COMPASSION, PATIENCE AND FORBEARANCE ARE REQUIRED IN ENJOINING RIGHT

[Polanyi]

ENJOINING RIGHT AND FORBIDDING WRONG

BY: IBN TAIMIYA

Translated by: Salim Morgan

 

LET YOUR ENJOINING OF GOOD BE ITSELF GOOD

 

Friendliness and sympathy are the correct way in enjoining right and forbidding wrong. For this reason, it has been said:

 

"Let your enjoining of good be good, and let not your forbidding of bad be bad."

 

BENEFITS MUST OUTWEIGH NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES

Enjoining right and forbidding wrong being one of the greatest obligations or commendable acts in Islam, it is essential that the benefit therein outweigh its negative consequences. This is the general spirit of the messages of the prophets and the revealed books, and Allah does not like chaos and corruption. All that which Allah has enjoined is beneficial, and the epitome of benefit. Allah has praised "salah" (the opposite of corruption) and the "musliheen" (reformers, or those who bring about salah). And He has praised those who believe and do good works (saalihaat), while condemning corruption (fasaad) and those who cause it in many places in the Qur'an. Thus whenever the adverse effects (mafsada) of any act of enjoining or forbidding are greater than its benefit (maslaha), it is no longer part of what Allah has enjoined upon us, even if it be a case of neglecting obligations or committing the forbidden. This is because it is upon the believer to fear Allah in relation to His slaves, and their guidance is not his responsibility. This is part of the meaning of the verse in which Allah says:

 

[O, you who believe, your selves are your responsibility, those who go astray will not harm you when you stick to guidance.]

 

"Sticking to guidance" is only accomplished by fulfilling and carrying out all obligations. Thus, when a Muslim does what is obligatory upon him by way of enjoining right and forbidding wrong, just as he fulfilled all other obligations, the going astray of those who go astray will not do him any harm.

 

METHODOLOGY OF ENJOINING RIGHT AND FORBIDDING WRONG

 

Enjoining right and forbidding wrong is done sometimes with the heart, sometimes with the tongue, and sometimes with the hand (i.e. physical force). As for practicing it with the heart, it is obligatory upon everyone in every time and situation, since its practice brings no hardship. whoever fails to do even that is not even a believer as in the full version of the previously cited hadith:

 

"Whoever of you sees wrong being committed, let him rectify it with his hand, if he is unable, then with his tongue, and if he us unable, then with his heart, and this is the weakest of faith -- or in another version: beyond this there is not a single mustard seed's weight of faith (iman).

 

Ibn Masood was once asked:

 

"Who are the living dead?"

 

to which he replied:

 

"He who does not acknowledge the right as such, and does not reject the wrong."

 

He is referring to the person described in the following agreed-upon hadith who consistently failed to reject wrong when tested. The Prophet said:

 

"Tests are shown to the hearts like a straw mat, straw by straw. Whichever heart accepts them, and absorbs them, gets a black spot placed on it, and whichever heart rejects them, gets a white, clear spot on it. This goes on until the hearts are of two types: a heart which is white, smooth, and clear like a polished stone which will not be harmed by further trials or tests for as long as the heavens and the earth last, and another dark and blemished; it is like a hook turned over the wrong way on which nothing can be hung - it neither acknowledges what is right nor rejects what is wrong, except for that which happens to coincide with its lusts and inclinations with which this heart has become fully absorbed."

 

PITFALLS OF ENJOINING RIGHT AND FORBIDDING WRONG

 

Two groups of people fall into error in this area:

 

One group leaves what is obligatory upon them in the area of enjoining right and forbidding wrong, clinging to an incorrect interpretation of the aya quoted previously:

 

[O, you who believe, your selves are your responsibility, those who go astray will not harm you when you stick to guidance.]

 

Abu Bakr once explained this error in a khutba saying:

 

"O people, verily you read this aya, and you apply it where it does not belong, for I heard the Prophet (sas) say: Verily when the people see the wrong-doer, and do not seize his hand, Allah is about to inflict them with a general punishment."

 

The second group desires to enjoin and forbid the people with their tongues and their hands absolutely and in all situations without sufficient knowledge of the shari'a, nor forbearance, nor patience, nor regard for that which is beneficial and that which has more harm than benefit and that which is possible and that which is not possible. This is as in the hadith narrated by Abu Tha'laba Al-Khushaniy:

 

"... rather enjoin on one another what is right and forbid what is wrong until you see obedience to greed and following of lusts and preoccupation with this world and the absolute fascination of each one with his own opinion, and when you see a situation over which you have no power, what is upon you then is your private affairs. For verily, the Days of Patience are coming; patience in those days is like squeezing a hot coal in your hand. The reward of one who fulfills all of his obligations in those days is equal to the reward of fifty such people today."

