Notes ❋ on the Quran
Volume I · PART IV

Al Maruf Al Munkar

۞أَتَأۡمُرُونَ ٱلنَّاسَ بِٱلۡبِرِّ وَتَنسَوۡنَ أَنفُسَكُمۡ وَأَنتُمۡ تَتۡلُونَ ٱلۡكِتَٰبَۚ أَفَلَا تَعۡقِلُونَ ٤٤

Enjoin you Al-Birr on the people and you forget (to practice it) yourselves, while you recite the Scripture (Torah)! Have you then no sense?

Surah 2 Al-Baqarah Verse 44

۞أَتَأۡمُرُونَ ٱلنَّاسَ بِٱلۡبِرِّ وَتَنسَوۡنَ أَنفُسَكُمۡ وَأَنتُمۡ تَتۡلُونَ ٱلۡكِتَٰبَۚ أَفَلَا تَعۡقِلُونَ ٤٤

“Enjoin you Al-Birr on the people and you forget yourselves”

يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ لِمَ تَقُولُونَ مَا لَا تَفۡعَلُونَ ٢ كَبُرَ مَقۡتًا عِندَ ٱللَّهِ أَن تَقُولُواْ مَا لَا تَفۡعَلُونَ ٣

“O you who believe! Why do you say that which you do not do? Most hateful it is to Allah that you say that which you do not do” (V 61:2-3)

And Allah informed us that Prophet Shuayb said:

قَالَ يَٰقَوۡمِ أَرَءَيۡتُمۡ إِن كُنتُ عَلَىٰ بَيِّنَةٖ مِّن رَّبِّي وَرَزَقَنِي مِنۡهُ رِزۡقًا حَسَنٗاۚ وَمَآ أُرِيدُ أَنۡ أُخَالِفَكُمۡ إِلَىٰ مَآ أَنۡهَىٰكُمۡ عَنۡهُۚ إِنۡ أُرِيدُ إِلَّا ٱلۡإِصۡلَٰحَ مَا ٱسۡتَطَعۡتُۚ وَمَا تَوۡفِيقِيٓ إِلَّا بِٱللَّهِۚ عَلَيۡهِ تَوَكَّلۡتُ وَإِلَيۡهِ أُنِيبُ ٨٨

“I wish not, in contradiction to you, to do that which I forbid you. I only desire reform to the best of my power. And my guidance cannot come except from Allah, in Him I trust and unto Him I repent” (V 11:88)”

وَلۡتَكُن مِّنكُمۡ أُمَّةٞ يَدۡعُونَ إِلَى ٱلۡخَيۡرِ وَيَأۡمُرُونَ بِٱلۡمَعۡرُوفِ وَيَنۡهَوۡنَ عَنِ ٱلۡمُنكَرِۚ وَأُوْلَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلۡمُفۡلِحُونَ ١٠٤

Let there arise out of you a group of people inviting to all that is good (Islam), enjoining Al-Maruf and forbidding Al-Munkar. And it is they who are successful.

Surah 3 Al-Imran Verse 104

كُنتُمۡ خَيۡرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخۡرِجَتۡ لِلنَّاسِ تَأۡمُرُونَ بِٱلۡمَعۡرُوفِ وَتَنۡهَوۡنَ عَنِ ٱلۡمُنكَرِ وَتُؤۡمِنُونَ بِٱللَّهِۗ وَلَوۡ ءَامَنَ أَهۡلُ ٱلۡكِتَٰبِ لَكَانَ خَيۡرٗا لَّهُمۚ مِّنۡهُمُ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُونَ وَأَكۡثَرُهُمُ ٱلۡفَٰسِقُونَ ١١٠

You are the best of peoples ever raised up for mankind; you enjoin Al-Maruf and forbid Al-Munkar, and you believe in Allah….

Surah 3 Al-Imran Verse 110

۞لَّا خَيۡرَ فِي كَثِيرٖ مِّن نَّجۡوَىٰهُمۡ إِلَّا مَنۡ أَمَرَ بِصَدَقَةٍ أَوۡ مَعۡرُوفٍ أَوۡ إِصۡلَٰحِۢ بَيۡنَ ٱلنَّاسِۚ وَمَن يَفۡعَلۡ ذَٰلِكَ ٱبۡتِغَآءَ مَرۡضَاتِ ٱللَّهِ فَسَوۡفَ نُؤۡتِيهِ أَجۡرًا عَظِيمٗا ١١٤

There is no good in most of their secret talks save (in) him who orders Sadaqah (charity), or Maruf, or conciliation between mankind, and he who does this, seeking the good Pleasure of Allah, We shall give him a great reward.

Surah 4 An-Nisa Verse 114

كَانُواْ لَا يَتَنَاهَوۡنَ عَن مُّنكَرٖ فَعَلُوهُۚ لَبِئۡسَ مَا كَانُواْ يَفۡعَلُونَ ٧

They (the Jews) used not to forbid one another from Al-Munkar which they committed. Vile indeed was what they used to do.

Surah 5 Al-Mai’da Verse 79

وَمِمَّنۡ خَلَقۡنَآ أُمَّةٞ يَهۡدُونَ بِٱلۡحَقِّ وَبِهِۦ يَعۡدِلُونَ ١٨١ وَٱلَّذِينَ كَذَّبُواْ بِ‍َٔايَٰتِنَا سَنَسۡتَدۡرِجُهُم مِّنۡ حَيۡثُ لَا يَعۡلَمُونَ ١٨٢ وَأُمۡلِي لَهُمۡۚ إِنَّ كَيۡدِي مَتِينٌ ١٨٣

And of those whom We have created, there is a community who guides (others) with the truth, and establishes justice therewith. Those who reject Our Ayat, We shall seize them with punishment in ways they perceive not. And I respite them; certainly, My plot is strong.

Surah 7 Al-A’raf Verses 181-183

خُذِ ٱلۡعَفۡوَ وَأۡمُرۡ بِٱلۡعُرۡفِ وَأَعۡرِضۡ عَنِ ٱلۡجَٰهِلِينَ ١٩٩

Show forgiveness, enjoin what is good, and turn away from the foolish.

Surah 7 Al-A’raf Verses 199

وَٱتَّقُواْ فِتۡنَةٗ لَّا تُصِيبَنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ مِنكُمۡ خَآصَّةٗۖ وَٱعۡلَمُوٓاْ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ شَدِيدُ ٱلۡعِقَابِ ٢٥

And fear the Fitnah which affects not in particular (only) those of you who do wrong, and know that Allah is severe in punishment.

Surah 8 Al-Anfal Verse 25

ٱلۡمُنَٰفِقُونَ وَٱلۡمُنَٰفِقَٰتُ بَعۡضُهُم مِّنۢ بَعۡضٖۚ يَأۡمُرُونَ بِٱلۡمُنكَرِ وَيَنۡهَوۡنَ عَنِ ٱلۡمَعۡرُوفِ وَيَقۡبِضُونَ أَيۡدِيَهُمۡۚ نَسُواْ ٱللَّهَ فَنَسِيَهُمۡۚ إِنَّ ٱلۡمُنَٰفِقِينَ هُمُ ٱلۡفَٰسِقُونَ ٦٧

The hypocrites, men and women, are from one another, they enjoin (on the people) Al-Munkar, and forbid (people) from Al-Maroof, and they close their hands [from giving (spending in Allahs Cause) alms]. They have forgotten Allah, so He has forgotten them. Verily, the hypocrites are the Fasiqun (rebellious, disobedient to Allah).

Surah 9 At-Taubah Verse 67

وَٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُونَ وَٱلۡمُؤۡمِنَٰتُ بَعۡضُهُمۡ أَوۡلِيَآءُ بَعۡضٖۚ يَأۡمُرُونَ بِٱلۡمَعۡرُوفِ وَيَنۡهَوۡنَ عَنِ ٱلۡمُنكَرِ وَيُقِيمُونَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَيُؤۡتُونَ ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَيُطِيعُونَ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥٓۚ أُوْلَٰٓئِكَ سَيَرۡحَمُهُمُ ٱللَّهُۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٞ ٧١

The believers, men and women, are Auliya of one another; they enjoin Al-Maruf and forbid Al-Munkar; they perform As-Salat, and give Zakat, and obey Allah and His Messenger (pbuh). Allah will have His Mercy on them. Surely, Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise.

