Amr bil Maroof and Nahi anil Munkar

Life around us is literally falling apart and we have to keep our sanity. There is little time left and a lot to do... 

Discussion time with Tahera. 
Last week we spoke about Amr and Nahi - I have just been able to complete my notes. 

The thing that makes Islam unique as a ‘deen’ is its multifaceted nature. It is individual – in that it allows every human to grow and evolve intellectually & spiritually on a personal level; at the same time, it is also collective and inclusive, because the potential to grow and evolve can materialize only on a social plane when we interact with others and practice and demonstrate the success of our intellectual and spiritual progress.

Islam offers this opportunity for growth through the practice of the two wajib acts: Amr bil Maroof and Nahi anil Munkar – which simply mean: promote or invite people towards goodness and piety; and deter them from going towards that which is harmful or evil. And, in taking on this very important responsibility, each of us is given the opportunity for growing and evolving.

The Quran al Kareem refers to this frequently. For example it say in Sura Ale Imran, ayat 104:

“There should be among you (O believers), a group (of the learned and sincere persons) who should call (the people) towards goodness, bid (them) to the good and forbid (them) from the evil—they are the successful people.” 

From the above ayat it becomes explicit that before one is ready to do Amr and Nahi, he or she needs to have acquired a certain degree of expertise, which qualifies them to then be in a position to correct and advice others. However, this does not exempt us as lay people from the responsibility. The Quran al Kareem goes on to say in Sura e Tawba, ayat 71:

 “...The believing men and the believing women are helpers of each other: they bid the good, forbid the evil, establish the prayer, pay the alms, and they obey Allah and His Messenger—these are the people on whom Allah will be merciful. Indeed Allah is Powerful and Wise.” (9:71)

This makes it clear that the responsibility of Amr and Nahi lies on all believing men and women to the degree to which their knowledge and awareness goes. Furthermore, because these are wajib acts, it is only fair that we have a good understanding of when it becomes wajib upon us to step forward and act, and when we should refrain from this responsibility.

There are three different routes open to us -

1.       The first and best way to inspire others is through example. Through indirect actions, which do not point a finger directly at anyone we educate our momin brothers/ sisters on the proper code of conduct. This route is open to everyone who is a well-wisher and wants to help through Amr and Nahi.

2.       If the first route has proved unsuccessful, then we can directly speak to the person, explain what is wrong and show what is the right thing to do / not to do is. This requires patience and careful consideration which we will discuss next.

3.       If dialogue proves unsuccessful, then direct action needs to be taken. This will obviously be the job of a person in authority, like parents, teachers, law and order keepers, etc. Consequences of unacceptable behaviour are made explicit and sanctions put in place.

Before taking on the responsibility of Amr and Nahi, a momin must be aware of certain considerations. In this journey towards Allah, we must have a clear idea of how we should practice these two furu e deen. The following are things that need to be taken on board before embarking on this leg of life’s journey.

1.       First of all, we must not correct anyone on a subject we ourselves are not sure about. We must educate ourselves on the Islamic stance on the issue before we endeavour to correct a Muslim brother or sister. We must therefore, be absolutely confident in our knowledge on the subject.

2.       It must exclusively be done for the pleasure of Allah – not as an opportunity to show off. Knowledge and awareness sometime blinds us to our own flaws and weaknesses and makes us arrogant. We must therefore think about WHY we are going to do the amr or nahi. If there are elements of riya – then it is time to take a step back, reassess and correct our motives and then step forward once more.

3.       We must think and plan in advance as to what we are going to say and how we are going to approach the brother / sister in error. We must consider the age and situation of our audience before deciding on a course of action. For example, our attitude towards a younger person will vary greatly from the way we approach an older person.

4.       It should be done in such a way that it is positive and inspiring. Our advice should motivate our audience/listener towards our point of view because it is GOOD and RIGHT. It should promote constructive self-evaluation and reflection where a person begins to practice the right code of conduct because he / she recognizes that it is the best way forward. It is worth the while to remember that Islam and its laws are akin to the very ‘nature’ of man; and everything Islam promotes, conforms to the ‘natural’ laws. And, reflection will invariably unveil this truth every time we make the effort to think.

5.       Our act of Amr or Nahi should bring us and our listeners closer to Allah (swt) and lead us forward on our journey of taqwa and God Consciousness. Our action should be able to stimulate humility in ourselves and gratitude in the heart of our listener.

6.       It should be done respectfully – without offensive ridicule, sarcasm or mockery, which is often seen when people try to correct others. We must recognize that a disrespectful attitude detracts us from the essential goodness that amr and nahi are meant to promote.  It is also worth mentioning that it must not become a nag and a hassle –that may make people turn away from us. Islam is a beautiful deen – it must be presented as such.

7.       Wisdom also requires that it should be done at an appropriate time – when our subject is receptive and ready to listen.

We must also be aware that in certain conditions Amr and Nahi are not wajib on us as lay people.

1.       We know the person we are trying to mentor will not listen to us if tell them to do / not do something.

2.       We fear the person may react violently or may abuse us or make fun of us. 

3.       We know that the person is not inclined towards learning / changing for the better – lacks the faith or has incentive.

The above conditions - for when Amr and Nahi are not wajib - perhaps need further exploration. Will save that for another day. 

For all those who read this post - I request a sura fatiha for all our Marhoomeen.

Duas