“I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: ‘enjoin what is good and forbid what is evil, before you call and you are not answered.’”  

سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ مُرُوا بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَانْهَوْا عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ قَبْلَ أَنْ تَدْعُوا فَلاَ يُسْتَجَابَ لَكُمْ  

“Abu Bakr stood up and praised and glorified Allah, then he said: ‘O people, you recite this Verse – “O you who believe! Take care of your own selves. If you follow the (right) guidance no hurt can come to you from those who are in error.”[5:105] – but I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: ‘If people see some evil but do not change it, soon Allah will send His punishment upon them all.’” (One of the narrators) Abu Usamah repeated: "Indeed I heard that Messenger of Allah ﷺ say."  

قَامَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ فَحَمِدَ اللَّهَ وَأَثْنَى عَلَيْهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّكُمْ تَقْرَءُونَ هَذِهِ الآيَةَ {يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا عَلَيْكُمْ أَنْفُسَكُمْ لاَ يَضُرُّكُمْ مَنْ ضَلَّ إِذَا اهْتَدَيْتُمْ} وَإِنَّا سَمِعْنَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ إِنَّ النَّاسَ إِذَا رَأَوُا الْمُنْكَرَ لاَ يُغَيِّرُونَهُ أَوْشَكَ أَنْ يَعُمَّهُمُ اللَّهُ بِعِقَابِهِ قَالَ أَبُو أُسَامَةَ مَرَّةً أُخْرَى فَإِنِّي سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ  

“When the Children of Isral became deficient in religious commitment, a man would see his brother committing sin and would tell him not to do it, but the next day, what he had seen him do did not prevent him from eating or drinking with him, or mixing with him. So Allah made the hearts of those who did not commit sin like the hearts of those who did, and He revealed Qur’an concerning them and said: “Those among the Children of Israel who disbelieved were cursed by the tongue of David and ‘Eisa, son of Maryam” until he reached: “And had they believed in Allah, and in the Prophet and in what has been revealed to him, never would they have taken them (the disbelievers) as their friends; but many of them are disobedient (to Allah).”[5:78-81] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ sat up and said: "No, not until they take the hand of the wrongdoer (i.e. restrain him] and force him to follow the right way."  

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِنَّ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ لَمَّا وَقَعَ فِيهِمُ النَّقْصُ كَانَ الرَّجُلُ يَرَى أَخَاهُ عَلَى الذَّنْبِ فَيَنْهَاهُ عَنْهُ فَإِذَا كَانَ الْغَدُ لَمْ يَمْنَعْهُ مَا رَأَى مِنْهُ أَنْ يَكُونَ أَكِيلَهُ وَشَرِيبَهُ وَخَلِيطَهُ فَضَرَبَ اللَّهُ قُلُوبَ بَعْضِهِمْ بِبَعْضٍ وَنَزَلَ فِيهِمُ الْقُرْآنُ فَقَالَ {لُعِنَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِنْ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ عَلَى لِسَانِ دَاوُدَ وَعِيسَى ابْنِ مَرْيَمَ} حَتَّى بَلَغَ {وَلَوْ كَانُوا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالنَّبِيِّ وَمَا أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْهِ مَا اتَّخَذُوهُمْ أَوْلِيَاءَ وَلَكِنَّ كَثِيرًا مِنْهُمْ فَاسِقُونَ } قَالَ وَكَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ مُتَّكِئًا فَجَلَسَ وَقَالَ لاَ حَتَّى تَأْخُذُوا عَلَى يَدَىِ الظَّالِمِ فَتَأْطِرُوهُ عَلَى الْحَقِّ أَطْرًا حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو دَاوُدَ أَمْلاَهُ عَلَىَّ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ أَبِي الْوَضَّاحِ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ بَذِيمَةَ عَنْ أَبِي عُبَيْدَةَ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ بِمِثْلِهِ  

“Indeed, fear of people should not prevent a man from speaking the truth, if he knows it.” Then Abu Sa'eed wept and said: "By Allah, we have seen things that made us scared (and we did not speak up)."  

