40 Hadith #52: Hadith 34 (Correcting Evil)

Read by our brother Abu Arwa Ali

Summary

• Loving Allah and being loved by Allah
• The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “Whosoever amongst you sees an evil, let him change it with his hand, and if he is not able, then with his tongue and if he is not able, then with his heart, and that is the weakest of faith.” [Related by Muslim]

Recap of last lesson:

• What is the difference between the “dharar” and ”dhirar” mentioned in Hadith 31?
• In hadith 32, we learnt that the claimant has to bring the proof, and the one against whom the claim is made has to take an oath, why is this?
• The one who claims matters in regards to the afterlife then l;ink wise evidence is required from him or her, what is this?
• Loving Allah and being Loved by Allah

Part 4: Summary of Benefits (of Hadith 33)

• 1. This hadith highlights that the Sharia consists of those things that will protect the wealth and the blood of the people
• 2. The Messenger of Allāh (ﷺ) highlighted the methods and procedures that are to be adopted in order to bring Judgement between disputing parties
• 3. The one against whom the claim is being, if he does not acknowledge the claim, then upon the claimant is to produce the evidence
• 4. If its the case that the evidence has not been established or given, then the one against whom the claim is made must take an oath
• Question: should the one against whom the claim is made take an oath in every single situation?

Hadith 34

• From Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī (raḍiyallāhu ʿanhu) who said: I heard the Messenger of Allāh (ṣallallāhu ʿalayhi wasallam) saying, “Whosoever amongst you sees an evil, let him change it with his hand, and if he is not able, then with his tongue and if he is not able, then with his heart, and that is the weakest of faith.” [Related by Muslim]
• The explanation to this Hadith consists of 2 parts

Part 1: Points of benefits

• The statement of The Messenger of Allāh (ﷺ) “then let him change it” is a command to the ummah in general, however there are specific points
• When the Prophet (ﷺ) said “change it with his hand”, what does this mean? Who is supposed to do this? Can anyone take action in every situation?
• Question: if you own a building, and someone who is renting it is using it for illegal stuff e.g. drugs, can you personally evict them?
• When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said “whosever amongst you sees an evil”, does this mean that if you can’t physically see it then you don’t have to do anything about it?
• What did the Prophet (ﷺ) mean when he said “then with his heart”?
  • Having hatred for evil is not necessarily a grimace of the face
• The statement of Shaykh Al-Utheymeen (may Allah have mercy upon him): 
  • If person sees evil being committed and says “I’m going to hate it in my heart” yet he stays in that environment out of his choice, is this correct?
• This command of enjoining good and forbidding evil does not contradict the words of Allah “O you who have believed, upon you is [responsibility for] yourselves. Those who have gone astray will not harm you when you have been guided” [Surah Al-Maa’idah (The Table Spread with Food) verse 105] or the hadith of the Prophet (ﷺ) that one should concern himself with himself only