In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.
Sahih Muslim Hadith 79 Narrated by Abu Sa'id al-Khudri
I heard the Messenger of Allah (saws) as saying: ‘He who amongst you sees something abominable should modify it with the help of his hand; and if he has not strength enough to do that, then he should do it with his tongue; and if he has not strength enough to do even that, then he should (at least abhor it) from his heart; and that is the least of faith.”
The above quotation from the Messenger of Allah (saws) is an explanation of the duty and command which the Lord Most High has laid upon every individual in the Muslim Ummah of how exactly to strive to ‘forbid evil’.
Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 3 Surah Ale Imran verse 110:
You (muslims) are the best community which has been raised for the guidance of mankind. You enjoin what is right, and forbid what is evil and you all believe in Allah Alone.
The Messenger of Allah (saws) guided the believers that if one who sincerely believes in Allah and the Last Day sees any thing, or act, or deed which is an obvious transgression of the Laws of Allah, it does not behove and befit him to (Allah forbid) participate or indulge in it, or even ignore it; but it would be an element of his faith to consider it an obvious abomination and transgression of the Commands of Allah.
If one is in a position of authority whereby he can put an end to this abomination and transgression, he must strive to the best of his ability to do so; and that would be amongst the best of deeds.
If one is not in a position of authority whereby he cannot put an end to the evil himself (ie. with his hands), then he must, clearly and without ambiguity, at least make it known to those who are committing the evil or and those who are in authority that this act or deed is absolutely an abomination and a transgression of the Laws of Allah Subhanah; and such an evil should be brought to an end immediately.
If one is so weak in the social strata, that neither does he hold authority to put an end to the evil with his hands nor has the power to speak up against the evil; the absolute least he is bound by faith to do is at least abhor and detest the evil happening around him in his heart of hearts! The Messenger of Allah (saws) called this the ‘weakest of faith’ implying that if one does not even abhor and detest the evil happening around him in his heart, then his very ‘faith’ or ‘emaan’ is in question!
To better understand this valuable hadith and guidance of the Messenger of Allah (saws), allow us to relate an example of an evil which is prevalent in our societies today: ie. ‘Fahisha’ or the abundance of shameful and indecency that is unfortunately overflowing in our societies when Allah Subhanah has Himself Declared it an abomination!
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 16 Surah Nahl verse 90:
90 Allah Dommands justice, the doing of good and liberality to kith and kin, and He forbids all ‘fahisha’ (shameful deeds), and injustice, and rebellion: He instructs you that ye may receive admonition.
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 6 Surah Anaam verse 151:
151 Say: "Come I will rehearse what Allah hath (really) prohibited you from": join not anything as equal with Him; be good to your parents: kill not your children on a plea of want; We provide sustenance for you and for them; come not even near to ‘fahisha’ (shameful deeds) whether open or secret; take not life which Allah hath made sacred except by way of justice and law: thus doth He Command you that ye may learn wisdom.
Thus when Allah commands the believers to ‘forbid evil’ and the Messenger of Allah guides us to strive to stop the evil with one’s ‘hands, tongue, or heart’; some people who go to the extremes and (with their hands) start to force every woman to cover up; or (with their tongue) abuse or revile ever woman who does not cover up! On the other extreme, those of weak faith, see that indecency is so prevalent and so rampant, leave alone striving to stop it, they accept it without even a ‘tinge’ in their hearts or (Allah forbid) even indulge in it!
Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 2.18 Narrated by Ibn Umar
I heard Allah's Messenger saying, "All of you are guardians and responsible for those in your wards! The ruler is the guardian of his subjects and is responsible for them, a man is the guardian of his family and is responsible for them, a woman is the guardian of her husband's house and is responsible for it, a servant is the guardian of his master's belongings and is responsible for them.”
If Allah’s Command of ‘forbidding evil’ and the Messenger’s guidance of striving to stop it with one’s ‘hands, tongue, and heart’ is taken with the above guidance of ‘responsibility’….one would get the true picture of what exactly is required from each believer.
It is the responsibility of the leader of a believing household to make sure that no ‘fahisha’ is practiced amongst those in his ward and care: his wife, his children, etc; and if it is practiced amongst those in his care, he must strive to put an end to it with his hands!
It is the responsibility of the ruler of a believing or righteous nation to make sure that no ‘fahisha’ is allowed in his kingdom, and he must make appropriate laws to make sure that it is not practiced! This would be obeying the command of stopping evil with one’s hands, and if practiced with wisdom, slowly but surely there would be an improvement in every house and thus the society in general.
But if one takes the command of stopping ‘fahisha’ with one’s hands in general and starts to force, abuse and revile even those men and women not in one’s ward and care….it would give rise to ‘fitnah’, discord, conflict, and dissension in society!
If the one’s in authority are not stopping the ‘evil’ or indecency with their hands and thus not fulfilling the responsibility laid upon them, it is the duty of the scholars, writers, or all those who have access to such people in authority to warn them of Allah’s Wrath and Anger if they do not exercise their right and strive to stop with their hands those in their wards and domain of responsibility (ruler/subjects; parents/children; husband/wife and children; etc.) from transgressing the boundaries of Allahs.. That would be striving to stop evil with one’s tongues!
If one is neither in authority, nor has access or power even to talk to those in authority, then at least he must abhor and detest the happening of this evil in his heart; and that would be the least of faith! But if the abundance of this evil around him does not even leave a ‘tinge’ of sorrow and grief in his heart, then such a person must seriously assess his ‘emaan’ and ‘faith’!
Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.