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَامَ خَطِيبًا فَكَانَ فِيمَا قَالَ أَلاَ لاَ يَمْنَعَنَّ رَجُلاً هَيْبَةُ النَّاسِ أَنْ يَقُولَ بِحَقٍّ إِذَا عَلِمَهُ قَالَ فَبَكَى أَبُو سَعِيدٍ وَقَالَ قَدْ وَاللَّهِ رَأَيْنَا أَشْيَاءَ فَهِبْنَا  

“No one of you should belittle himself.” They said: “O Messenger of Allah, how could anyone of us belittle himself?” He said: “If he sees something concerning which he should speak out for the sake of Allah but does not say anything. Allah will say to him on the Day of Resurrection: “What prevented you from speaking concerning such and such?” He will say: “Fear of the people.” (Allah) will say: “Rather you should have feared Me.”  

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ لاَ يَحْقِرْ أَحَدُكُمْ نَفْسَهُ قَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ كَيْفَ يَحْقِرُ أَحَدُنَا نَفْسَهُ قَالَ يَرَى أَمْرًا لِلَّهِ عَلَيْهِ فِيهِ مَقَالٌ ثُمَّ لاَ يَقُولُ فِيهِ فَيَقُولُ اللَّهُ ﷻ لَهُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ مَا مَنَعَكَ أَنْ تَقُولَ فِي كَذَا وَكَذَا فَيَقُولُ خَشْيَةُ النَّاسِ فَيَقُولُ فَإِيَّاىَ كُنْتَ أَحَقَّ أَنْ تَخْشَى  

“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: ‘There is no people among whom sins are committed when they are stronger and of a higher status (i.e. they have the power and ability to stop the sinners) and they do not change them, but Allah will send His punishment upon them all.’”  

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ مَا مِنْ قَوْمٍ يُعْمَلُ فِيهِمْ بِالْمَعَاصِي هُمْ أَعَزُّ مِنْهُمْ وَأَمْنَعُ لاَ يُغَيِّرُونَ إِلاَّ عَمَّهُمُ اللَّهُ بِعِقَابٍ  

“When the emigrants who had crossed the sea came back to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, he said: ‘Why don’t you tell me of the strange things that you saw in the land of Abyssinia?’ Some young men among them said: ‘Yes, O Messenger of Allah. While we were sitting, one of their elderly nuns came past, carrying a vessel of water on her head. She passed by some of their youth, one of whom placed his hand between her shoulders and pushed her. She fell on her knees and her vessel broke. When she stood up, she turned to him and said: “You will come to know, O traitor, that when Allah sets up the Footstool and gathers the first and the last, and hands and feet speak of what they used to earn, you will come to know your case and my case in His presence soon.’” The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: ‘She spoke the truth, she spoke the truth. How can Allah purify any people (of sin) when they do not support their weak from their strong?’”  

لَمَّا رَجَعَتْ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ مُهَاجِرَةُ الْبَحْرِ قَالَ أَلاَ تُحَدِّثُونِي بِأَعَاجِيبِ مَا رَأَيْتُمْ بِأَرْضِ الْحَبَشَةِ قَالَ فِتْيَةٌ مِنْهُمْ بَلَى يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ بَيْنَا نَحْنُ جُلُوسٌ مَرَّتْ بِنَا عَجُوزٌ مِنْ عَجَائِزِ رَهَابِينِهِمْ تَحْمِلُ عَلَى رَأْسِهَا قُلَّةً مِنْ مَاءٍ فَمَرَّتْ بِفَتًى مِنْهُمْ فَجَعَلَ إِحْدَى يَدَيْهِ بَيْنَ كَتِفَيْهَا ثُمَّ دَفَعَهَا فَخَرَّتْ عَلَى رُكْبَتَيْهَا فَانْكَسَرَتْ قُلَّتُهَا فَلَمَّا ارْتَفَعَتِ الْتَفَتَتْ إِلَيْهِ فَقَالَتْ سَوْفَ تَعْلَمُ يَا غُدَرُ إِذَا وَضَعَ اللَّهُ الْكُرْسِيَّ وَجَمَعَ الأَوَّلِينَ وَالآخِرِينَ وَتَكَلَّمَتِ الأَيْدِي وَالأَرْجُلُ بِمَا كَانُوا يَكْسِبُونَ فَسَوْفَ تَعْلَمُ كَيْفَ أَمْرِي وَأَمْرُكَ عِنْدَهُ غَدًا قَالَ يَقُولُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ صَدَقَتْ صَدَقَتْ كَيْفَ يُقَدِّسُ اللَّهُ أُمَّةً لاَ يُؤْخَذُ لِضَعِيفِهِمْ مِنْ شَدِيدِهِمْ  

