Question:
May Allah reward you with good and treat you with excellence. He asks about the ruling on enjoining good and forbidding evil in this era: is it an obligation (wajib) or a recommendation (mustahabb)? May Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
Enjoining good and forbidding evil is an obligation in every era, especially when evil deeds become widespread. In such cases, enjoining good and forbidding evil becomes even more emphasized according to one’s capability. The Prophet ﷺ said: Whoever among you sees an evil, let him change it with his hand (by taking action); if he is unable to do so, then with his tongue (by speaking out); and if he is unable to do so, then with his heart (by hating it) and that is the weakest of faith.
- First: It is obligatory for whoever possesses authority and capability to change the evil with their hand, such as those in authority and their deputies, as well as the heads of households who have authority over those in their homes—they change the evil with the hand.
- Second: As for the one who does not possess authority, he denounces the evil with his tongue by clarifying, advising, admonishing, reminding, reporting the matter to those in authority, and notifying [authorities] about this evil. He must not remain silent when he has the ability to speak out in denunciation of the evil.
- Third: The third state is when one is unable to denounce it with his tongue; in this case, he detests the evil in his heart, rejects it in his heart, and distances himself from it and from its people. This is the weakest of faith, as the Prophet ﷺ said. In another narration: “And beyond that, there is not even a mustard seed’s weight of faith.”
Therefore, denouncing evil is a must, but it is carried out according to one’s capability and capacity.