Speaking Out

It Is Time for Action

Living in strange times, everything America stands for is going down the drain. There is open racism, immorality, injustice, and so on. What are we as Muslims to do? Having just finished Ramadan is a great time to retune ourselves, but that is not enough.

There is both amr bil ma'roof (enjoining good) and nahi anil munkar (forbidding evil). We sometimes only concentrate on calling to good because it is easier to do, and we ignore the second part, which is forbidding evil. That is the point covered here.

Not Forbidding Evil

If we stay silent, the punishment falls on all. If we do not preach, advise, enjoin good, and forbid evil, the curse of Allah can fall upon us.

وَاتَّقُواْ فِتْنَةً لاَّ تُصِیبَنَّ الَّذِینَ ظَلَمُواْ مِنكُمْ خَآصَّةً وَاعْلَمُواْ أَنَّ اللهَّ َ شَدِیدُ الْعِقَابِ

“And be afraid of a trial which if it were to fall upon you would certainly not fall exclusively upon the evildoers among you but would encompass them and others, and know that Allah is severe in retribution against those who oppose Him.”

Al-Anfal 8:25

Best of Nations

كُنتُمْ خَیْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِ جَتْ لِلنَّاسِ تَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْھَوْ نَ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ وَتُؤْ مِنُونَ بِاللهَّ ِ

“You are the best community brought forth for men, enjoining good and forbidding evil, and believing in Allah. Had the People of the Scripture believed it, their belief would have been better for them; some of them are believers but most of them are the disbelievers and are wicked.”

Al-Imran 3:110

Allah's Challenge to Rise

What is mentioned here is a collective obligation (fard kifaya) and is not incumbent upon every individual of the community, but everyone should use their skills and capacity to speak out.

وَلْتَكُن مِّنكُمْ أُمَّةٌ یَدْعُونَ إِلَى الْخَیْرِ وَیَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَیَنْھَوْ نَ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ وَأُوْلَـئِكَ ھُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ

“Let there be a community among you calling to good and enjoining decency and forbidding indecency; those that call are the successful, victorious ones.”

Al-Imran 3:104

Muslims Are Protectors of Each Other

As long as we stay on this mission, we will protect each other. This is one approach to take: at least work among ourselves and save us, our families, and those around us.

وَالْمُؤْ مِنُونَ وَالْمُؤْ مِنَاتُ بَعْضُھُمْ أَوْلِیَاء بَعْضٍ یَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَیَنْھَوْ نَ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ وَیُقِیمُونَ الصَّلاَةَ وَیُؤْ تُونَ الزَّكَاةَ وَیُطِیعُونَ اللهَّ َ وَرَسُولَھُ أُوْلَـئِكَ سَیَرْ حَمُھُمُ اللهَّ ُ إِنَّ اللهَّ َ عَزِ یزٌ حَكِیمٌ

“And the believers, both men and women, are allies of one another; they enjoin decency and forbid indecency; they observe prayer and pay the alms and they obey Allah and His Messenger. Those Allah will have mercy on them.”

At-Tauba 9:71

Don't Be Silent

All these ayahs are telling us to speak out when evil is spreading. Abu Saeed Al-Khudri reported that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: "Anyone of you who sees a vice must change it with his hand, and if he cannot, then with his tongue, but if he cannot, then with his heart, and that is the weakest of Iman" (Muslim). Let us not resort to the lowest level of that weakness of faith.

Societal Evils

Doing good deeds, such as supporting Shifa Clinics, is part of the response. The current administration is giving us plenty of opportunities to speak out, the most recent being the inhuman practice of separating children from their families.

Let us not speak only when Muslims are involved. Many communities supported us against the infamous Muslim Ban. Let us join hands on causes we agree with to support the disadvantaged, because what afflicts another community can reach you tomorrow, and vice versa.

No Justice Without Being Just

The Prophet exemplified that one cannot practice justice and dispense equity if one is unable to respect the dignity of others. Not being willing to stand up to defend the rights of others when they are violated only brings danger to our own survival.

