What Are the Conditions for Enjoining Good (Amr Bi Al-Ma’ruf)?
Answered by Shaykh Anas al-Musa
Question
What are the conditions for enjoining good (amr bi al-ma‘ruf)?
Answer
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
All praise is due to Allah, Lord of all worlds. Peace and blessings be upon the Messenger sent as a mercy to the worlds, our Master and Prophet, Muhammad, and his Family and Companions.
Enjoining good (amr bi al-ma‘ruf) has several essential conditions:
Possessing Correct Knowledge
The person enjoining good must have accurate knowledge and clear insight to ensure they are promoting what aligns with Allah’s law and not inadvertently advocating against it.
Gentleness and Kindness
Enjoining good should be done with gentleness, not harshness or severity. Allah (Most High) said to His beloved Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace):
“It is out of Allah’s mercy that you (O Prophet) have been lenient with them. Had you been cruel or hard-hearted, they would have certainly abandoned you.” [Quran, 3:159]
Advice given without gentleness often turns into rebuke, which is rarely accepted.
Patience
A person inviting others to good must be patient, as they might face rejection or hostility. Patience is necessary to fulfill this duty effectively.
Practicing What One Preaches
The one enjoining good should embody the principles they are promoting. Being a positive example enhances the impact of their advice. As the poet said:
“O you who teach others, why not teach yourself? You prescribe remedies for the sick, but remain ill yourself. Begin with your own soul and forbid it from wrongdoing. If it complies, you are truly wise. Only then, if you advise others, will they follow you, and your words will be accepted.”
Sincerity
The intention behind enjoining good must be purely for the sake of Allah, seeking His pleasure and spreading goodness, not for personal gain or ulterior motives. As it is said:
“The believer conceals and advises, whereas the wicked exposes and denounces.”
May Allah bless the Prophet Muhammad and give him peace, and his Family and Companions.
[Shaykh] Anas al-Musa
Shaykh Anas al-Musa, born in Hama, Syria, in 1974, is an erudite scholar of notable repute. He graduated from the Engineering Institute in Damascus, where he specialized in General Construction, and Al-Azhar University, Faculty of Usul al-Din, where he specialized in Hadith.
He studied under prominent scholars in Damascus, including Shaykh Abdul Rahman al-Shaghouri and Shaykh Adib al-Kallas, among others. Shaykh Anas has memorized the Quran and is proficient in the ten Mutawatir recitations, having studied under Shaykh Bakri al-Tarabishi and Shaykh Mowfaq ‘Ayun. He also graduated from the Iraqi Hadith School.
He has taught numerous Islamic subjects at Shari‘a institutes in Syria and Turkey. Shaykh Anas has served as an Imam and preacher for over 15 years and is a teacher of the Quran in its various readings and narrations.
Currently, he works as a teacher at SeekersGuidance and is responsible for academic guidance there. He has completed his Master’s degree in Hadith and is now pursuing his Ph.D. in the same field. Shaykh Anas al-Musa is married and resides in Istanbul.
