When we read the Quran, we encounter some verses that talk about some of the past nations and tribes that were punished or even destroyed because of their disobedience to God, because they...
When we read the Quran, we encounter some verses that talk about some of the past nations and tribes that were punished or even destroyed because of their disobedience to God, because they failed to to follow the commandments of God, they went stray to the extent that they deserved to get punished or even destroyed by God.
There is a tradition narrated from prophet Muhammad in which he mentions the reason why these nations and tribes were punished, The prophet says,
"The only reason why god destroyed some of the past nations was because they abandoned the enjoining of the good and the forbidding of the evil."
They didn’t care about what was going on around them, they were indifferent about their surroundings, when people were doing something wrong in the society, they were silent, as a result, corruption and wrongdoings spread throughout their society and they deserved to be destroyed.
Brothers and sisters, we might be righteous believers but this is not enough, we have to care about our brothers and sisters in faith, our friends, our family, our neighbors, the people who we have access to, when we see them doing something wrong we have to advise them in a friendly way because God says in the Quran,
The believing men and believing women are allies of one another. They enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and establish prayer and give zakah and obey Allah and His Messenger. Those - Allah will have mercy upon them. Indeed, Allah is Exalted in Might and Wise.
As you can see if we perform this obligation, God will have mercy upon us but if we quit enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong we may suffer the consequences, corruption will spread throughout the nation and as a result we will deserve the punishment of god.
The holy prophet says,
“My community will continue to be blessed as long as they enjoin the good and forbid the evil, and help one another in good deeds. When they do not do this, blessings will be withheld from them”[3]
Imam Ali says,
Do not abandon enjoining the good and forbidding the evil because if you do, and some [evil persons] among you will rule over you; and then whenever you supplicate your supplication will not be accepted.[4]
So if we want to learn from these traditions of Ahlul Bayt, we must be amongst those who guide one another. If we see something wrong being done by our family members or friends or… , then it is our responsibility to speak out and guide them gently because if we don't do so, then we too will suffer the repercussions.
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[1] انما اهلک الله الامم السالفه قبلکم بترکهم الامر بالمعروف و النهی عن المنکر.
[2] (9:71)
وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتُ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلِيَاءُ بَعْضٍ ۚ يَأْمُرُ‌ونَ بِالْمَعْرُ‌وفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ وَيُقِيمُونَ الصَّلَاةَ وَيُؤْتُونَ الزَّكَاةَ وَيُطِيعُونَ اللَّـهَ وَرَ‌سُولَهُ ۚ أُولَـٰئِكَ سَيَرْ‌حَمُهُمُ اللَّـهُ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّـهَ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ
[3] Mizanul'Hikma.v 7. P 333.
لا یَزالُ النّاسُ بِخَیرٍ ما أمَروا بِالمَعروفِ و نَهَوا عَنِ المُنکَرِ و تَعاوَنوا عَلَى البِرِّ، فإذا لَم یَفعَلوا ذلکَ نُزِعَت مِنهُمُ البَرَکاتُِ
[4] عَنْ أَميرِالمُؤْمِنين عليه السلام: لا تَتْرُكُوا الأمْرَ بِالْمَعرُوفِ وَ النَّهىَ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ فَيُـوَلّى عَلَـيْكُمْ أَشْـرارُكُـمْ ثُمَّ تَدْعُونَ فَلا يُستَجابُ لَكُمْ.
Nahjul Balagha, letter nu.47.