All perfect praise be to Allah Alone; peace and blessings of Allah be upon His Messenger, his family, his Companions and those who follow his guidance.
It is one of the fundamental and best acts of worship that Muslims exchange advice, guide to goodness and enjoin one another to truth and patience. A Muslim should warn others against committing violations of Islam and what displeases Allah (may He be exalted) or distances one from His Mercy. I implore Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) to purify our hearts and set aright our deeds and that of the Muslims. I ask Him to confer on us understanding of Islam, make us steadfast on it, support it and make it reign supreme. We invoke Allah to correct the Muslim rulers, guide them to all goodness, guide their retinue and help them do what is in the interest of people and their lands. We ask Allah to endow them with understanding of Islam and enlighten their hearts to rule by His Shari'ah (Divine Law) and be firm on it. Indeed, Allah is the One Who is Capable of doing that.
O Muslims! Enjoying good and forbidding evil is a very important topic worthy of attention, because welfare and salvation of the Ummah (nation based on one creed) lie in it; whereas, neglecting it causes great danger and corruption and disappearance of virtue and the spread of vice. Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) clarified in the Glorious Qur'an the great status of enjoining good and forbidding evil in Islam to the extent that He mentioned it prior to Iman (faith), which is the very foundation of Islam. For instance, Allah (Exalted be He) says: You [true believers in Islâmic Monotheism, and real followers of Prophet Muhammad ﺻﻠﻰ ﺍﷲ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻭﺳﻠﻢ) and his Sunnah] are the best of peoples ever raised up for mankind; you enjoin AlMa'rûf (i.e. Islâmic Monotheism and all that Islâm has ordained) and forbid Al Munkar (polytheism, disbelief and all that Islâm has forbidden), and you believe in Allâh.
The secret that we can grasp of this precedence in order is the greatness of this obligation and the major public interests resulting from it. Muslims, particularly at the present time, are in bad need to be active in the obligation of enjoining good and forbidding evil due to the prevalence of sins and forms of Shirk (associating others with Allah in His Divinity or worship) and Bid'ahs (innovations in religion) on earth.
Muslims at the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him), his Sahabah (Companions of the Prophet) and the Salaf (righteous predecessors) respected this obligation and carried it out in the best manner. Certainly, the later generations desperately need this obligation to be fulfilled more than the first ones due to prevalence of ignorance, lack of knowledge and people's negligence of this mandatory matter.
Currently, the matter has become more serious and dangerous since evil, corruption and propagators of falsehood prevail to an unbelievable extent, against the scarcity of callers to goodness in most countries. Therefore, Allah (may He be Praised) ordered and urged Muslims to enjoin good and forbid evil, giving it precedence over Iman in the Ayah (Qur'anic verse) ofAl'Imarn,which reads: You [true believers in Islâmic Monotheism, and real followers of Prophet Muhammad ﺻﻠﻰ ﺍﷲ ﻋﻠﻴـﻪ ﻭﺳـﻠﻢ) and his Sunnah] are the best of peoples ever raised up for mankind It means that the Ummah of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the best nation in the Sight of Allah. This fact is confirmed by a Sahih (authentic) Hadith in which the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "You are the final of seventy Ummahs, you are the best and most honored among them to Allah."
The past nations enjoined good and forbade evil as Allah sent His messengers and revealed His Books to fulfill this aim.
The very essence of good is Tawhid (belief in the Oneness of Allah/ monotheism) and pure worshipping of Allah alone; whereas, the very foundation of evil is Shirk and worshipping others besides or instead of Allah.
All the Messengers of Allah were sent to call people to believe in the Oneness of Allah, which is the highest peak of good, and to forbid them from associating others with Allah, which is the worst of evil.
