Hisbah (Enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil) (1/4)

Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) said (which means):

"The hypocrites, men and women, are from one another: they enjoin evil and forbid good.” [Surah At-Taubah (9), Ayah 67.]

"The believers, men and women, are awliyyaa' (helper supporters, friends, protectors) of one another: they enjoin good at forbid evil." [Surah At-Taubah (9), Ayah 71.]

In these verses, Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) has made the enjoining of good and forbidding of evil a characteristic with which to differentiate between the believers and the hypocrites. He makes it clear that forbidding evil and enjoining good is a trait specific to the believers. Indeed, it is with this trait that Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) sent His Messengers and revealed His Books. It is a characteristic of our Prophet Muhammad    which the Qur'an mentions thus:

"He enjoins good upon them and forbids them from evil.” [Surah Al- A'raaf (7), Ayah 157.]

It is also a characteristic of this Ummah and a precondition for its virtue and success:

"You are the best of peoples ever raised for Mankind; you enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong, and you believe in Allah.” [Surah Ale-Imran (3), Ayah 110.]

Mujahid said, "Being the best of all peoples is conditional on the characteristics mentioned in the verse." Al-Qurtubee said, "You are the best of peoples only if you enjoin good and forbid evil." Therefore, this compliment of our Ummah depends on whether we enjoy these two characteristics. If we do not, we will no longer be worthy of this praise. Indeed, we will deserve chastisement and be doomed to destruction.

Imam an-Nawawee said, "You should know that this issue, the enjoining good and forbidding evil, has mostly been neglected over a long period of time. What remains of us today are but a few traces, all despite the fact that it is an important issue which lies at the heart of all affairs." Therefore, those who seek success in the Hereafter and aspire to Allah's Pleasure must take into account this issue due to its great benefit, especially since it has mostly been abandoned. He must also make his intention sincere and fear no-one who may oppose his attempt. For Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) says (which means):

"Verily Allah helps one who helps His [Cause].” [Surah Al-Hajj (22), Ayah 40.]

The reasons for enjoining good and forbidding evil are many and varied. Hope for reward and fear of punishment for neglecting it; anger over the transgression of Allah's limits; the desire to give counsel to the believers and compassion for them in the   hope   of   saving   them   from   the   consequences   of   disobeying   Allah's commandments; and love for and glorification of Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He), for He surely is worthy of obedience, remembrance and gratefulness. Wealth and life are nothing in return for the protection of the sacred sanctity of Allah. As one of as-Salaf-us-Salih said, "I wish all the creation would obey Allah in return for my flesh being cut off with scissors." Whoever perceives this will find all hardships for Allah's sake easy, as `Abdul-Malik, the son of `Umar bin `Abdul-Aziz said to his father, "I wish pots of hot water would be boiled for my torture in the cause of Allah."

Hisbah has been defined by scholars as "the enjoining of a good that has been evidently abandoned and the forbidding of an evil that is openly practiced." Imam an-Nawawee said, "The Qur'an, the Sunnah and the consensus of the Ummah are in accord that enjoining good and forbidding evil is an [Islamic] obligation."

The command to conduct Hisbah in the Qur'an and Sunnah sometimes comes in a more direct way, as Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) says (which means),

"Let there arise out of you a band of people inviting to all that is good, enjoining what is right, and forbidding what is wrong." [Surah Ale-Imran (3), Ayah 104.]

The Prophet (Peace be upon him) also said, "Whosoever sees an evil [being practised] must change it with his hand. If he cannot do so, then with his tongue. If he [still] cannot do so, then with his heart, which is the weakest form of faith."[1]

On other occasions, Hisbah is strongly recommended as an inherent characteristic of the believers, as Allah says (which means),

"And the believers, men and women, are awliyyaa' (helpers, supporters, friends, protectors) of one another: they enjoin good and forbid evil; they establish Salah, they pay Zakah, and they obey Allah and His Messenger. As for these, Allah will have mercy on them. Verily, Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise." [Surah At-Taubah (9), Ayah 71.]

And still on other occasions it comes in the form of criticising those who neglect it and as a threat of curse and doom. As Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) says (which means),

"Those among the Children of Israel who disbelieved were cursed by the tongue of David and of Jesus, the son of Mary. That was because they disobeyed [Allah and His Messenger] and were ever transgressing beyond bounds. They used not to forbid one another from the Munkar (wrong, evil- doing, sins, polytheism, disbelief, etc.) which they committed. Vile indeed was what they used to do." [Surah Al-Ma'idah (5), Ayat 78-79.]

The  Prophet (Peace be upon him) also  said,  "There  are  no  people  in  whose  midst  acts  of disobedience are habitual, and who can change these habits but do not change them, except that Allah visits them with a sweeping punishment."[2]

Abu-Dardaa' said, "Either you enjoin good and forbid evil or Allah will set up over you a tyrant ruler who will neither respect your elderly nor have mercy on your young. If the pious amongst you pray for their destruction, their prayers will not be answered. If you ask Allah for help, He will not grant it to you. And if you ask His forgiveness, He will not forgive you."

Bilal bin Sa'eed said, "If an act of disobedience is kept secret, it will harm only its doer, but if it is committed openly and not changed, it will harm everyone."

An-Nawawee said, "Hisbah is a great issue which lies at the heart of all matters. If evil practices become abound, Allah's punishment will be visited upon the pious and the wicked alike. And if they fail to forbid the transgressors to do evil, Allah will make His punishment spread to encompass all the people:"

"Let those who oppose the Messenger's commandment (Sunnah, legal ways, orders, acts of worship, and so on) beware, lest some trial befall them or a grievous torment be inflicted on them." [Surah An-Nur (24), Ayah 63.]

Abu Bakr as-Siddeeq said, "O people! You recite the verse (which means), 'O you who believe! Guard your own souls: if you follow (right) guidance, no hurt can come to you from those who stray.”[3] but you misinterpret it and do not know what it means. I once heard Allah's Messenger (Peace be upon him) say, “If people see someone practising injustice and do not set him right, Allah will almost certainly visit them all with severe punishment.”” Another narration goes, "If they see evil practised and do not attempt to change it..."” [4]

An-Nawawee said, "The Prophet’s (Peace be upon him) saying 'must change it' indicates that practicing  it  is  an  obligation,  by  the  consensus  of  the  Ummah." He also said, "Enjoining good and forbidding evil is an obligation of collective responsibility (Fard Kifaayah). Once it is undertaken by a number of people the rest are absolved of it. However, if neglected by everyone, then all those who are capable of discharging it, without legal excuse or fear, are considered sinful. Furthermore, it becomes an obligation of individual responsibility for a person who is in a position to be the only one to know of the evil in question, or the only one who can effectively change it."

Discussing the issue of enjoining good and forbidding evil, Ibn Taymeeyah said, "It is of collective responsibility, and becomes of individual responsibility (Fard 'Ain) incumbent upon every able person if no-one else exercises it." He also said, "The test of responsibility for this obligation is ability. Every Muslim is obliged to a degree proportional to his ability. Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) says (which means),`So fear Allah as much as you can.'” [Surah At-Taghaabun (64), Ayah 16.]

 (Continued)