13:14 - 2018/01/02
Whoever enjoins good and forbids evil must know what the good and evil are.
Question: Is it obligatory for someone who wants to another person to the good or forbid him from evil to have the power to carry it out?
Answer: Whoever enjoins and forbids must know what the good and evil are and knows that the wrongdoer violates them intentionally and without any shar‘ī excuse.[1] The person exercising the obligation of enjoining good and forbidding evil must be aware of what is good and what is bad, albeit in a general manner.[2]
1. Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, Practical Laws of Islam, Q1050.
2. Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Sistani, Jurisprudence Made Easy,Dialogue on enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil.