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Explained ḥadīths

Excellence of Enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil

3 ḥadīths

Allah never sent any prophet nor did He invest anyone with authority except that he has two entourages: one entourage enjoins him to do good and encourages him to carry it out; another entourage enjoins him to do evil and incites him to carry it out.

عن أبي سعيد الخدري وأبي هريرة رضي الله عنهما مرفوعاً: "ما بعث الله من نبي ولا اسْتَخْلَفَ من خليفة إلا كانت له بطانتان: بطانة تأمره بالمعروف وتَحُضُّهُ عليه، وبطانة تأمره بالشر وتَحُضُّهُ عليه، والمعصوم من عصم الله".
Abu Sa‘īd al-Khudri and Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with both of them) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Allah never sent any prophet nor did He invest anyone with authority except that he has two entourages: one entourage enjoins him to do good and encourages him to carry it out; another entourage enjoins him to do evil and incites him to carry it out. Saved is the one whom Allah protects.''
Narrated by BukhariGradeAuthentic hadith
Explanation

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informs that Allah did not send any prophet, nor gave anyone authority, except the prophet or sovereign has two entourages. One commands him with good and the other commands him with evil. The one who is saved from the negative influences of an evil entourage is the one whom Allah protects.

Reference

صحيح البخاري، محمد بن إسماعيل البخاري الجعفي، تحقيق: محمد زهير الناصر، دار طوق النجاة (مصورة عن السلطانية بإضافة ترقيم: محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي)، الطبعة: الأولى 1422هـ. بهجة الناظرين شرح رياض الصالحين، سليم بن عيد الهلالي، دار ابن الجوزي، الطبعة: الأولى 1418 هـ، 1997م. نزهة المتقين شرح رياض الصالحين، مجموعة من الباحثين، مؤسسة الرسالة، بيروت، الطبعة: الرابعة عشر، 1407هـ، 1987م. رياض الصالحين من كلام سيد المرسلين، أبو زكريا محيي الدين النووي، تحقيق ماهر الفحل، دار ابن كثير، دمشق، بيروت، الطبعة: الأولى 1428هـ، 2007م. شرح رياض الصالحين، محمد بن صالح العثيمين، مدار الوطن، الرياض، 1426هـ.

This ḥadīth at HadeethEnc.com

Among the best of Jihad is to speak a word of justice to an oppressive ruler

عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الخُدْرِيِّ رضي الله عنه أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: «إِنَّ مِنْ أَعْظَمِ الجِهَادِ كَلِمَةَ عَدْلٍ عِنْدَ سُلْطَانٍ جَائِرٍ».
Abu Sa‘īd al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Among the best of Jihad is to speak a word of justice to an oppressive ruler."
Narrated by Abu Dāwūd, At-Tirmidhi, Ibn Mājah, and AhmadGradeHasan/Sound by virtue of corroborating evidence
Explanation

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) pointed out that one of the greatest and most beneficial types of Jihad in the cause of Allah Almighty is a word of justice and truth before an unjust ruler or governor. This is because in doing so, a person practices the ritual of enjoining the right and forbidding the wrong, be it by speech, writing, action, or anything else that benefits and wards off evil.

Benefits
  1. Enjoining the right and forbidding the wrong is part of Jihad.
  2. Advising the ruler is one of the greatest forms of Jihad, but it should be done with knowledge, wisdom, and certainty.
  3. Al-Khattābi said: This has become the best Jihad because whoever strives against the enemy is between hope and fear, not knowing whether he will prevail or be defeated. As for the ruler, he is subjugated in his hand. So, if he speaks the truth and enjoins him to do what is right, he is exposed to damage and aims for his own destruction. Hence, this has become the best type of Jihad, given the dominant fear. It was said: It is the best Jihad because if the ruler acts upon his word, the benefit may prevail to a large number of people, thus achieving a good interest.
Reference

سنن الترمذي (4/ 45) (2174). سنن أبي داود (6/ 400) (4344). سنن ابن ماجه (5/ 144) (4011). مسند أحمد (17/ 227) (11143). بهجة الناظرين شرح رياض الصالحين، لسليم الهلالي (1/ 283). شرح رياض الصالحين، لابن عثيمين (2/ 453). نزهة المتقين شرح رياض الصالحين، لمجموعة من الباحثين (1/ 216).