Surah 9 At-Taubah Verse 71

ٱلتَّٰٓئِبُونَ ٱلۡعَٰبِدُونَ ٱلۡحَٰمِدُونَ ٱلسَّٰٓئِحُونَ ٱلرَّٰكِعُونَ ٱلسَّٰجِدُونَ ٱلۡأٓمِرُونَ بِٱلۡمَعۡرُوفِ وَٱلنَّاهُونَ عَنِ ٱلۡمُنكَرِ وَٱلۡحَٰفِظُونَ لِحُدُودِ ٱللَّهِۗ وَبَشِّرِ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ ١١٢

(They are) those who turn to Allah in repentance, who worship (Him), who praise (Him), who fast (or go out in Allah’s Cause), who bow down, who prostrate themselves, who enjoin Al-Maruf and forbid from Al-Munkar, and who observe the limits set by Allah. And give glad tidings to the believers.

Surah 9 At-Taubah Verse 112

فَلَوۡلَا كَانَ مِنَ ٱلۡقُرُونِ مِن قَبۡلِكُمۡ أُوْلُواْ بَقِيَّةٖ يَنۡهَوۡنَ عَنِ ٱلۡفَسَادِ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ إِلَّا قَلِيلٗا مِّمَّنۡ أَنجَيۡنَا مِنۡهُمۡۗ وَٱتَّبَعَ ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ مَآ أُتۡرِفُواْ فِيهِ وَكَانُواْ مُجۡرِمِينَ ١١٦ وَمَا كَانَ رَبُّكَ لِيُهۡلِكَ ٱلۡقُرَىٰ بِظُلۡمٖ وَأَهۡلُهَا مُصۡلِحُونَ ١١٧

If only there had been among the generations before you persons having wisdom, prohibiting (others) from Al-Fasad in the earth, except a few of those whom We saved from among them! Those who did wrong pursued the enjoyment of good things of (this worldly) life, and were Mujrimun. And your Lord would never destroy the towns wrongfully, while their people were righteous.

Surah 11 Hud Verses 116-117

  1. It is imperative that there should always be a good number of such people in the society who would invite people to righteousness and prevent them from evil.
  2. A community that is prepared to put up with everything except a group of such righteous people in its midst is certainly destined for self-destruction.
  3. Allah’s final decision whether to punish a community or not depends on the extent to which that community is possessed of the elements that would enable it to respond to the call of truth

۞يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ لَا تَتَّبِعُواْ خُطُوَٰتِ ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنِۚ وَمَن يَتَّبِعۡ خُطُوَٰتِ ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنِ فَإِنَّهُۥ يَأۡمُرُ بِٱلۡفَحۡشَآءِ وَٱلۡمُنكَرِۚ وَلَوۡلَا فَضۡلُ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيۡكُمۡ وَرَحۡمَتُهُۥ مَا زَكَىٰ مِنكُم مِّنۡ أَحَدٍ أَبَدٗا وَلَٰكِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُزَكِّي مَن يَشَآءُۗ وَٱللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٞ ٢١

O you who believe! Follow not the footsteps of Shaitan (Satan). And whosoever follows the footsteps of Shaitan, then, verily he commands Al-Fahsha [i.e., to commit indecency (illegal sexual intercourse, etc.)], and Al-Munkar. And had it not been for the Grace of Allah and His Mercy on you, not one of you would ever have been pure from sins. But Allah purifies (guides to Islam) whom He wills, and Allah is All-Hearer, All-Knower.

Surah 24 An-Nur Verse 21

ٱتۡلُ مَآ أُوحِيَ إِلَيۡكَ مِنَ ٱلۡكِتَٰبِ وَأَقِمِ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَۖ إِنَّ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ تَنۡهَىٰ عَنِ ٱلۡفَحۡشَآءِ وَٱلۡمُنكَرِۗ وَلَذِكۡرُ ٱللَّهِ أَكۡبَرُۗ وَٱللَّهُ يَعۡلَمُ مَا تَصۡنَعُونَ ٤٥

Recite (O Muhammad, pbuh) what has been revealed to you of the Book (the Quran), and perform As-Salat (the prayers). Verily, As-Salat prevents from Al-Fahsha (i.e., great sins of every kind, unlawful sexual intercourse) and Al-Munkar and the remembering (praising) of (you by) Allah (in front of the angels) is greater indeed (than your remembering Allah in prayers). And Allah knows what you do.