 

This group, then, enjoins and forbids believing that they are in obedience to Allah ta'ala when in reality they are transgressors of His boundaries. In this way, many of the deviant and misguided groups considered themselves to be enjoiners of right and forbidders of wrong such as the khawaarij, and the mu'tazilah, and the raafidha (Shi'a), and others of those who erred in understanding that which Allah gave them in terms of enjoining right and forbidding wrong, and fighting jihad, and other issues. The corruption caused by this kind of enjoining and forbidding is much greater than any good which may result.

 

COMPASSION, PATIENCE AND FORBEARANCE ARE REQUIRED IN ENJOINING RIGHT

These things must be done with compassion. The Prophet (sas) said:

 

"Compassion does not enter into anything without beautifying it, and is not removed from anything without making it ugly." (Muslim and others)

 

And, he (sas) said:

 

"O, Aisha: Verily Allah is Compassionate, and He loves compassion. He gives based on compassion that which is not given based on force, and is not given based on any other cause." (Muslim and others)

 

At the same time, the practitioner of enjoining right and forbidding wrong must be forbearing and patient in the face of adversity and persecution. Persecution must, of necessity, confront the true practitioner of enjoining right. If he is not patient, forbearing and wise in the face of this, he will cause more corruption than reform. Allah tells us of Luqman saying to his son:

 

[And enjoin all that is right, and forbid all that is wrong, and be patient in the face of that which afflicts you, verily, that is the most upright of positions.] Qur'an 31/17.

 

Thus, Allah ordered His prophets, and they are the imam's of enjoining right and forbidding wrong, to have patience, just as He ordered the seal of the Prophets Muhammad (sas). The order to have patience came along with the order to deliver the message of Islam. When the Prophet (sas) was first ordered to deliver the message to the people, Allah sent Sura Al-Mudaththir, which followed after the revelation of the first five verses of Sura Iqraa' which announced the beginning of the prophethood. Allah said in Al-Mudaththir:

 

[O, you covered in a blanket * Stand up and warn * And praise the greatness of your Lord * And purify your garments * And keep yourself well away from false gods and other forms of foolishness * And do not do all of this hoping for gain or payment * And for the sake of your Lord maintain patience.] Qur`an 74/1-7.

 

Allah began these seven ayas, with which He commissioned the Prophet (sas) to deliver the message to His creation, by ordering the Prophet to warn, and concluded them with the order to have patience. Warning people of Allah's punishment is of course enjoining them to do right and forbidding them the doing of wrong, so we see that patience is obligatory after undertaking the enjoining of right. In this vein, Allah said:

 

[And be patient for the decree of your Lord, verily you are in our Eyes] Qur'an 52/48

 

[And be patient with that which they say, and remove yourself from them in a gracious manner.] Qur`an 73/10

 

[And so be patient, as the firmly-intentioned prophets were patient.] Qur`an 46/35.

 

[so be patient for the decree of your Lord, and do not be as the man in the Whale (i.e. Jonah)] Qur`an 68/48

 

[And be patient, and your patience is none other than by the leave of Allah.] Qur'an 16/127.

 

[And have patience since, verily Allah does neglect the reward of the good-doers.] Qur'an 11/115.

 

Thus, three things are absolutely essential: knowledge, compassion, and patience. Knowledge is required before enjoining right and forbidding wrong, compassion is required during its practice, and patience is required after it. This separation is not to negate the fact that these three qualities need to be present at all times. This is similar to a statement narrated from the early generations of scholars and which has been attributed by some to the Prophet. Abu Ya'la mentioned it in his book entitled Al-Mu'tamad as follows:

 

"None should enjoin right and forbid wrong except one who is knowledgeable in that which he enjoins, knowledgeable in that which he forbids, compassionate in that which he enjoins, compassionate in that which he forbids, forbearing in that which he enjoins, and forbearing in that which he forbids

entire ebook: http://www.java-man.com/Pages/Books/alhisba.html

[Polanyi]

Sheikh Nur, any thoughts on this vital subject:

 

 

"The second group desires to enjoin and forbid the people with their tongues and their hands absolutely and in all situations without sufficient knowledge of the shari'a, nor forbearance, nor patience, nor regard for that which is beneficial and that which has more harm than benefit and that which is possible and that which is not possible"

[Nur]

Akhi Karl

 

Yes brother, its my job description here at SOL Islam page.

 

 

A timely reminder, inshAllah will add to this great treasure of our sheikh Ibn Taimiya.

 

 

Nur