Is enjoining Ma'ruf and forbidding Munkar by the hand is a right for all Muslims or is it just confined to those in authority and their deputies?


Question:

Is enjoining Ma‘ruf and forbidding Munkar, namely correcting the wrong by the hand, a right for all Muslims or is it just confined to those in authority and their deputies?

Answer:

Correcting the wrong is a right for all Muslims according to their ability, because the Messenger (peace be upon him) said, “Anyone of you who sees Munkar (that which is unacceptable or disapproved of by Islamic law and Muslims of sound intellect), let them change it with their hand (by taking action); if they cannot, then with their tongue (by speaking out); and if they cannot, then with their heart (by hating it and feeling that it is wrong); and that is the weakest of Iman (faith).” 1

However, changing by the hand must be based on ability that will not result in greater corruption or evil. Man has the right to rectify matters with his hand (by taking action) in his home, with his children, wife, and servants; and a manager has the authority to make changes with the hand within the organization they are responsible for, in accordance with the instructions that were given to them. Otherwise, people should not change with their hand anything they are not authorized to change. If they do make changes in matters that they have no authority over, this will result in more evil and great corruption between them and the people and between the people and the state.

In this case they should make the change with their tongue (by speaking out). They may say: “O so-and-so! Fear Allah! That is not permissible,” “This is Haram (prohibited),” or: “That is Wajib (obligatory) on you,” and clarify it with Shar’i (Islamic legal) evidence. This is what can be done by the tongue. As for changing matters with the hand, this should be done where one has authority, such as one’s home, with those under one’s responsibility, or those authorized by the ruler, such as organizations given permission and authority to enjoin Ma‘ruf (that which is judged as good, beneficial, or fitting by Islamic law and Muslims of sound intellect). They should make changes in accordance to the degree of authority that has been given to them, in the way prescribed by the Shari‘ah (Islamic law), without exceeding their jurisdiction. The same applies to the governor of a city; he should make changes with his hand, in accordance with the instructions he has.

  1. Muslim, Sahih, Book on faith, no. 49; Al-Tirmidhi, Sunan, Book on trials, no. 2172; Al-Nasa’i, Sunan, Book on faith and its laws, no. 5008; Abu Dawud, Sunan, Book on Salah, no. 1140; Ibn Majah, Sunan, Book on performing Prayer and its Sunan, no. 1275; and Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Musnad, vol. 3, p. 10. ↩