Enjoin Good Forbid Evil

Sayings of the Salaf (Pious Predecessors) Regarding Enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil

By: Fahd ibn ‘Abd al-‘Aziz

Introduction

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and peace and blessings be upon the most noble of prophets and messengers, our Prophet Muhammad, and upon all his family and companions. To proceed:

The importance of enjoining good and forbidding evil for individuals and societies is well known. Through it, servants and lands are set right, and afflictions and calamities are repelled. With its weakening—let alone its complete absence—blessings are stripped away, goodness is lost, and corruption spreads.

Imam al-Ghazali (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

“If enjoining good and forbidding evil were to be folded away, and its knowledge and practice neglected, prophethood would lie dormant, religion would fade, apathy would prevail, misguidance would spread, ignorance would reign, corruption would grow rampant, lands would be ruined, and mankind would perish—Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un (Indeed, to Allah we belong, and to Him we shall return).”

Enjoining good and forbidding evil weakens when flattery and pleasing people take over hearts, and when following desires and indulging in passions overcome souls.

The Salaf have various sayings regarding enjoining good and forbidding evil. Allah made it easy for me to gather some of them, and I ask Allah to make them beneficial to all.

• The Most Distinctive Attribute of Believing Men and Women: Enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil

Allah Almighty says:

“The believing men and believing women are allies of one another. They enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong…” [At-Tawbah: 71]

Imam al-Qurtubi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “The most distinctive characteristic of the believers is enjoining good and forbidding evil.”
Allamah Salih ibn Fawzan al-Fawzan said: “Enjoining good and forbidding evil is among the greatest characteristics of the believers. Therefore, abandoning enjoining good and forbidding evil is evidence of weak faith or a lack thereof.”

• Whoever Enjoins Good and Forbids Evil Grows Stronger in Faith

Shaykh Salih ibn ‘Abd al-‘Aziz Aal al-Shaykh said: When an individual calls to Allah, enjoins good, and forbids evil—adhering to the manners and conditions of da’wah (calling to Allah) according to their capability—several aspects of their faith are strengthened:

Weakening Satan’s influence over the soul: They come to dislike evil, thereby weakening Satan’s ability to make evil appealing to them.
Instilling spiritual honor (‘izzah): Especially in a time when distractions, temptations, obstacles to holding onto truth, and factors that alter the innate nature (fitrah) are widespread—when a person calls to truth, enjoins good, forbids evil, and spreads goodness, they gain a sense of honor that prevents evil from infiltrating their heart or spoiling their religion.
Fostering love for the righteous: The caller to Allah naturally loves righteous people and assists them, because loving the call and the spread of Allah’s religion creates a love for those who do good—and a person is with those whom they love.
Attaining inner peace and happiness: The caller to Allah feels happiness and contentment of heart. They do not experience anxiety, doubt, or lack of tranquility, because they engaged in calling others.
Anchoring the soul towards the Hereafter: Calling to Allah conditions a Muslim walking this path toward a momentous matter: loving the Hereafter and not leaning toward worldly life—for leaning toward and loving worldly life is the root of all sins.

• Enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil Protects Against Calamities

Al-Qurtubi said: “It has been said: Any town containing four types of people, its inhabitants are protected from calamity: a just leader who does not oppress, a scholar upon the path of guidance, elders who enjoin good, forbid evil, and encourage the pursuit of knowledge and the Quran, and women who are modest and do not display themselves in the manner of the era of ignorance (Jahiliyyah).”

• Allah Almighty Will Support the One Who Enjoins and Forbids, Sooner or Later

Qawam al-Sunnah Imam al-Asbahani (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “When anyone sees an evil, they should forbid it and firmly believe that Allah will grant them victory. Allah Almighty says: ‘If you support Allah, He will support you’ [Muhammad: 7]. Thus, whoever seeks Allah’s pleasure through their speech and action, Allah will aid and support them.”

• Enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil is a Communal Obligation (Fard Kifayah) Unfulfilled Until Duly Carried Out

Allamah Ibn Baz (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “Calling to Allah, enjoining good, forbidding evil, and jihad are all communal obligations (fard kifayah). If a sufficient number of people perform them, the sin is lifted from the rest. If not enough people perform them, then everyone shares in the duty according to their knowledge… We believe that no one today has carried out this duty as it truly ought to be done; thus, this communal obligation remains unfulfilled. Therefore, every student of knowledge should engage in calling to Allah, guiding people, and enjoining good and forbidding evil to the best of their ability: ‘So fear Allah as much as you are able’ [At-Taghabun: 16]. One should not say, ‘Others are taking care of this,’ or ‘There are scholars for that,’ because this is a whispering from Satan to discourage people from calling to Allah and forbidding evil.”

• Abandoning Enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil Prevents Supplications from Being Answered

Shaykh Nasir ibn Sa’d al-Shathri said: “Texts indicate that there are reasons that prevent supplications from being answered, including: persistence in sins… and abandoning enjoining good and forbidding evil.”

• Abandoning Enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil Causes Punishment and Calamity

Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) said in a sermon: “O people! You recite this verse and misinterpret it: ‘O you who have believed, upon you is [responsibility for] yourselves. Those who have gone astray will not harm you if you have been guided.’ [Al-Ma’idah: 105]. Indeed, I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: ‘There are no people among whom sins are committed, while they have the ability to denounce them but do not, except that Allah will soon encompass them all with a punishment from Him.’”
Abu al-Darda’ (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “You must enjoin good and forbid evil, or Allah will unleash upon you a tyrannical ruler who will not respect your elders nor show mercy to your young. The best among you will supplicate against him, but their prayers will not be answered; you will seek victory, but will not be aided; you will seek forgiveness, but will not be forgiven.”
Allah Almighty says: “And fear a trial which will not strike those who have wronged among you exclusively…” [Al-Anfal: 25].
Hafiz Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) noted: In a narration from Ibn ‘Abbas explaining this verse: “Allah commanded the believers not to tolerate evil in their midst, lest Allah encompass them all with punishment. And this is a very fine interpretation.”
Bilal ibn Sa’id said: “When a sin is kept secret, it harms only its perpetrator; but when it is committed publicly and not changed, it harms the general public.”
Yahya ibn Abi Kathir narrated: A man enjoined good and forbade evil, so another man said to him: “Mind yourself, for the wrongdoer only harms himself.” Abu Hurairah responded: “You have lied, by Allah besides Whom there is no other deity!” Then he said: “By the One in Whose hand is my soul, even the bustard (bird) dies of emaciation in its nest because of the injustice of the wrongdoer.” Al-Thumali and Yahya ibn Sallam added: “Allah withhold rain, causing everything to perish.”

Imam Ibn al-‘Arabi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “Among sins are those whose punishment Allah hastens in this world, and those He delays to the Hereafter. Remaining silent over evil hastens punishment in this world through a decrease in wealth, lives, and crops.”
Hafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
Regarding the Prophet’s ﷺ statement: ‘When Allah sends down a punishment upon a people, it strikes all who are among them, then they are resurrected according to their deeds’: “In this Hadith is a grave warning and frightening admonition for the one who remains silent instead of forbidding evil. How then for the one who flatters? How for the one who approves? How for the one who assists? We ask Allah for safety.”
“Deserving punishment occurs through abandoning the enjoining of good.”
“The destruction of all occurs when evil becomes prevalent and sins are committed openly.”
Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “By the One in Whose hand is my soul, you will surely enjoin good and forbid evil, or Allah will soon send upon you a punishment from Him, then you will supplicate Him and He will not answer you.” [Reported by al-Tirmidhi, who graded it Hassan].
Imam al-Mubarakfuri (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “The meaning is—by Allah—that one of two things will inevitably happen: either you enjoin good and forbid evil, or punishment will be sent down from your Lord followed by the non-acceptance of prayer to lift it from you. They do not coexist nor do they both vanish; if enjoining and forbidding exist, there will be no punishment, and if they do not exist, a severe punishment will occur.”
Allamah al-Sa’di (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
“Remaining silent over evil despite having the ability to address it warrants punishment due to the great harms it entails, including: silence itself is an act of disobedience even if the silent person did not commit the sin directly. Just as avoiding sin is obligatory, denouncing the perpetrator of the sin is also obligatory.”
“When wrongdoing appears and is not changed, its punishment encompasses both the perpetrator and others. This trial is warded off by forbidding evil, subduing the people of evil and corruption, and preventing them from committing sins and oppression as much as possible.”
Allamah Salih ibn Fawzan al-Fawzan said: “The existence of enjoining good and forbidding evil within the nation is a safeguard against punishment, while abandoning it signals the imminent arrival of swift punishment.”

