Part 27

On the other hand, if the avoiding of the forbidden involved is greater in reward, they must not forsake this reward in the hopes of a reward of lesser degree for doing the obligatory involved. There is, in this combination of good and bad acts, a mixture of good and bad Enjoining Right & Forbidding Wrong - 55 Translated by Salim Abdallah ibn Morgan results on their account with Allah. A detailed explanation of this concept would be too lengthy. Every Human Being Is In Need Of Enjoining And Forbidding Every one on the face of the earth must of necessity have enjoining and forbidding. It is a must that he be ordered and forbidden. Even if he was completely alone, he would order himself and forbid -- either with what is good, or with what is evil, as Allah said about the human self: [And, verily the self is ever ordering (one to commit) evil.] Quran 12/53 Ordering is in essence requesting a particular action, and intending it, while forbidding is requesting the avoidance of a particular action, and intending it. The Sons Of Adam Do Not Live Except In Societies Every living thing must, of necessity, entail intentions and wants within itself with which it determines its own actions, and with which it determines the actions of others whenever that is made possible for it. Verily, man is a living thing, he moves with his will and intention, and human beings do not live except by coming together in groups and living with one another. Whenever two or more come together, there must of necessity be between them mutual enjoining of some things, and mutual forbidding of other things. For this reason, the smallest congregation in prayer is two people, and it has been said: two people or more constitutes a "congregation" (jama'a), and since their coming together is strictly for prayer, that is accomplished with only two, whereby one is the leader (imam), and the other is the led (ma'moom). As the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) said to Al-Malik ibn AlHuwairith and his companion: "When the time of prayer comes, make the adhan and the iqama, and then let the older of you lead the prayer." (They were similar in ability to read the Quran.) Enjoining Right & Forbidding Wrong - 56 Translated by Salim Abdallah ibn Morgan As for ordinary affairs (other than prayer), it is narrated in the books of hadith that the Prophet said: "It is not allowed for three who go on a trip to fail to appoint one of them as amir" (leader) This Enjoining Must Be With That Which Allah And His Prophet Have Enjoined Enjoining and forbidding are of necessity present with the presence of human beings. However, one may fail to enjoin the ma'ruf which Allah and His Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) have enjoined, and to forbid the munkar which Allah and His Prophet have forbidden, and to be ordered to do the ma'ruf which Allah and His Prophet have ordered, and to be forbidden the munkar which Allah and His Prophet have forbidden. Even so, there will always be some kind of enjoining and forbidding, and being enjoined and being forbid. This may be with that which is opposite to the good and the evil which Allah and His Prophet have defined, or it may be with that which contains elements of both the truth which Allah sent down, and the falsehood for which Allah has sent no authority. If this admixture is taken as a way of life (deen), it is a deen of innovation, falsehood, and going astray. And since, as we have shown, every single person is living, acting with free will, a a seeker of objectives, a "tiller of the earth", whoever's intentions and actions are not righteous and for the sake of Allah, must of necessity commit actions which are corrupt, or not for the sake of Allah - and that is falsehood and invalid. As Allah said: [Verily, your efforts are various.] Quran 92/4 Such actions, all of them, are invalid like the actions (however good) of the disbelievers: [Those who reject faith, and hinder from the path of Allah, Allah will send all of their works astray.] Quran 47/1 [As for those who disbelieve, their works are like a mirage in an empty plain. The thirsty one believes it to be water, but when he reaches it, he finds it to be nothing, and he finds Allah there who gives him his full account, and Allah is very quick to take to account.] Quran 24/39 Enjoining Right & Forbidding Wrong - 57 Translated by Salim Abdallah ibn Morgan [And we turned to all the works which they had done, and made them (as) floating dust. (The word literally means the dust which can be seen in the air in the beam of light coming in through a small opening.)] Quran 25/23 Who Are "Those In Authority Among You" Who Enjoin What Is Right?