Islam Guidance

Amr bil Ma’rūf and Nahy Anil Munkar in Traditions

Amr bil Ma’rÅ«f and Nahy Anil Munkar in Traditions

Imam Riďa (a.s.) said,

“You must practice Amr bil Ma’rÅ«f and Nahy Anil Munkar because if you do not, you will be ruled upon by evil people and after that if the righteous ones among you will supplicate, their supplications shall not be granted.”

(Wasa’il ul-Shia)

 The Late Ayatullah Kashiful Ghita has explained in his book the Shiah Origin and Faith:

“Amr bil Ma’rÅ«f and Nahy Anil Munkar are a part of the most important and sublime commands of Islam about whose necessity reason as well as religion are unanimous.

These two great functions are considered to be the most fundamental bases of Islam. They range from the best prayers and worship to one of the different kinds of Jihad. If any nation ignores these two fundamentals, Almighty Allah certainly subjects them to degradation and misfortunes. Such communities readily fall a prey to the human looking rapacious animals and tyrants and unjust men.”

 It is for this reason that the Prophet of Islam and our infallible Imams have been quoted to have spoken in moving words regarding the necessity of discharging these two great duties and the mischief and harm caused to human society by their abandonment, the very thought of which makes one shiver.

 Unfortunately, today we see openly with our own eyes the mischief and harm which originate from laziness in the performance of these two functions. However, we wish that this process should have ended here and we might have remained content with the abandonment of these two functions and things should not have come to such a pass that permissible should have become impermissible and vice versa so much so that those who invite others to truth and excellence should themselves recalcitrate against truth and those who prohibit others from doing bad deeds should themselves be involved in various kinds of unlawful matters. This is an onerous and unbearable calamity. As a result of bad deeds of the people, mischief has become patent everywhere. And all this is in spite of the fact that we have been told: “Accursed are those who invite others to goodness and forsake it themselves and also those who prohibit others from committing sins but commit sins themselves!”

 Truly, Islam deserves to be praised for its laws as well as for the extent and comprehensiveness of its commands, because it foresaw all that, which is necessary for the spiritual and material life of man as well as the source of his advancement and prosperity.

 On the one hand, it has formulated comprehensive and potent laws for mankind and this in fact amounts to authority for legislation. As is evident, authority for legislation cannot bring the desired results without the necessary power to enforce it. Hence in the first instance all Muslims have been made responsible to guarantee its enforcement and it has been declared that it is the duty of every individual to enjoin others to do good things and to forbid them from doing bad things so that everyone of them may become the enforcing authority for the relevant rules and regulations. All should supervise the actions of one another and all should be answerable to one another. However, as it is possible that in certain circumstances this guarantee for enforcement may not suffice and some person may hold back from putting the laws in action, extensive powers have been given in the second stage to the Islamic State and its ruler and the person absolutely responsible for the affairs of Muslim society, viz. the Imam or person nominated by him for the purpose.

Islamic regime is responsible to enforce the penal laws of Islam, punish the offenders, campaign against corruption, injustice and mischief and make efforts to safeguard the independence of Muslims and strengthen the frontiers of the country.

 In short the benefits and vital effects of these two great Islamic Commands (to enjoin others to do good and to refrain from evil) are too numerous to be narrated. Is it possible to find such sublime social policies in any other religion of the world? Is there any school of thought or philosophy more profound than this wherein all individuals supervise the conduct of others in Three things viz. (i) to learn and act upon it; (ii) to educate others and (iii) to persuade others to learn and act, should be compulsory for every one?

 The Messenger of Allah (S) also says,

“Indeed Allah is furious with the weak believer who has no religion.”

Some inquired who that weak believer was? He (S) replied,

“The feeble one who sees evil but does not try to prevent it.”

(Wasa’il ul-Shia Vol. 11 page 393)

The Prophet of Allah (S) says,

“When my Ummah neglects Amr bil Ma’rÅ«f and Nahy Anil Munkar it should expect divine chastisement to befall them.”

(Wasa’il ul-Shia)

Imam Baqir (a.s.) said,

“The Almighty Allah revealed on Shuaib (a.s.):

‘I shall destroy a hundred thousand people from your nation. Forty thousand of whom are sinners and sixty thousand righteous.’

‘O my Lord! The sinners are liable for punishment but why the righteous ones?’ asked Shuaib (a.s.). Allah replied, ‘Because they used to socialize with the sinners and in spite of My dislike they never disliked the sinners. They never restrained them from sins.”

(Wasa’il ul-Shia)

 Imam Sadiq (a.s.) says:

“Wael (Hell/terrible punishment) is for the people who neglect Amr bil Ma’rÅ«f and Nahy Anil Munkar.”

(Wasa’il ul-Shia Vol. 11, page 397)

 Amir ul-Mu’minÄ«n ‘Ali (a.s.) says,

“Indeed the Almighty has cursed those who came before you for neglecting Amr bil Ma’rÅ«f and Nahy Anil Munkar. Thus there is curse upon the ignorant sinners and the intelligent people who neglect Nahy Anil Munkar.”

(Nahjul Balagha)

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