• The Presence of Un-denounced Sins Leads the Ignorant to Think They Are Acceptable

Allamah al-Sa’di (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “When a sin recurs and is committed by many people without being denounced by the people of religion and knowledge, it is presumed not to be a sin. In fact, an ignorant person might think it is a commendable act of worship! What corruption is greater than believing what Allah made impermissible to be permissible, reversing realities in souls, and seeing falsehood as truth?!”

• Satan Intimidates Believers with His Allies So They Will Not Enjoin Good or Forbid Evil

Allah Almighty says: “That is only Satan who frightens [you] of his supporters. So fear them not, but fear Me, if you are [truly] believers.” [Aal ‘Imran: 175]
Allamah Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “Among the plots of Allah’s enemy is that he frightens the believers with his army and allies, so they do not strive against them, nor do they enjoin good or forbid evil upon them. This is among his greatest plots against the people of faith.”
‘Abdullah al-‘Umari (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “Part of your heedlessness regarding yourself is turning away from Allah by seeing what displeases Him and overlooking it—neither enjoining nor forbidding evil out of fear of someone who possesses no power to harm or benefit you. Whoever abandons enjoining good and forbidding evil out of fear of created beings will have their dignity and respect stripped away.”
Allamah al-‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “The intensity of Satan’s enmity toward the children of Adam is reflected in how he terrifies them with his allies. A believer must not fear Satan’s allies due to His saying: ‘So fear them not, but fear Me, if you are believers’ [Aal ‘Imran: 175]. Whenever faith in Allah grows stronger, fear of Him increases, and fear of Satan’s allies weakens.”

• Failing to Enjoin Good and Forbid Evil is Among Spiritual Punishments

Allamah al-‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “Punishment is of many types, including those related to religion, which are the most severe. Tangible punishments may be noticed by a person, whereas spiritual ones are noticed only by those granted success by Allah. This happens, for instance, when a sin becomes insignificant in the eyes of the sinner—that is a spiritual punishment making them trivialize it. Likewise, negligence in fulfilling duties, lack of protective jealousy (ghirah) for Allah’s sacred boundaries, and failing to enjoin good and forbid evil are all afflictions. The proof is Allah’s saying: ‘But if they turn away - then know that Allah only intends to afflict them with some of their sins.’ [Al-Ma’idah: 49].”

• Satan’s Deception (Talbis Iblis) Upon Those Who Enjoin Good and Forbid Evil

Imam Ibn al-Jawzi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “Satan deceives some worshippers who see an evil and do not denounce it, saying to themselves: ‘Only one who is righteous should enjoin and forbid, and I am not righteous, so how can I command others?’ This is an error, for it is obligatory upon them to enjoin and forbid even if that sin exists within themselves. However, when someone denounces an evil while abstaining from it, their denunciation carries greater impact.”

• The “Dead Among the Living” Who Does Not Denounce Evil

Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) was asked about the “dead among the living,” and he replied: “It is the one who does not denounce evil with their hand, nor with their tongue, nor with their heart.”

