Hadith>Articles>Commanding Righteousness

ترجمۂ کنزالایمان: اللہ کے نام سے شروع جو نہایت مہربان رحم والا

Translation: Allah in the name of the most Affectionate the Merciful

Du’a for Reading the Book or Islamic Lesson

Read the following Du’a (supplication) before studying a religious book or Islamic lesson , you will remember whatever you study.

Translation:Ya Allah! Open the portal of knowledge and wisdom for us, and have mercy on us! O the one who is the most honourable and glorious! (Al-Mustaraf, vol. 1, pp. 40)

Note: Recite Durud Sharif once before and after the Du’a.

ترجمۂ کنزالایمان:اور اگر جب وہ اپنی جانوں پر ظلم کریں تو اے محبوب تمہارے حضور حاضر ہوں اور پھر اللہ سے معافی چاہیں اور رسول ان کی شفاعت فرمائے تو ضرور اللہ کو بہت توبہ قبول کرنے والا مہربان پائیں۔

                                                                                                      

Translation of Kanzul Iman:And if when they do justice unto their souls, then O beloved! They should come to you and then beg forgiveness of Allah and the messenger should intercede for them then surely, they would find Allah Most Relenting, Merciful (4:64)

Excellence of Durud Shareef

The Noble Rasool صلی اللہ تعالی علیہ وسلم has stated, ‘Whoever recites Salat upon me one time, Allah عزوجل sends ten mercies upon him.’ (Sahih Muslim, pp. 166, vol. 1)

Amr Bil Ma’ruf wa Nahi Anil Munkar Commanding Righteousness & Forbidding Evil in the Light of Hadith

Hadith 1: He from amongst you, who sees an evil, should change it by his hand, and if he does not have the ability to do this, then he should change it by means of this tongue (i.e. speak against it). If he does not even have the ability to do this, then (he should do it) with the heart. In other words, he should regard it as evil (i.e. wrong) in his heart, and this is for a person with weak Imaan. [Muslim]

Hadith 2: The example of one who is facile[1] in regards to the Hududul’laah[2], and the one transgressing the Hududul’laah can be understood from this: A nation drew lots in regards to a ship, and it was decided that some will stay in the upper deck and others will stay in the lower deck. Those staying in the lower deck come to the top to collect some water, and in doing so, they walk pass by those living on the upper deck with this water, causing discomfort to those on the upper deck (and they complained in regards to this). Therefore, the one living on the lower deck took a hatchet and started to cut up the lower deck. When those at the top saw this, they asked what was happening, and asked his reason for cutting up the lower deck. He said, ‘When I come up to collect water, you are uncomfortable, and it is necessary for me to fetch water (so I will chop up the lower deck planks and take my water from here, and in doing so, I will not cause you people any discomfort)’. In such a situation, those on the upper deck grabbed hold of his hand and stopped him from cutting into the planks. By doing this, they saved him and saved themselves as well. If they leave him to do as he pleases, then they have destroyed (killed) him and themselves as well. [Bukhari]

Hadith 3: ‘I Swear by Him, in Whose Hand (Divine Power) is my Life! Either you command that which is right and forbid what is evil, or Allah will swiftly (soon) send down His punishment upon you, and you will make Dua (invoke Him) and your Dua will not be accepted’. [Tirmizi]

Hadith 4: When sin is being committed on the earth, the example of the one who is present there, but regards it as wrong, is like the one who is not present there, and as for the example of the one who is not present there, but is happy with (what is happening), is like that of the one who is present there. [Abu Dawud]

Hadith 5: Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddique رضی اللہ تعالٰی عنہ said, ‘O People! Do you read this verse!’

(یٰۤاَیُّہَا الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا عَلَیۡکُمْ اَنۡفُسَکُمْ ۚ لَا یَضُرُّکُمۡ مَّنۡ ضَلَّ اِذَا اہۡتَدَیۡتُمْ ؕ)

‘O you who Believe! Protect your souls; as long as you yourself are (rightly) guided, the one who is astray will cause you no harm.’ [Surah 5 Verse105]

In other words, after reading this verse, you may think that if we are on the righteous path, then the corrupt ways of those who are astray cannot harm us, so there is no need to stop us. Hazrat Umar Farooq رضی اللہ تعالٰی عنہ further says that he heard Rasoolullah صلَّی اللہ تعالٰی علیہ وسلَّم saying, ‘If people see something wrong and they do not change it, then it is near that Allah will send down such punishment upon them, which will envelope them all’. [Ibn Majah]

