The Qur’ān (3:104) states: “And there has to be a group of people from among you who invites to all that is good, enjoin the doing of what is right and forbid what is wrong. Such are they who shall prosper.”
The Ayah says that we are not to rest at the correction of what we think and do individually; but we should, along with that, be affectionately concerned with the good of other brothers and sisters in faith. By doing so, the whole community shall have the benefit of keeping its stance correct at all times, guaranteeing closer mutual cooperation and unity.
Our collective well-being depends on two things: One, self-correction through alertness of Allah (Taqwa) and a firm hold on the ‘cord of Allah’ through the Qur’ān and the Faith; and secondly, the correction of others through call (dawah) and positive propagation.
The second article of guidance appears in the opening of the ayah: “And there has to be a group of people from among you …” So, the gist of the previous and the present ayah is that one must correct his or her deeds and morals in the light of what Allah, the Exalted, has sent as the Law, and with it, one must be concerned that other Muslim brothers and sisters do the same. The subject appears in Surah Al-Asr:2-3: “Except those who believe and do good deeds and invite each other to truth and invite each other to patience.”
In order that we have a firm bond of unity, we must relate to Allah and in order that this bond stays firm through the ages, it is necessary that we consider it our obligation to enjoin what is good in accordance with the Qur’ān and the Sunnah on our brothers and sisters, and to stop them from what is not good. The purpose is that ‘the cord of Allah’ should not slip out of our hands.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ has said: “By Him in whose hands is my life, you must bid the Fair and forbid the Unfair lest Allah inflicts upon you a severe punishment; you shall then pray to Him (for mercy) but your prayer shall not be answered.” (Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah)
In another hadith, Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said: “Whoever from among you sees that an evil is being committed then, he should change it with his hands. And if he is unable to do that, then, with his spoken word. And if he is unable to do even that, then, with his heart (i.e., hate it taking it to be evil) and this is the weakest degree of faith.”
Thus, the duty of bidding the Fair and forbidding the Unfair falls on every individual of the community. The liability will, however, be proportionate to everyone’s ability, which is true in the case of all other Islamic injunctions.
The task of enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong is not easy, especially when we consider that it inevitably conflicts with people’s desires, interests and pride. There are oppressors who impose their authority by force, people who are interested only in carnal desires and who do not wish to be elevated to a nobler standard. There are also the lazy who hate to be asked to be serious, the unfair who hate justice, the deviant who do not for a moment contemplate a straightforward attitude. No nation, let alone humanity as a whole, can prosper unless goodness prevails; right is upheld and wrong is thrown out.
A community must be built on the two essential qualities of faith and brotherhood. It is only such a community that can undertake this difficult task, equipped with the power of faith and the seriousness it derives from fearing Allah. It is only through the fulfilment of this role that this community can prosper. Hence, Allah describes those who fulfil it as prosperous: “Such are they who shall prosper.” (Ayah 104)
It is a good, healthy environment where people co-operate to promote goodness. In such a community, right is synonymous with goodness, virtue and justice, whereas wrong means evil, vice and injustice. To do good in such a community is easier than to do evil, virtue is simpler than vice, right stronger than wrong, justice more common and beneficial than injustice. A person who wants to do good will find help while the one who wants to do evil will meet resistance. It is this fact that gives this community its greatest value. It provides an environment where goodness and right can prosper without the need for any great effort, because everything in this environment lends them support.
The concept Islam formulates of life, actions, events, values and people is essentially different from all other concepts. Hence, a special environment, which is totally different from that state of ignorance which prevails in unreligious communities, is needed to enable this unique concept, with all its unique values, to flourish. This environment must be conditioned by the Islamic concept of human life and must serve it so that it may live, breathe freely and grow in it, without encountering any internal hindrances to its development. Should it encounter any obstacles, then the essential qualities of the Muslim community, to advocate all that is good and to enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong, are certain to remove them.
The ability to bid the Fair depends on a correct knowledge of the Fair and the Unfair as such. We, therefore, are duty-bound to get connected with the Qur’ān and Sunnah to educate ourselves first. We are obligated to learn the Maruf (all that Islam orders one to do) and Munkar (all that Islam has forbidden) as determined by the Shari’ah and then only we can go ahead and make these known to others as part of our community service.
Lastly, the Qur’ān (3:110) encourages us and impresses upon us our duty by saying: “You are the best community that has ever been raised for mankind; you enjoin the doing of what is right and forbid what is wrong, and you believe in Allah. Had the people of earlier revelations believed, it would have been for their own good. Few of them are believers, while most of them are evildoers.” The ayah imposes a very heavy duty on us, while at the same time honouring and elevating us to a position which cannot be given to any other community. We should know that we have been raised specially for the purpose of assuming the leadership of mankind, since we are the best community (ummah). Allah wants the leadership in this planet of ours to be assumed by the forces of goodness, not the forces of evil. It must be the one to offer to others whatever it has of sound ideology, philosophy, morality and knowledge, and of course its perfect system. This is the duty of the Muslim nation, imposed on it by its unique position and the purpose of its very existence.