• Unity and Avoiding Division Are Causes for Fulfilling Enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil

Allamah Bakr ibn ‘Abdullah Abu Zayd (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “Here is a magnificent secret from the secrets of the Quran: when Allah Almighty said: ‘And let there arise from you a nation inviting to [all that is] good, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong, and those will be the successful’ [Aal ‘Imran: 104]… And enjoining good, as Ibn Jarir [al-Tabari] stated regarding His saying: ‘You enjoin what is right’, means: commanding faith in Allah and His Messenger, acting upon His laws; and ‘forbidding what is wrong’ means: forbidding polytheism (shirk) with Allah, disbelieving His Messenger, and acting upon what He forbade. When Allah mentioned this verse—and its meaning, as you know, comprehensively encompasses calling to Allah Almighty—He immediately followed it with His saying: ‘And do not be like those who became divided and differed after the clear proofs had come to them. And those will have a great punishment.’ [Aal ‘Imran: 105]. In this lies a subtle indication and a great connection between the obligation of enjoining good and forbidding evil and division. It is as if these two verses indicate that the nation cannot fulfill this obligation unless it is united, supporting one another, cohesive, one nation, and one body. If the nation splits and is divided among sects, desires, and factions, it becomes inherently weak and incapable of fulfilling its duty toward others.”

• The Strangers Who Enjoin Good and Forbids Evil

Allamah Ibn Baz (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “The strangers (al-ghuraba’) are those who do good when people deteriorate, and who rectify what people have corrupted through enjoining good and forbidding evil.”

• The State of Some of the Salaf Regarding Enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil

Shuja’ ibn al-Walid reported: “My father said: ‘I used to go out with Sufyan al-Thawri (may Allah have mercy on him), and his tongue would hardly tire of enjoining good and forbidding evil, back and forth.’”

• Gentleness and Kindness When Enjoining Good or Forbidding Evil

Imam al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “The one who enjoins good and forbids evil should be gentle, as that makes it closer to achieving the desired result.”
Hafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) highlighted: “The virtue of politeness and gentleness when denouncing evil.”
Allamah ‘Abdullah ibn Muhammad ibn Humayd (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “The one who enjoins and forbids should employ methods characterized by gentleness, kindness, and mercy so that people love them, listen to their words, and their hearts incline toward them. For you seek to reform them, unite them, teach them, and guide them—not to gloat over them, belittle them, expose them, or mock them. This is the way of a physician: they do not berate the patient, but speak gently so the patient accepts treatment and listens.”
Allamah ‘Abdullah ibn Hasan al-Qa’ud (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “Whenever a person is guiding, endearing to people, and committed to goodness, their speech is more likely to be accepted and heard. Among the methods are gentleness and affection. Allah Almighty says: ‘And if you had been rude [in speech] and harsh in heart, they would have disbanded from about you’ [Aal ‘Imran: 159]. Allah clarified to us that gentleness and warmth in da’wah, enjoining good, and forbidding evil—as long as it does not involve humiliating religious knowledge or degrading the one who enjoins and forbids—are essential.”
Hafiz Ibn Rajab (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “Among the matters in which soft speech is recommended is enjoining good and forbidding evil, and that it be done with gentleness, as Allah Almighty said regarding the disbelievers: ‘And argue with them in a way that is best’ [An-Nahl: 125]. Many of the Salaf would not enjoin good or forbid evil except in secret between themselves and the person they were addressing.”

• Perfection in Personal State is Not a Prerequisite for Enjoining and Forbidding

Imam al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “It is not required for the one who enjoins and forbids to be in a state of personal perfection. Rather, they must enjoin even if they fall short in what they command, and forbid even if they engage in what they forbid. For it is obligatory upon them to command and forbid themselves, as well as command and forbid others. If they neglect one of the two obligations, how would that make it permissible to neglect the other?”
Hafiz Ibn Rajab (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “A person must enjoin good, forbid evil, admonish, and remind. If no one were to preach to people except one who is free from error, no one would have preached to people after the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, for no one possesses infallibility after him:

If only the sinless could preach to the sinful, Who would preach to sinners after Muhammad?”

