Commanding the Obligatory ‘Ma^ruf’ and Forbidding the Unlawful ‘Munkar’

English Text By Jul 08, 2015

Commanding the Obligatory ‘Ma^ruf’ and Forbidding the Unlawful ‘Munkar

The following is a section pertaining to fulfilling the obligations and refraining from the sins.

Know that (every accountable person is obligated to perform all the obligations that Allah ordained upon one) like prayer, paying the due zakah, fasting, returning what was taken from people unjustly, and the like.  (One must), i.e., one is obligated to perform the obligations as Allah ordered, by (satisfy)ing (their integrals “rukns and their conditions “sharts”). The integrals “rukns” are the parts of the worship that must be fulfilled and without which the worship is not valid.  The conditions ‘sharts’ are the matters which are not part of the worship, but without which the worship is not valid.  (Also, one must avoid), i.e., stay away from and leave out (their invalidators).

(If one) accountable person (sees another person leaving out any of these obligations or performing them incorrectly) in such a way that the obligatory matter is invalid, (one must), i.e., it is an obligation on him to (order him to perform them correctly) so that they would be valid, (and force him to do so if able. When one cannot force or order its change, one must denounce that incorrect performance) by hating it (in one’s heart.  This) denouncing (is the least that is required if one was unable to change the unlawful by hand) by forcing (or by tongue) by ordering.

(It is obligatory) upon the accountable person (to leave out all the unlawful matters), both the enormous and small sins, (forbid whoever commits them, and, if able, force him not to commit them,) provided that the forcing and forbidding does not lead the sinful person to commit a worse sin.  (Or else,) if one was unable by hand or tongue to force another to leave the unlawful matter, (one must), i.e., it is obligatory, to (reject those) unlawful (actions in one’s own heart.)  (This is the minimum one must do to be safe from sin)