في هذه المسألة يقول الإمام النووي (رحمه الله)

Regarding this issue Imaam an-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him)

قال النووي في شرحه لصحيح مسلم تحت باب "الأمر بالمعروف والنهي عن المنكر": "اعلم أن هذا الباب - يعني باب الأمر بالمعروف والنهي عن المنكر - قد تُرك منذ زمن بعيد، وما بقي منه اليوم أثر قليل جدًا." وهذا الباب عظيم الشأن، وهو عماد الأمر وأساسه. فإذا فشا المنكر عمّ العقاب الصالحَ والطالحَ، وإذا لم يُكفّوا الظالم أوشك الله أن يعمّهم جميعًا بالعذاب.

says in his Sharh Saheeh Muslim under the chapter “enjoining the ma’roof and forbidding the munker”: “Know that this chapter - ie the chapter of seen-off a long time ago, and what is left of it nowadays is very few signs.” This chapter is of grave importance; it is the support and basis of the matter. When the evil becomes widespread then the punishment will engulf the good and the bad (people), and if they did not restrain the tyrant, Allah will be about to punish them all:

"And let those who oppose the Messenger's commandment beware, lest some affliction befall them or a painful torment be inflicted on them." [TMQ 24:63] The need for enjoining the ma'roof and forbidding the munkar is necessary and permanent as long as the need remains for life itself, its security and well-being. Indeed, the da'wah is equivalent to all of that. The Prophet ﷺ has explained the extent of that need and gave an example for it. So he ﷺ said: "The example of those who maintain Allah's limits and those who surpass the limit is like the example of those who share a boat. Some occupy the lower deck while others the upper deck." *Arabic translation:* ﴿فَلْيَحْذَرِ الَّذِينَ يُخَالِفُونَ عَنْ أَمْرِهِ أَن تُصِيبَهُمْ فِتْنَةٌ أَوْ يُصِيبَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ﴾ [سورۃ النور: ٦٣] وَإِنَّ الْأَمْرَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَالنَّهْيَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ ضَرُورَةٌ قَائِمَةٌ وَدَائِمَةٌ مَا دَامَتِ الْحَاجَةُ قَائِمَةً إِلَى الْحَيَاةِ نَفْسِهَا وَأَمْنِهَا وَصَلَاحِهَا، بَلْ إِنَّ الدَّعْوَةَ تُعَادِلُ ذَلِكَ كُلَّهُ. وَقَدْ بَيَّنَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ مَدَى هَذِهِ الْحَاجَةِ وَضَرَبَ لَهَا مَثَلًا، فَقَالَ ﷺ: «مَثَلُ الْقَائِمِ عَلَى حُدُودِ اللهِ وَالْوَاقِعِ فِيهَا، كَمَثَلِ قَوْمٍ اسْتَهَمُوا عَلَى سَفِينَةٍ، فَأَصَابَ بَعْضُهُمْ أَعْلَاهَا وَبَعْضُهُمْ أَسْفَلَهَا».

“And let those who oppose the Messenger’s commandment beware, lest some affliction befall them or a painful torment be inflicted on them.” [TMQ 24:63] The need for enjoining the ma’roof and forbidding the munkar is necessary and permanent as long as the need remains for life itself, its security and well being. Indeed, the da’wah is equivalent to all of that. The Prophet has explained the extent of that need and gave an example for it. So he said; “The example of those who maintain Allah’s limits and those who surpassed the limit is like the example of those who share a boat. Some would occupy the lower while others the upper deck.

كان أهلُ الطبقةِ السفلى سيضطرّون إلى الصعودِ إلى الطبقةِ العليا للوصولِ إلى الماء. فقالوا: «لماذا لا نحفرُ ثقبًا في الطبقةِ السفلى للوصولِ إلى الماءِ مباشرةً، حتى لا نُسبّبَ أيَّ إزعاجٍ لمن فوقَنا؟» فإنْ أذِنَ لهم أهلُ الطبقةِ العليا بذلك، غرقَتِ السفينةُ بكلِّ مَن فيها من الركّاب، وإنْ منعوهم من ذلك، نجَوا جميعًا [رواه البخاري]. يُبيّنُ هذا الحديثُ أنّ الأمرَ بالمعروفِ والنهيَ عن المنكرِ يعادلُ حياةَ المجتمعِ وأمنَه. وأيُّ تهاونٍ في القيامِ بهذه المهمّةِ لا يُفضي إلّا إلى أن تغرقَ السفينةُ بمَن عليها، فيهلكَ الجميعُ ويغرقون في قاعِ البحر.

