Thread by @ProAdil_27

Condemning Evils.

Sh Muṣṭafā Ḥamdū ʿUḷayyān al-Ḥanbalī:

"enjoining good and forbidding evil is obligatory when there is the ability to do so, according to ʾImām ʾAḥmad. However, it is often mistakenly attributed to him that he was overly harsh in condemning evils, which—

is incorrect.

Muhannā said: "I asked ʾImām ʾAḥmad about commanding good and forbidding evil—how should one do it?"

He replied: "One commands with gentleness and humility."

He continued: "If they respond with something offensive, he should not become angry, as if seeking to—

avenge himself."

ʾImām ʾAḥmad also said: "People need gentleness and courtesy in commanding good without harshness, except for someone who is brazen and openly indulges in wickedness; in such a case, it is obligatory to condemn him and inform him of his wrongdoing."

He added: "It is said that the openly sinful has no sanctity—such a person has no honor."

Thus, ʾImām ʾAḥmad explicitly disliked searching or investigating suspicious matters. He held that one should only condemn what is publicly known and agreed upon as forbidden.

The Ḥanbalī scholars frequently condemned evils and corrupt practices. Al-Ḥāfiẓ Ibn Rajab al-Ḥanbalī mentioned in the biography of as͟h-S͟harīf ʾAbū Ja‘far al-‘Abbāsī, the S͟hayk͟h of the Ḥanbalīs:

"In the year 464 AH, as͟h-S͟harīf ʾAbū Ja‘far, along with the Ḥanbalīs,—

gathered in the Jāmi‘ al-Qaṣr mosque. They brought with them ʾAbū ʾIsḥāq as͟h-S͟hīrāzī and his S͟hāfi‘ī companions and petitioned the state to eliminate brothels, pursue wrongdoers and troublemakers, and stop those selling wine. They also requested the minting of proper coins—

to replace the clipped ones in circulation. The Caliph complied, leading to the closure of brothels, the raiding of houses, and the spilling of wine…"

This illustrates how the Ḥanbalī scholars stood against societal corruption.

It is commendable for Muslim countries to—

establish a Hay’at al-ʾAmr bil-Ma‘rūf wa al-Nahy ‘an al-Munkar (Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice), such as the one in the Biḷād al-Ḥaramayn (the lands of the Two Holy Mosques). However, this should focus on matters agreed upon as evil—such as—

brothels, alcohol, and blasphemy—not on minor or debatable issues like a woman uncovering her face or a man not growing his beard."

Footnotes.

1) Among the phrases commonly circulated among the general public is their saying to someone who is overly strict: “Don’t act like a Ḥanbalī” (Lā Ta‘maḷ Fīhā Ḥanbalī). Our S͟hayk͟h, Muṣṭafā al-Bug͟hā (Ḥafiẓahuḷḷāh) has said that this expression is incorrect—

because the mad͟hhab of ʾImām ʾAḥmad is among the broadest and easiest of the four schools.

2) [...] Most of the disturbances mentioned by Ibn al-ʾAt͟hīr in al-Kāmiḷ regarding the Ḥanābilah were due to their condemnation of evils and corruption.

Those who read with fairness and objectivity will recognize this.

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