This ḥadīth at HadeethEnc.com

The example of the one who abides by the limits prescribed by Allah and the one who transgresses them is like the example of a people who boarded a ship after casting lots. Some of them were in its upper deck and others were in its lower deck

عَنِ النُّعْمَانِ بْنِ بَشِيرٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: «مَثَلُ القَائِمِ عَلَى حُدُودِ اللَّهِ وَالوَاقِعِ فِيهَا، كَمَثَلِ قَوْمٍ اسْتَهَمُوا عَلَى سَفِينَةٍ، فَأَصَابَ بَعْضُهُمْ أَعْلاَهَا وَبَعْضُهُمْ أَسْفَلَهَا، فَكَانَ الَّذِينَ فِي أَسْفَلِهَا إِذَا اسْتَقَوْا مِنَ المَاءِ مَرُّوا عَلَى مَنْ فَوْقَهُمْ، فَقَالُوا: لَوْ أَنَّا خَرَقْنَا فِي نَصِيبِنَا خَرْقًا وَلَمْ نُؤْذِ مَنْ فَوْقَنَا، فَإِنْ يَتْرُكُوهُمْ وَمَا أَرَادُوا هَلَكُوا جَمِيعًا، وَإِنْ أَخَذُوا عَلَى أَيْدِيهِمْ نَجَوْا، وَنَجَوْا جَمِيعًا».
An-Nu‘mān ibn Bashīr (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The example of the one who abides by the limits prescribed by Allah and the one who transgresses them is like the example of a people who boarded a ship after casting lots. Some of them were in its upper deck and others were in its lower deck. When those in its lower deck needed water, they had to pass by those above them. So they said: 'If we could make a hole in our share so as not to bother those above us.' If they let them do what they want, they will all perish, but if they stop them, they will survive and all of them will survive."
Narrated by Al-BukhāriGradeAuthentic
Explanation

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) stated that the example of those who comply with the limits set by Allah, adhere to the commands of Allah, enjoin what is good, and forbid what is evil; and the example of those who transgress the limits set by Allah, refrain from what is good and commit what is evil, and the effect of this on the salvation of the society, is like the example of a people who boarded a ship and drew lots to decide who would sit in the upper part of the ship and who would sit in its lower part. Some of them got the upper part, while others got its lower part. Whenever those in the lower part wanted to bring water, they had to pass by those above them. So, those in the lower part said: If we could only make a hole in our place in the lower part to bring water therefrom without bothering those above us. If those in the upper part let them do that, the ship would sink with all of them. However, if they forbade and prevented them from doing this, both groups would be saved.

Benefits
  1. The importance of enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil in protecting and saving societies.
  2. Giving examples is one of the teaching methods that convey meanings in a tangible form.
  3. Committing what is clearly wrong and having none to forbid is a cause of corruption that brings harm to all people.
  4. The destruction of society results from leaving the evildoers to spread mischief on earth.
  5. A wrong action and a good intention are not sufficient for deeming a deed righteous.
  6. Responsibility in the Muslim community is communal and is not entrusted to a certain individual.
  7. All are punished for the sins committed by some if they are not forbidden.
  8. The evildoers present their evil to society in a good form just like the hypocrites.
Reference

صحيح البخاري (3/ 139) (2493). بهجة الناظرين شرح رياض الصالحين، لسليم الهلالي (1/ 277). تطريز رياض الصالحين، لفيصل آل مبارك (ص149). شرح رياض الصالحين، لابن عثيمين (2/ 430). كنوز رياض الصالحين، مجموعة من الباحثين (4/ 39). نزهة المتقين شرح رياض الصالحين، مجموعة من الباحثين (1/ 210).

This ḥadīth at HadeethEnc.com

Every ḥadīth, grade, explanation and benefit here is shown exactly as HadeethEnc.com publishes it, under its terms for republication. The grade names no grader. The translations and explanations are its authors’ own, and some state rulings; Sabīl’s reviewers have not examined them. The Arabic ḥadīth is the text. Source: HadeethEnc.com