When the Children of Israel abandoned this duty, Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) said about them: Those among the Children of Israel who disbelieved were cursed by the tongue of Dâwûd (David) and 'Isâ (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary). That was because they disobeyed (Allâh and the Messengers) and were ever transgressing beyond bounds. The nature of their disobedience is clearly explained in the following Ayah, which says: They used not
to forbid one another from AlMunkar (wrong, evildoing, sins, polytheism, disbelief) which they committed. Vile indeed was what they used to do. Thus, their refraining from forbidding one another from evil was regarded as their worst disobedience and transgression, as explained in the Ayah saying: That was because they disobeyed (Allâh 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. This is because of the great danger that ensues from neglecting this obligation.
a party of the people of the Scripture stand for the right, they recite the Verses of Allâh during the hours of the night, prostrating themselves in prayer. They believe in Allâh and the Last Day; they enjoin AlMa'rûf (Islâmic Monotheism, and following Prophet Muhammad ﺻﻠﻰ ﺍﷲ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻭﺳﻠﻢ) and forbid AlMunkar (polytheism, disbelief and opposing Prophet Muhammad ﺻﻠﻰ ﺍﷲ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻭﺳﻠﻢ); and they hasten in (all) good works; and they are among the righteous. And whatever good they do, nothing will be rejected of them; for Allâh knows well those who are AlMuttaqûn (the pious See V.2:2).
The believers, men and women, are Auliyâ' (helpers, supporters, friends, protectors) of one another; they enjoin (on the people) AlM a' rûf (i.e. Islâmic Monotheism and all that Islâm orders one to do), and forbid (people) from AlMunkar (i.e. polytheism and disbelief of all kinds, and all that Islâm has forbidden); they perform AsSalât (IqâmatasSalât), and give the Zakât, and obey Allâh and His Messenger. Allâh will have His Mercy on them. Surely Allâh is AllMighty, AllWise.
A man will be brought on the Day of Resurrection and thrown into the Fire; his intestines will spill forth and he will go around them as a donkey goes around the millstone. The inmates of Hell will gather around him and will say, 'O So and so, what happened to you? Did you not use to enjoin what is good and forbid what is evil?' He will say, 'Yes, but I used to enjoin good and not do it, and I used to forbid evil and do it.'
Anyone of you who sees something evil, let them rectify 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 (belief).
Allah loves kindness in all matters.
Kindness never exists in a thing without adoring it, and is never taken away from a thing without marring it.
A group of Jews entered to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and said, "AsSamu 'Alaykum." (May death be upon you) [they said AsSam instead of AsSalam and "AsSam" means death]). 'Aishah said, "I understood them, and said, 'Wa 'alaykum as samu wall a' nah (and upon you be death and curses).' But the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, 'Wait, O 'Aishah, for Allah loves kindness in all matters.' I said, 'O Messenger of Allah, did you not hear what they said?' The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, ' I said, ' Wa ' alaykum (and also upon you).'"
Invite (mankind, O Muhammad ﺻﻠﻰ ﺍﷲ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻭ ﺳﻠﻢ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islâm) with wisdom (i.e. with the Divine Revelation and the Qur'ân) and fair preaching, and argue with them in a way that is better.
And argue not with the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians), unless it be in (a way) that is better (with good words and in good manner, inviting them to Islâmic Monotheism with His Verses), except with such of them as do wrong
There is not a prophet whom Allah sent to a nation before me who did not have disciples and companions from his nation, who follow his Sunnah (way) and obey his commands. Then they are followed by later generations who say what they do not do, and do what they are not commanded to do. Anyone who strives against them with his hand is a believer. Anyone who strives against them with his tongue is a believer. Anyone who strives against with his heart is a believer. There is no (degree of) Iman beyond (lower than) this, even to the weight of a mustard seed.
Whomever Allah wills good for, He grants him understanding of the religion.
Anyone who travels a path seeking knowledge, Allah will make easy for him a path to Paradise.
Verily, this Qur'ân guides to that which is most just and right
And this is a blessed Book (the Qur'ân) which We have sent down, so follow it and fear Allâh (i.e. do not disobey His Orders), that you may receive mercy (i.e. be saved from the torment of Hell).
Do they not then think deeply in the Qur'ân, or are their hearts locked up (from understanding it)?