A poem written by a Christian pastor at the time of Nazi Germany captures this: "First they came for the Communists, and I didn't speak up, because I wasn't a Communist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak up, because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn't speak up, because I was a Protestant. Then they came for me, and by that time there was no one left to speak up for me" (Pastor Niemoller).

Bani Israel

Let us not become like Bani Israel, whose behavior the Prophet (PBUH) warned us against. It was narrated by Ibn Mas'ood that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: "The first deficiency noticed in the children of Israel was that a person used to meet his fellow and say, 'O you! Fear Allah and shun bad deeds,' then he would see him the next day and not tell him to stop, but would rather be his close friend in eating, drinking, and sitting. As a consequence, Allah scattered them in the land and cursed them" (Dawud and Tirmidhi).

Think about it for a moment — aren't we doing the same? What was abhorrent yesterday has become the norm.

The Prophet's Mission and Ours: Justice for All

The Prophet's call was for the religious, social, and political liberation of all people — not just Muslims, not just people of his own tribe, not just the rich and powerful, but for all people. The Prophet said, "The best among you is the best toward people." When we remain silent in the face of injustice, we are far removed from the One who is The Just (Al-'Adl), i.e. Allah.

How to Save Yourself

So if you want to be saved, we need to keep raising our voices against societal evils, whatever they may be.

وَإِذَ قَالَتْ أُمَّةٌ مِّنْھُمْ لِمَ تَعِظُونَ قَوْمًا اللهَّ ُ مُھْلِكُھُمْ أَوْ مُعَذِّبُھُمْ عَذَابًا شَدِیدًا قَالُواْ مَعْذِرَةً إِلَى رَبِّكُمْ وَلَعَلَّھُمْ یَتَّقُونَ فَلَمَّا نَسُواْ مَا ذُكِّرُواْ بِھِ أَنجَیْنَا الَّذِینَ یَنْھَوْ نَ عَنِ السُّوءِ وَأَخَذْنَا الَّذِینَ ظَلَمُواْ بِعَذَابٍ بَئِیسٍ بِمَا كَانُواْ یَفْسُقُونَ

“A community among them who neither transgressed nor prohibited it said to those who prohibited it, 'Why do you preach to a people whom Allah is about to destroy?' They said, our preaching is an excuse before our Lord, lest we be made responsible for failing to prohibit them. And when they overlooked what they had been reminded of, We delivered those who forbade evil, and seized those who did wrong with a grievous punishment for their wickedness.”

Al-A'raf 7:164-165

Don't Stay Quiet

We cannot be quiet just to keep the peace. We are a moderate nation, not a silent one.

وَكَذَلِكَ جَعَلْنَاكُمْ أُمَّةً وَسَطًا لِّتَكُونُواْ شُھَدَاء عَلَى النَّاسِ وَیَكُونَ الرَّسُولُ عَلَیْكُمْ شَھِیدًا

“We appointed you a balanced nation that you might be witnesses to the people, and that the Messenger might be a witness to you.”

Al-Baqara 2:143

Evils Could Be Among Us

Sometimes the vices are not outside — they are among us: rumors, backbiting, derogatory nicknames, accusation, jealousy, and so on. Always offer your advice, suggestions, comments, and help. Take the initiative, but with mercy, love, and compassion.

What Happens When Calamity Falls

قُل رَّبِّ إِمَّا تُرِ یَنِّي مَا یُوعَدُونَ رَبِّ فَلاَ تَجْعَلْنِي فِي الْقَوْمِ الظَّالِمِینَ

“Say, O my Lord, if You should show me that which they are promised of punishment, then set me not among the wrong-doing folk.”

Al-Mu'minun 23:93-94

The Need for a Social Ethic

People who claim to be God-conscious are themselves staying quiet in the face of immorality. Religious consciousness is not possible without a social ethic. To be a person of faith requires that we be immersed in working for social justice and social good. Prophet Muhammad did not just immerse himself in dhikr — to the contrary, he served Allah by serving his fellow human beings.

Speaking Out in the Political Arena

If we perceive that our faith, our way of life, or our ability to worship freely is under threat, we have the right — rather the obligation — to raise our voices and explore peaceful means of overcoming this difficulty. If these problems are the result of government policies, we likewise have the right, rather the obligation, to engage ourselves in the process to address the situation.