Command good and forbid evil
And let there be [arising] from you a nation inviting to [all that is] good, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong, and those will be the successful.
[Qur'aan 3:104]
It is narrated on the authority of Tariq bin Shihab:
It was Marwan who initiated (the practice) of delivering khutbah (address) before the prayer on the 'Id day. A man stood up and said: Prayer should precede khutbah. He (Marwan) remarked, This (practice) has been done away with. Upon this Abu Sa'id remarked: This man has performed (his duty) laid on him. I heard the Messenger of Allah 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 it, then he should do it with his tongue, and if he has not strength enough to do it, (even) then he should (abhor it) from his heart, and that is the least of faith.
[Sahih Muslim Hadith No. 49]
Hudhaifah bin Al-Yaman narrated that the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said:
"By the One in Whose Hand is my soul! Either you command good and forbid evil, or Allah will soon send upon you a punishment from Him, then you will call upon Him, but He will not respond to you. "
[Jaami' al-Tirmidhi Hadith No. 2169]
Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
لا يجوز للعالم أن يدافع عن أحد، حاكم بلده ولا غيره إن كان على الباطل، بل الواجب عليه الأمر بالمعروف والنهي عن المنكر، وبيان الحق حسب الاستطاعة، فينكر بيده، فإن لم يستطع فبلسانه، فإن لم يستطع فبقلبه، كما في الحديث المتقدم
It is not permissible for a scholar that he defends anyone, the ruler of his country or anyone else, if the person is on falsehood. Rather, it is obligatory upon him to order that which is right and forbid from that which is wrong and to make evident the truth according to his capability. He should stop evil by means of his hands. If he is not able to then by means of his tongue. And if he is not able to then by means of his heart as has been mentioned in the preceding hadiith.
Narrated Abu Bakr:
You people recite this verse "You who believe, care for yourselves; he who goes astray cannot harm you when you are rightly-guided," and put it in its improper place.
Khalid's version has: We heard the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) say: When the people see a wrongdoer and do not prevent him, Allah will soon punish them all. Amr Ibn Hushaym's version has: I heard the Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) say: If acts of disobedience are done among any people and do not change them though the are able to do so, Allah will soon punish them all.
Adu Dawud said:
This tradition has also been transmitted by Abu Usamah and a group transmitters similar to the version narrated by Khalid. The version of Shu'bah has: "If acts of obedience are done among any people who are more numerous than those who do them...."
[Sunan Abu Dawud Hadith No. 4338]
قال ابن العربي في شرحه :
وهذا الفقه عظيم، وهو أن الذنوب منها ما يعجل الله عقوبته، ومنها ما يمهل بها إلى الآخرة، والسكوت عن المنكر تتعجل عقوبته في الدنيا بنقص الأموال والأنفس والثمرات، وركوب الذل من الظلمة للخلق
Ibn al-'Arabi said in the explanation of this hadiith: And there is important fiqh derived from this hadiith, namely that there are sins for which Allaah hastens the punishment and then there are those sins the punishment of which is reserved for the next world. And if one stays quiet and does not forbid that which is evil his punishment is hastened in this world by means of a loss of wealth, suffering in personal self, and loss of fruits...
وقال عمر بن عبد العزيز –رحمه الله-:
كان يقال: إن الله تعالى لا يعذب العامة بذنب الخاصة، ولكن إذا عمل المنكر جهاراً استحقوا كلهم العقوبة
Umar bin 'Abd al-aziiz (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
It used to be said: Indeed, Allaah does not punish the masses for the sin of specific people but when evil is done openly then everyone becomes entitled to punishment.
And from all of this we come to know that the disobedient person does not only harm himself but harms everyone. Therefore, it is imperative for us to enjoin that which is good and forbid that which is evil.
An-Nu'man bin Bashir narrated that the Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said:
"The parable of the one who upholds Allah's laws and the one who breaches them, is that of a people who drew lots on a ship at sea.
Some of them got the upper part, and some of them the lower part. Those on the lower part ascended to get water, spilling it upon those upper part. So those in the upper part say: 'We will not leave you to come up here and bother us.'
Then those on the lower part say: 'We should make a hole in the lower part, so we can get water.' If they take them by the hand and stop them, then they will save all of them, and if they leave them, they will all drown."'
[Jaami' al-Tirmidhi Hadith No. 2173]