• Levels of Denouncing Evil

Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “Denouncing evil has four levels:
1. That the evil is completely eliminated and replaced by its opposite.
2. That the evil is reduced, even if not entirely eliminated.
3. That it is replaced by something equal to it.
4. That it is replaced by something worse than it. The first two levels are prescribed (mashru’), the third is subject to scholarly reasoning (ijtihad), and the fourth is prohibited (muharram).”
Hafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) noted:
“Refraining from denouncing an evil out of fear of falling into a greater evil.”
“The obligation of deliberate care (ta’anni) before denouncing matters open to interpretation.”

• Disliking Evil in the Heart and Leaving the Place When Unable to Enjoin Good

‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) used to visit officials, then he stopped. When asked: “Why don’t you visit them so they might feel something in themselves?” He replied: “I fear that if I speak, they will think I am motivated by something other than what truly motivates me, and if I remain silent out of fear, I will sin.” Imam al-Ghazali (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “This indicates that whoever is unable to enjoin good should distance themselves from that place.”
Imam al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “Scholars unanimously agree that carrying out enjoining good and forbidding evil is a communal obligation (fard kifayah). If one fears for oneself, their property, or others, denouncing with hand and tongue falls away, and disliking it in the heart becomes obligatory.”
Hafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “Denouncing evil by showing anger when one is unable to do more.”

• The One Who Enjoins Good and Forbids Evil is Subject to Harm from Devils Among Humans and Jinn

Uwais al-Qarani said: “Enjoining good and forbidding evil has not left a believer with a friend.”
Imam al-Shatibi said: “We command them with good, so they insult our honor and find supporters among the transgressors for that. By Allah, they have accused me of heinous things, but by Allah, I will not refrain from upholding Allah’s truth among them.”
Hafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) noted: “In it is encouragement to endure harm when offering advice and spreading admonition.”
Imam al-Biqa’i (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “Know, my brothers… that no one steps forward to enjoin good and forbid evil except one who makes themselves a target for hardship and swallows bitter words sharper than arrows. For the one who forbids evil suffers great humiliation through the hostility of every devil among humans and jinn. Human devils attack outwardly through speech and actions, while jinn devils attack inwardly through the misguidance they whisper.”

• Whoever is Harmed While Enjoining and Forbidding Must Practice Patience

Allah Almighty says: “O my son, establish prayer, enjoin what is right, forbid what is wrong, and be patient over whatever befalls you. Indeed, [all] that is of the matters [requiring] determination.” [Luqman: 17].
Al-Sa’di (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “When he knew that one will inevitably be tested when commanding and forbidding, and that enjoining places hardship on souls, he commanded him to be patient through that.”

• Enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil is an Act of Goodness (Ihsan) to People

Allamah al-‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “Every person who commands you to do good or forbids you from evil has rendered a favor to you.”
Shaykh Nasir ibn Sa’d al-Shathri said: “Goodness (ihsan) toward creation does not mean fulfilling their desires and following what their souls crave. Rather, goodness may lie in steering a person away from their desires… How many people desire what brings harm upon themselves, as drug addicts and drinkers do? Thus, goodness toward them consists of deterring them, enjoining good upon them, obligating them to it, forbidding evil, and obligating them to leave it.”

• Enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil is Among the Causes of Happiness

Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Aziz ibn Muhammad al-Sadhan said: “Among the causes of happiness is enjoining good and forbidding evil—first with yourself, then with those under your care, and then with whomever you are able.”

• Good Deeds That Benefit a Person in Their Grave Include Enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “A servant is only comforted in their grave by their righteous deeds. Whenever they increase in righteous deeds—such as prayer, recitation, remembrance, supplication, charity, and enjoining good and forbidding evil—it will be that which benefits them in their grave.”