The occupants of the lower deck would have to go to the upper deck to have access to the water. They said, ‘Why don’t we drill a hole in the lower deck to directly access the water, so as not to cause any inconvenience to those above us?’ If those on the upper deck allowed this to happen, then the entire boat with all the passengers would sink. However if they prevented them from doing so, then all would be saved” [Reported by Bukhari]. This hadith explains how enjoining the ma’roof and forbidding the munkar is equivalent to the life and security of society. Any complacency in undertaking this task has no outcome except that the boat sinks with everyone on it, to the bottom of the sea and everybody would perish and drown.

لقد بيّن القرآن الكريم أهمية الدعوة وحاجة الناس إليها في آيات كثيرة. ولم تقتصر ألفاظ القرآن الكريم على موضوع الدعوة، بل تضمنت كلمات ومعانٍ كثيرة كلها تدور حول موضوع الدعوة، إضافة إلى الأحاديث الواردة عن رسول الله ﷺ. ونذكر هنا بعضها على سبيل المثال لا الحصر.

The Qur’an has expressed the importance of the da’wah and people’s need for it in many ayaat. The words of the Qur’an have not been restricted to the subject of da’wah, but rather they have included many words and meanings all of which revolve around the topic of da’wah, in addition to ahadeeth (traditions) of the Messenger . We mention a few of them here by way of example and not as an exhaustive account.

قد عبّر القرآن عن الدعوة بعبارة: «الأمر بالمعروف والنهي عن المنكر». قال تعالى:

The Qur’an has expressed the da’wah by the phrase, “enjoining the ma’roof and forbidding the munka.” He said:

﴿كُنتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ تَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ وَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ﴾ [آل عمران: ١١٠]، وَقَالَ تَعَالَى:

“You are the best of peoples ever raised up for mankind; you enjoin the ma’roof and forbid the munkar, and you believe in Allah” [TMQ 3:110], and He said:

﴿وَلْتَكُن مِّنكُمْ أُمَّةٌ يَدْعُونَ إِلَى الْخَيْرِ وَيَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ ۚ وَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ﴾ [آل عمران: ١٠٤] قال رسول الله ﷺ: «وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ، لَتَأْمُرُنَّ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ، وَلَتَنْهَوُنَّ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ، أَوْ لَيُوشِكَنَّ اللهُ أَنْ يَبْعَثَ عَلَيْكُمْ عِقَابًا مِنْهُ، ثُمَّ تَدْعُونَهُ فَلَا يُسْتَجَابُ لَكُمْ» [رواه الترمذي]؛ وقال ﷺ: «مَنْ رَأَى مِنْكُمْ مُنْكَرًا فَلْيُغَيِّرْهُ بِيَدِهِ، فَإِنْ لَمْ يَسْتَطِعْ فَبِلِسَانِهِ، فَإِنْ لَمْ يَسْتَطِعْ فَبِقَلْبِهِ، وَذَلِكَ أَضْعَفُ الْإِيمَانِ» [رواه مسلم].

“And let there arise from amongst you a group inviting to all that is good (Islam), enjoining the ma’roof and forbidding the munkar. And it is they who are successful.” [TMQ 3:104] The Messenger of Allah said; “By the One in whose Hand lies my soul, you must order the ma’roof and forbid the munkar, or Allah will be about to send a punishment, then you will supplicate to Him and you will not be answered” [Reported by Tirmizi]; and he said, “Whosoever from amongst you sees a munkar let him change it with his hand, if he is not able then let him change it with his tongue, and if he is not able then let him hate it in his heart. And that is the weakest of Imaan” [Reported by Muslim].