).
And He will provide him from (sources) he never
could imagine. And whosoever puts his trust in Allaah, then
He will suffice him. Verily, Allaah will accomplish
his purpose. Indeed Allaah has set a measure for all
things" [al-Talaaq 65:2-3 _ interpretation of the meaning]
From Fataawaa al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah, 12/365-366 (www.islam-qa.com)
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10218: Advising a person to his face
Question:
What is the ruling on speaking directly to a person
and telling him of his faults whilst he is listening? Is
this permissible?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
This is permissible if it is done in order to advice
the person and rebuke him so that he will be deterred
from committing sin. It should be done in a nice and
polite manner so that the advice will be accepted. But if it
is done in a mean-spirited way, intending to shame
him, insult him and expose him to people, etc., then this is
not permitted.
From Fataawaa al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah, 12/342 (www.islam-qa.com)
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10214: Is it hypocrisy to forbid something but then do
it oneself?
Question:
If I am exhorting my brothers and I warn them
against some sins, but I fall into these sins myself, am I to
be considered a hypocrite? Please advise me, may
Allaah reward you with good.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
You have to repent from the sins and exhort your
brothers against them. It is not permissible for you to
continue committing the sin and not to advise your
brothers, because by doing this you are combining two sins.
You must repent to Allaah from that, whilst also advising
your brothers. This does not make you a hypocrite, but it
does place you in a category which is condemned as blameworthy by Allaah in the aayaat (interpretation
of the meaning):
"Most hateful it is with Allâh that you say that which
you do not do" [al-Saff 61:3]
"Enjoin you Al-Birr (piety and righteousness and
each and every act of obedience to Allaah) on the people
and you forget (to practise it) yourselves, while you recite
the Scripture! Have you then no sense?" [al-Baqarah 2:44]
From Fataawaa al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah, 12/268 (www.islam-qa.com)
Our Price: $11.95 Pages: 300 Downloadable
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