Surah 29 Al-Ankabut Verse 45

As for the question whether or not man in actual fact refrains from the evils even after attendance at the prayer, this depends upon the man himself, who is undergoing training for self reform. If he has the intention to benefit from it, and endeavors for it, the reformatory effects of the prayer will certainly have their impact on him. Otherwise, evidently, no reformatory device in the world can be effective with a person, who is not prepared to receive any impact of it, or tries to avoid its impact intentionally. This can be explained by an example. The essential quality of food is to nourish the body and develop it. But this advantage can be had only when food is allowed to be assimilated. If a person vomits what he eats after every meal, his food cannot profit him in any way. Just as, keeping such a person in view, one cannot say that food is not nutritious for the body, because so and so is becoming a skeleton in spite of eating food. So, one cannot present the example of an unrighteous performer of the prayer and say that the prayer does not restrain from the evils, because so and so is unrighteous in spite of his prayer. Just as about such a person it will be apt to say that he does not offer the prayer at all, so about the person who vomits everything he eats, it will be apt to say that he does not eat his food at all. Precisely the same thing has been reported from the Prophet (pbuh) and some great companions and their followers. Imran bin Husain reports that the Prophet (pbuh) said: ‘He whose prayer did not restrain him from the evil and indecent acts, offered no prayer at all’. Ibn Abbas has reported the Prophet (pbuh) as saying: ‘The prayer which did not restrain a person from the evil and indecent acts, led him further away from Allah’. A Hadith containing the same theme has been reported by Hasan Basri directly from the Prophet (pbuh). Another Hadith reported on the authority of Ibn Masud is to the effect: ‘He who did not obey the prayer, offered no prayer at all, and obedience to the prayer is that one should refrain from the evil and indecent acts’. Several sayings to the same effect have been reported on the authority of Abdullah bin Masud, Abdullah bin Abbas, Hasan Basri, Qatadah and Aamash, etc. Imam Jafar Sadiq has said: He who wants to know whether his prayer has been accepted or not, should see how far his prayer has restrained him from the evil and indecent acts. If he has been restrained from the evils, his prayer has been accepted, (Ruh-al Maani).

وَإِذۡ قَالَ لُقۡمَٰنُ لِٱبۡنِهِۦ وَهُوَ يَعِظُهُۥ يَٰبُنَيَّ لَا تُشۡرِكۡ بِٱللَّهِۖ إِنَّ ٱلشِّرۡكَ لَظُلۡمٌ عَظِيمٞ ١٣

يَٰبُنَيَّ أَقِمِ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَأۡمُرۡ بِٱلۡمَعۡرُوفِ وَٱنۡهَ عَنِ ٱلۡمُنكَرِ وَٱصۡبِرۡ عَلَىٰ مَآ أَصَابَكَۖ إِنَّ ذَٰلِكَ مِنۡ عَزۡمِ ٱلۡأُمُورِ ١٧ وَلَا تُصَعِّرۡ خَدَّكَ لِلنَّاسِ وَلَا تَمۡشِ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ مَرَحًاۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ كُلَّ مُخۡتَالٖ فَخُورٖ ١٨ وَٱقۡصِدۡ فِي مَشۡيِكَ وَٱغۡضُضۡ مِن صَوۡتِكَۚ إِنَّ أَنكَرَ ٱلۡأَصۡوَٰتِ لَصَوۡتُ ٱلۡحَمِيرِ ١٩

And (remember) when Luqman said to his son when he was advising him: ‘O my son! Join not in worship others with Allah. Verily, joining others in worship with Allah is a great zulm (wrong) indeed’… ‘O my son! Aqim-is-Salat (perform prayers), enjoin Al-Maruf and forbid from Al-Mankur, and bear with patience whatever befalls you. Verily, these are some of the important commandments. And turn not your face away from men with pride, nor walk in insolence through the earth. Verily, Allah likes not any arrogant boaster. And be moderate (or show no insolence) in your walking, and lower your voice. Verily, the harshest of all voices is the braying of the asses’.

Surah 31 Luqman Verses 13/17-19

Luqman’s advice is that man should mend his mental and psychological state and walk in a dignified way, neither strutting with overweening nor parading an artificial display of meekness

إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ لَا يُؤۡمِنُ بِٱللَّهِ ٱلۡعَظِيمِ ٣٣ وَلَا يَحُضُّ عَلَىٰ طَعَامِ ٱلۡمِسۡكِينِ ٣٤ فَلَيۡسَ لَهُ ٱلۡيَوۡمَ هَٰهُنَا حَمِيمٞ ٣٥ وَلَا طَعَامٌ إِلَّا مِنۡ غِسۡلِينٖ ٣٦

Verily, he used not to believe in Allah, the Most Great. And urged not on the feeding of Al-Miskin (the needy). So, no friend has he here this Day, nor any food except filth from the washing of wounds.

Surah 69 Al-Haqqah Verses 33-36

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