Hadith 6: That nation in which sins are committed and those people who have the power to change it, do not change it, (then) it is near that Allah ta’aala will send down punishment upon all (of them). [Abu Dawud]

Hadith 7: ‘Command that which is right and forbid those things which are evil, to the extent that if you notice, that miserliness is being followed and people are following their self-desires. The materialistic world is being given precedence of Deen, and every person is arrogant regarding his own point of view, and if you see such matters, from which you have no other alternative, then protect yourself’. In other words, safeguard yourself from evil doings, and leave the affairs of the general public[3]. Ahead of you will come days of patience, and to have patience then, is like holding burning embers in your hand. During such an era, the reward of those who practice what is correct, is the reward of fifty people who practice what is right. People asked, ‘Ya Rasool’Allah صلَّی اللہ تعالٰی علیہ وسلَّم! Will that one person receive the reward of fifty people amongst them?’ Huzoor-e-Akram صلَّی اللہ تعالٰی علیہ وسلَّم said, ‘they will receive the reward of fifty amongst you’. [Tirmizi, Ibn Majah]. The verse which has been mentioned in the fifth Hadith is for such a moment and such a time.

Hadith 8: The fear of people should not stop one from saying the truth. When he knows the truth, he should say it. [Tirmizi]

Hadith 9: Allah will not send down His punishment because of the actions of a few specific people, but when something evil (wrong) is taking place there, and people have the ability to stop it and they do not stop it, then the punishment will befall the chosen public and the special ones as well. [Sharhus Sunnah]

Hadith 10: When the Bani Isra’eel committed sins, then their Ulama stopped them, but they did not desist. Then the Ulama began to sit in there gatherings and eat and drink with them (i.e. they too socialised with them), so Allah caused the hearts of the Ulama to become just like theirs, and He caused them to be cursed by the tongues of (Hazrat) Dawud and Esa bin Maryam علیہما السلام . This was because they were disobedient and they transgressed the limits. After this, Huzoor صلَّی اللہ تعالٰی علیہ وسلَّم said, ‘I swear by Allah! You will either command righteousness by forbidding evil and grabbing hold of the tyrant’s hand, stopping him for the sake of truth and keeping them firm on the truth or Allah ta’aala will cause all your hearts to be alike. He will then curse all of you, like He cursed all of them’. [Abu Dawud]

Hadith 11: On the night of Me’raj, I saw that the lips of some people were being cut with scissors of fire. I said, ‘O Jibra’eel! Who are these people?’ He said, ‘These are the orators of your Ummah, who commanded the people to do what is right, yet they failed to remember themselves’. [Sharhus Sunnah]

Hadith 12: To proclaim the truth in the presence of an unjust tyrant Ruler is a great jihad. [Ibn Majah]

Hadith 13: After me, there shall be leaders; some of their words will be good and some bad. The one who showed abhorrence to the wrong (bad) is free (from contempt), and the one who rejected it is safe, but the one who was pleased (with it) and adhered to it, has been destroyed. [Muslim, Abu Dawud]

Hadith 14: For every Nabi whom Allah sent towards any Ummah before me, there were supporters and companions amongst his Ummah, who would carry the Sunnah of the Nabi and who obeyed his commands. After them, undutiful people were born, who commanded that which they did not do themselves, and they would do that which they did not command others. Whosoever fought against them with their hands, they are Momins and those who fought against them with their tongues, they are Momins and those who fought with their hearts, they are Momins, and thereafter, there is no Imaan (Faith), even equal to a mustard seed. [Muslim]

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[1] This refers to a person who sees something being done contrary to the Shariah but does nothing to remedy it, even though he has the power to stop it.

[2] Hududul’laah refers to the limits set by Allah

[3] In other words, to command what is right and forbid what is wrong at such a time, is not necessary.

Ya Allah عزوجل of Mustafa  صلی اللہ تعالی علیہ وسلم! We make sincere Dua that  blesses us all with strength in Imaan and true love for the Holy Prophet  صلی اللہ تعالی علیہ وسلمand for all those who follow that which has been taught and commanded by Him. Amin! (Source: Extracted from Bahaar-e-Shariat Volume 16)

Courtesy: Imam Mustafa Raza Research Center

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