Amr Bil Ma’roof Nahy Anil Munkar (Commanding Virtue & Prohibiting Vice)

Allah Ta’ala says: “Why do their Ulama and Mashaaikh not prohibit them (the masses) from their sinful statements (such as saying television is halaal), and from eating haraam (such as carrion and riba). Indeed vile is it which they used to perpetrate.” (Qur’aan)

Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said: “Every one of you is a shepherd, and every one of you will be questioned about his (or her) flock.”

Numerous Ahadith of Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) emphasize the absolute importance of Amr Bil Ma’roof Nahy Anil Munkar. Commanding virtue and prohibiting vice is the obligatory duty of every Muslim, male and female commensurate with his/her ability and jurisdiction. The ruler’s jurisdiction extends over the entire country and all its inhabitants. The Ulama’s jurisdiction also extends over the entire nation with regards to Naseehat – advice and admonition. A man’s jurisdiction is over his flock (wife, children, and other close relatives). A woman’s jurisdiction is over her children. The employer’s jurisdiction is over his employees. In brief, everyone has some kind of jurisdiction and control over others.

Abandoning this obligation is haraam. In this age, most people have completely abandoned Amr Bil Ma’roof Nahy Anil Munkar. The worst culprits in the commission of this haraam act are the Ulama who have betrayed the Allah Ta’ala, Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) and the Ummah. In the Qur’aan, Allah Ta’ala severely reprimands the Ulama of Bani Israaeel who had abandoned this obligation for gaining worldly benefits from the people.

Purely for the sake of the pleasure of the people, to gain favours from them and to be saved criticism, most of the Ulama of the day are abstaining from this Waajib obligation. They justify their evil silence and abstention from Amr Bil Ma’roof on the basis of misconceived ‘hikmat’ (wisdom) which in reality comes within the scope of Talbeesul Iblees (Deception of Shaitaan). Since the maulana/sheikh is desirous of being praised and loved by the people, he ensures that he says nothing which could cause annoyance to them. He basks in the false notion of his piety since the people in large numbers participate in his public programmes of bid’ah halqah thikr, and other haraam programmes which are pleasing to the nafs.

Regarding such miscreant ‘pious’ ulama, Hadhrat Umar (radhiyallahu anhu) said: “Soon will there dawn an age in which a pious person will be considered to be one who abstains from Amr Bil Ma’roof and Nahy Anil Munkar. People will comment that they only see goodness in him.”

This is the deception in which most Ulama of the day are dwelling. With their forked tongues they desire to be in the good books of all and sundry regardless of the damage their silence and complacency cause the Deen.

Hadhrat Ali (radhiyallahu anhu) said: “Soon will there come a time when those who will say evil is evil will be less than one tenth of the people. Then this stage too will come to an end, and there will remain no one to say that an evil is evil.” Undoubtedly, we have already landed in that age predicted by Hadhrat Ali (radhiyallahu anhu).

According to Hadhrat Anas Bin Maalik (radhiyallahu anhu), those who do not prevent evil, will rise on the Day of Qiyaamah with their ears cut off. Severely condemning such persons, Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said: “He who remains silent regarding the Haqq is a dumb shaitaan.” The silence of the vast majority of the Ulama is responsible for much of the transgressions and corruption which are destroying the Muslim community.

Hadhrat Abu Dardaa’ (radhiyallahu anhu) said: “Continue with Amr Bil Ma’toof Nahy Anil Munkar otherwise Allah Ta’ala will appoint over you a tyrannical ruler who will neither respect your elders nor have mercy on your little ones. Then, the pious among you will supplicate (make dua) to Allah Ta’ala, but their duas will not be accepted. You will appeal (to Allah) for help, but you will not be aided. You will repent, but it too will be rejected.”

In bygone times Allah Ta’ala had destroyed entire cities which were also inhabited by thousands of pious people. Since they had abandoned Amr Bil Ma’roof Nahy Anil Munkar, the universal punishment of Allah Ta’ala which settled on the cities earmarked for destruction, also hemmed them (the pious) in and utterly destroyed them along with all the evil people.

Wherever the calamity of genocide has descended on Muslim communities it is the consequence of flagrant transgression and total abstention from Amr Bil Ma’roof which has today become the profession of the Ulama. Instead of discharging their obligation for the sake of gaining Allah’s Pleasure and for saving the masses from Allah’s universal punishment, they (the Ulama) have blended in with the evils of society. They seek the pleasure of the people, hence they adopt silence whilst the Shariah of Allah Ta’ala is flagrantly trampled on in front of their eyes.

Let all Muslims understand that no community is safe in this age from the punishment which uproots and brutalizes entire communities. Mass destruction, genocide and the pillaging and plundering which kuffaar mobs unleash on Muslims are cogs in Allah’s Machinery of Athaab.