40 Hadith #53: Advising with Wisdom

Read by our brother Abu Arwa Ali

Summary

• How should one advise others? E.g. if a brother smokes
• An evil cannot be prohibited by another evil
• Sufyān Athawri (may Allah be pleased with him) said a person does not enjoin good or forbid evil except that he has 3 qualities, what are they?
• Imam Ahmed (may Allah be pleased with him) said that when one enjoins good or forbids evil and people say that which he dislikes (e.g. swear at him), he advised to not become angry, why is this?

We are on 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]
• We started this hadith in the previous lesson 

Enjoining good and forbidding evil

• When can someone forbid something by their hand? What things must be considered?
• An evil cannot be prohibited by another evil
• How can one prevent evil with his tongue?
• Hating evil with one’s heart
• Is it a sin if a person doesn’t enjoin good or forbid evil with his hand or tongue?
• How should one advise others? E.g. if a brother smokes

What about keeping oneself to oneself?

• The verse: “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]
• How do we understand this verse?

Advice from the Salaf (pious predecessors)

• Sufyān Athawri (may Allah be pleased with him) said a person does not enjoin good or forbid evil except that he has 3 qualities:
  • 1. He is gentle when he orders and he is gentle when he prohibits
  • 2. He is fair and just in what he orders and what he prohibits
  • 3. He has knowledge of what he commands and he had knowledge of what he prohibits 
• Imam Ahmed (may Allah be pleased with him) said people are in need of Islamic diplomacy and gentleness when commanding good or prohibiting evil, without coarseness. What is the exception he mentioned? How is it to be applied today?
• When the companions of Abdullah Ibn Mas’oud passed by a people that were committing sins or wrongdoing, they would speak to them, what would they say to them?
• Imam Ahmed (may Allah be pleased with him) said a person enjoins good and forbids evil with gentleness and humbleness, and if the people make him hear what he dislikes, then do not become angry. Why did he say this?

Summary of Benefits

• 1. The obligation of the enjoying the good and forbidding of evil, and by way of this rectification of the land is brought about
• 2. Changing of an evil has levels, whoever is able to carry out one of those levels then it becomes compulsory upon him to do so
• 3. There is variation within the levels of Eemaan