Chapter X: Living and Character of the Prophet
ENJOINING GOOD AND FORBIDDING EVIL
Enjoining good and prohibiting evil is the basic subject of religions . It is such a necessity for which all the Prophet were sent to the world. Had it been closed, Prophethood would have been meaningless, religions lost, idleness reigned, ignorance spread, disturbance prevailed, dangers and calamities appeared and mankind destroyed. It will be discussed in four section — (1)
merits of enjoying good and prohibiting evil (2) its rules and conditions , (3) narration of prevalent corrupt practices in society, (4) and dissuasion about enjoining good and prohibiting evil to the rulers, administrators and those who are invested with powers.
SECTION 1
MERITS OF ENJOINING GOOD AND PROHIBITING EVIL
It appears from the Quranic verses and sayings of the Holy Prophet and of the sages and saints that enjoining good and prohitbiting evil is compulsory.
QURAN: God says : There shall be a party from you who will call towards good and prohibit evil and they shall be successful — 3:105 Q. This is Farze Kefayah and not Faraz Ain. In other words, if some people do it, other Muslims will be absolved from its sin, but if none does it, all will be sinners. God says: All the people of the Book are not equal. A party of them recite standing in prayer all night, make prostration and have faith in God and the next world and view with one another in good deeds. They are included within the religious people. God says :
The believing men and believing women are friends to one another. They enjoin good on one another and prohibit evil and establish prayer. They have been praised by God as they adopt these measures. Those who do riot do these are out of the category of believers. God says : Those who dire unbelievers among the children of Israil are cursed by the tongues of David and Jesus Christ, son of Mary. This is because they committed sins and transgressed, they did not prohibit them to divert from evil deeds. Evil is what they did " In this verse, God says that They are fit for curse as they gave up prohibiting the evil doings.
Vol-II The Book of Wordly Usages 181