Friday Prayers in Saudi: "As much as you are able, you must command the good and forbid the evil"

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Translated from the original Arabic by Al Mutarjim


Translated from the website of Shaykh bin Fawzan bin 'Abdallah al-Fawzan, a member of Saudi Arabia's Senior Scholars Council. Here Shaykh al-Fawzan explains one of the fundamental differences between Islam and other religions. While other faiths may teach its adherents to 'better' themselves and then preach the same to others, Islam goes further than that and requires the adherent to command others to follow Allah.

...It is not enough for man to be righteous in himself, and learn for himself. That is not enough. Instead he must call others to Allah. He must command the good and forbid the evil. Beginning with his own house and those around him, he must call others to Allah. He must command the good and forbid the evil, and teach people what is good, teach the ignorant. He must call them to Allah, for he cannot limit this only to himself and say, "I have no people under my responsibility." No, you have a duty to call people to the path of Allah, to obedience to Allah Almighty. As much as you are able, you must command the good and forbid the evil. It is not enough for you to avoid evil and work righteousness for yourself. No, you must spread the good around you. The Almighty said: "Ye are the best of peoples, evolved for mankind, enjoining what is right, forbidding what is wrong, and believing in Allah" [Qur'an 3:110]. [...]