Back to search

Does silence regarding the disapproval of wrongdoing—despite having the ability and wisdom to do so—and avoiding people out of fear of witnessing wrongdoing without disapproving it, contradict the rulings of enjoining good and forbidding evil?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

Enjoining good and forbidding evil is a religious obligation upon a Muslim. It is done with the hand; if unable, then with the tongue; and if unable, then with the heart, which is the weakest form of faith. This obligation, like other religious obligations, does not burden a Muslim beyond their capacity. It is performed by prioritizing the more important over the less important, and the obligatory over the recommended. Enjoining is directed towards those who are expected to accept advice, and one should not become preoccupied with matters of ijtihad (independent reasoning). Enjoining good and forbidding evil is a collective obligation (fard kifaaya); if some members of the community undertake it, the obligation is lifted from the rest.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

Read the full answer on Ftawy