“The best of jihad is a just word spoken to an unjust ruler.”  

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَفْضَلُ الْجِهَادِ كَلِمَةُ عَدْلٍ عِنْدَ سُلْطَانٍ جَائِرٍ  

“A man came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ at the first pillar and said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, which Jihad is best?’ but he kept quiet. When he saw the second Pillar, he asked again, and he kept quiet. When he stoned ‘Aqabah Pillar, he placed his foot in the stirrup, to ride, and said: ‘Where is the one who was asking?’ (The man) said: ‘Here I am, O Messenger of Allah.’ He said: ‘A word of truth spoken to an unjust ruler.’”  

عَرَضَ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ رَجُلٌ عِنْدَ الْجَمْرَةِ الأُولَى فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَىُّ الْجِهَادِ أَفْضَلُ فَسَكَتَ عَنْهُ فَلَمَّا رَأَى الْجَمْرَةَ الثَّانِيَةَ سَأَلَهُ فَسَكَتَ عَنْهُ فَلَمَّا رَمَى جَمْرَةَ الْعَقَبَةِ وَضَعَ رِجْلَهُ فِي الْغَرْزِ لِيَرْكَبَ قَالَ أَيْنَ السَّائِلُ قَالَ أَنَا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ كَلِمَةُ حَقٍّ عِنْدَ ذِي سُلْطَانٍ جَائِرٍ  

“Marwan brought out the pulpit on the day of ‘Eid, and he started with the sermon before the prayer. A man said: ‘O Marwan, you have gone against the Sunnah. You have brought out the pulpit on this day, and it was not brought out before, and you have started with the sermon before the prayer, and this was not done before.’ Abu Sa’eed said: ‘As for this man, he has done his duty. I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: ‘Whoever among you sees an evil action and can change it with his hand (by taking action), let him change it with his hand. If he cannot do that, then with his tongue (by speaking out); and if he cannot do that, then with his heart (by hating it and feeling that it is wrong), and that is the weakest of faith.’”  

أَخْرَجَ مَرْوَانُ الْمِنْبَرَ فِي يَوْمِ عِيدٍ فَبَدَأَ بِالْخُطْبَةِ قَبْلَ الصَّلاَةِ فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ يَا مَرْوَانُ خَالَفْتَ السُّنَّةَ أَخْرَجْتَ الْمِنْبَرَ فِي هَذَا الْيَوْمِ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ يُخْرَجُ وَبَدَأْتَ بِالْخُطْبَةِ قَبْلَ الصَّلاَةِ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ يُبْدَأُ بِهَا فَقَالَ أَبُو سَعِيدٍ أَمَّا هَذَا فَقَدْ قَضَى مَا عَلَيْهِ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ مَنْ رَأَى مِنْكُمْ مُنْكَرًا فَاسْتَطَاعَ أَنْ يُغَيِّرَهُ بِيَدِهِ فَلْيُغَيِّرْهُ بِيَدِهِ فَإِنْ لَمْ يَسْتَطِعْ فَبِلِسَانِهِ فَإِنْ لَمْ يَسْتَطِعْ فَبِقَلْبِهِ وَذَلِكَ أَضْعَفُ الإِيمَانِ