How to Command the Good and Forbid the Evil? (Habib Umar bin Hafiz )
Answered by Habib Umar bin Hafiz
Question: Assalam aleykum
What should we do when we see our brethren falling short or performing a sinful action or leaving an obligatory command of Allah?
Answer: [Assalam alaykum]
Seeing one of the brethren falling short or sinning or leaving obligatory commands entails several obligations upon us.
Having a Good Opinion and Avoiding Arrogance and Disdain
The first obligation is that we do not look down upon him, nor expect his bad ending. Rather we advise him for the sake of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), knowing that perhaps this very same person, who today we are trying to rescue from sins, will be an intercessor for us on the Day we meet Allah (Mighty and Majestic).
Prohibition of Looking Down Upon Others
So despise the sinful action, do not despise or look down upon any Muslim. Indeed the Prophet (may Allah peace and blessings be upon him and his folk) has forbidden this attitude of hatred and looking down upon even those who have committed enormities (major sins) and even people who have had a capital punishment (hadd) applied to them, and has rebuffed whoever acted like this.
The Alcoholic Who Loved Allah and His Messenger
For example, he said to the companion, who insulted another companion for being punished four times for drinking alcohol, “Do not be an aid for Satan against your brother” and “Stop this. Indeed, he loves Allah and His Messenger.” Rather, the sincere repentance of this man was true because of the effect of that love upon his heart.
Backbiting a Sinner
Another example is the Companion (may Allah be pleased with them all) who confessed to committing fornication; each time, the Prophet (may Allah peace and blessings be upon him and his folk) turning away from him, until he (finally) commanded that the maximum punishment (hadd) be applied. After the Companion was stoned, the Prophet (may Allah peace and blessings be upon him and his folk) heard two companions talking, one saying to the other, “Did you see how he died like a dog dies?” The Prophet (may Allah peace and blessings be upon him and his folk) became angry. Then, when he passed by a dead sheep he brought these two and told them to eat from it. They answered: “…How can we eat a dead animal?” He (may Allah peace and blessings be upon him and his folk) responded,
“What you have eaten of your brother’s flesh is worse more filthy than this the dead animal (mayta). And he is now being swimming in the rivers of Paradise.”
Offering Advice in the Most Effective Way
The second obligation is to offer sincere advice to the brother. This should be done in a tactful and considerate way and priority should give to the method that will most likely affect him positively.
Dangers of Neglecting Inward and Outward Duties
These two obligations must be coupled together. Neglecting these obligations leads to pride and vanity on the one hand, and the belittling of sins on the other. Thus, [these obligations] must be awake in our conscience, and in our families, and our gatherings, and at work, and while riding in the car with friends.
The Spread of Darkness
There has to be a conscience that drives one to avert sins upon seeing them. For if we remain silent after seeing someone who has deliberately left an obligation or committed a sin, the darkness of that act will infiltrate us by the very action of remaining silent while we had the ability to rescue and advise. Therefore remaining silent and taking this [obligation] lightly will cause a many sins and wrong actions to spread. Thus both tasks are upon us : the task of purifying and refining the heart so that it does not view one’s self as being better than the sinner, and the task of doing what can be done to rescue him.
Translated by: Abdullah Alrajhy
Please see also: The Criteria of Enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil
Habib Umar bin Hafiz is a descendant of the Prophet (upon him be Allah’s peace and blessings). Born into a family of scholars, Habib Umar, pursued the sacred sciences from a young age, including Quran, Hadith, Fiqh, ‘Aqeedah, Arabic, and Spirituality. In 1994, he established Dar al-Mustafa, an educational institute in Tarim, Yemem.
ما الذي يجب علينا عند رؤية التقصير من إخواننا أو فعل المعصية أو ترك الواجب ؟
رؤيتُنا التقصيرَ من إخوانِنَا أو فعلَ المعصيةِ أو تركَ الواجبِ يترتَّبُ عليه منا واجبات:
الواجبُ الأولُ: أن لا نتكبَّرَ عليهم ولا نجزم بسوءِ مصيرِهِم، بل ندينُ اللهَ تعالى بنصحِهِم، متوقعين أنَّهُ ربما كان هذا الذي ننقذُهُ اليومَ من المعصيةِ شفيعاً لنا يومَ نلقى الله، لأن الخاتمةَ والمصيرَ غيبٌ عنا، فلا نقيمُ الأمرَ على احتقارِ من رأيناه يعصي. فاحتقرِ المعصيةَ ولا تتكبرْ على أحدٍ من المسلمين، فقد نهى صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وصحبه وسلم عن التعاملِ بمثل ذلكَ مع أهلِ الكبائرِ ومن أقيمَ عليهم الحد، وزجرَ عن ذلك من بدرتْ منه البادرة، وقال للذي سبَّ من ضُرِبَ لأجلِ الخمر مرات (لا تكن عون الشيطان على أخيك)، (لا تفعل إنه يحبُّ اللهَ ورسولَهُ). فكانت التوبةُ فيما بعدَ ذلك صادقةً من أثرِ تلك المحبة. ولما رُجِمَ من اعترفَ بالزنا أربع مراتٍ وهو صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وصحبه وسلم يعرضُ عنه ثم رجمَه، فمضى بعد رجمِهِ فإذا باثنين يتحدثان؛ يقولُ أحدُهُما: ألا ترى كيفَ ماتَ هذا كما يموتُ الكلب. فغضبَ صلى الله عليه وسلم، ولما مرَّ على شاةٍ ميتةٍ قال: أين فلانٌ وفلان؟ قال: كُلا، قالا: يا رسولَ اللهِ يغفرُ اللهُ لك، كيف نأكلُ ميتة!؟ قال: (ما أكلتما من لحمِ أخيكما أنتنُ من هذا، وإنه الآنَ لينغمسُ في أنهارِ الجنَّة) هذا الأمرُ الأولُ.
الأمر الثاني: أن نستعملَ الوسائلَ لإنقاذِ صاحبِنا بإبلاغِ النصيحة له، مقدِّمينَ أقربَ الوسائلِ وأليقَها بخطابه، أو أكثرها تأثيرا عليه.
فهذانِ الأمران يجبُ أن يقوما معنا، وبسبَبِ تركِهما ينتشرُ الكِبْرُ والعُجبُ من جانب، وينتشر الاستخفاف بالسيئاتِ من الجانبِ الآخر، فلا بد أن تكونَ يقظةً في الضمائرِ، ووسط الأسرِ، وفي الحلقاتِ التي تضمنا في مناسباتنا، وفي وظائِفِنا، وعندما نلتقي مع أهلِ العمل، وفي السيارات التي نركب فيها مع الأصحاب، لابدَّ من ضميرٍ ينبِّهُ للزجرِ عن السيئاتِ. فإنه إذا رأينا من ترَكَ الواجِبَ قَصدًا أو فَعل المحرَّم ثم سكتنا؛ سرتْ الظلمةُ إلينا بسكوتٍ في وقتِ قدرةٍ على إنقاذِهِ أو على بلاغِهِ ونصحِهِ بما نقدرُ عليه، فبهذا التساهلِ والسكوتِ تنتشرُ كثيرٌ من السيئات والمخالفات، فلا بدَّ من القيامِ بالمهمَّتين: مهمةَ تهذيبِ القلبِ حتى لا يتكبَّرَ على المذنبِ، ومهمةِ النـزوع على الفعلِ إلى ما ينقذُهُ بما يُسْتَطاعُ من ذلك..
