12 August 2021 (3RD Muharram 1443)
Mowlana Syed Aftab Haider
Ahlul Bait (a.s) Masjid, Ottery, Cape Town

Last night, we discussed the question of accountability in the Holy Quran – individual accountability and collective accountability.

In light of the Holy Quran, everyone is responsible for his/her own actions and will be questioned for one’s own actions and deeds. At the same time, the Holy Quran, in light of various verses noted in the last discussion, believes in collective, communal accountability and responsibility. This means we are responsible for the society in which we live.

Real Taqwa (God-consciousness) and piety are not possible by just protecting oneself and being indifferent and insensitive towards the society and community in which we live.

INDIVIDUAL ACCOUNTABILITY VERSUS COLLECTIVE ACCOUNTABILITY

The Holy Quran very clearly states in verse 25 of Surah Anfaal (chapter 8 – that trouble and punishment of certain actions in society do not only affect those who have committed them. It includes everyone, like someone drowning a whole ship (and not only himself) if he makes a hole in it.

وَاتَّقُوا فِتْنَةً لَا تُصِيبَنَّ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا مِنْكُمْ خَاصَّةً ۖ وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ شَدِيدُ الْعِقَابِ
“And guard yourselves against a chastisement which cannot fall exclusively on those of you who are wrong-doers, and know that Allah is severe in punishment.”

Therefore, we cannot be indifferent, and that is why the Holy Quran speaks about two books of account on the Day of Qiyamah:

  • Our book of account for our individual deeds; and
  • The account of the community in which you live. What was your role and response to the situation in your community?

Hence, the Holy Quran even speaks about the lifespan of individuals, like you and me, and the lifespan of nations as well! Verse 34 of Surah A’araaf (chapter 7 of the Holy Quran) refers:

وَلِكُلِّ أُمَّةٍ أَجَلٌ ۖ فَإِذَا جَاءَ أَجَلُهُمْ لَا يَسْتَأْخِرُونَ سَاعَةً ۖ وَلَا يَسْتَقْدِمُونَ
“To every people is a term appointed: when their term is reached, not an hour can they cause delay, nor (an hour) can they advance (it in anticipation).”

It, therefore, shows that both individual and communal accountability are jointly very important in the Quranic criteria.

IMAM HUSAIN (A.S) LED THE REVOLUTION DUE TO HIS COMMUNAL ACCOUNTABILITY

In the mission and movement of Imam Husain (a.s), his approach was based upon this Quranic approach, in a very big way. His position was consistently clear, that we cannot be indifferent to what is happening in society.

It was very much possible for Imam Husain (a.s) to protect his own faith by isolating himself and migrating to Yemen. There would be no need for conflict if he did this, but nobody would have followed him if he did not take a stand and speak out against the immoral system. Instead, Imam Husain (a.s) decided to be critical, choosing to speak out, rejecting and refusing to submit to injustice and oppression.

Hence, we learn from the mission and stance taken by Imam Husain (a.s) about this very, very important lesson of ACCOUNTABILITY of our society before Almighty Allah (SWT). This is such a crucial lesson we learned in the previous discussion.

It is not sufficient that I am fine, I am able to pray, fast and do all the things I am supposed to do as a good Muslim INDIVIDUAL, but then not care about what is happening in SOCIETY. If we have this approach, then evil, corruption and suffering in society does not bother us, as it is not our business, because it is not impacting my ability to be a good Muslim individual.

What we learn from the institution of Imam Husain (a.s) is that “it is not my business” does not exist! Quite the contrary, as we have accountability for what is happening in society, in addition to our individual accountability. This is the Quranic approach of Imam Husain (a.s).

INDIVIDUALIST APPROACH OF WESTERN CULTURE VERSUS COMMUNAL APPROACH OF ISLAMIC CULTURE

The Holy Quran presents another very important concept to formalize our response to what is happening in society. That core concept is the institution of Amr bil Ma’ruf wannahi anil Munkar (enjoining good and forbidding evil).
The Holy Quran, based upon the same principle we covered in the previous discussion regarding individual and communal accountability, says that we are responsible for inviting people towards good and forbid people in our society from evil.

We cannot say this is “not my business”! This is a fundamental difference between the Islamic approach and the Western approach. In the Western materialist approach, we would often hear “you do you, and it has nothing to do with me” and “mind your own business”. This approach is individualistic, where the focus is taking care of oneself, without consideration for others.

Islam does not agree with this approach. We are part of wider society, and we are therefore required to encourage people towards good and restrict people from bad in society. In fact, it is our responsibility to eradicate the bad. Islam detests a selfish, passive, individualistic approach.

QURAN ESTABLISHES AMR BIL MA’RUF WANNAHI ANIL MUNKAR AS A PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY

In the Holy Quran, Almighty Allah (SWT), in His final message to humanity, greatly emphasizes this institution of Amr bil Ma’ruf wannahi anil Munkar (calling people towards good and forbidding evil).

It is very good if we perform our daily prayers, but it is equally required from us to invite people towards praying. It is very good if we do not commit sin, but it is equally required from us to remind people not to break the laws of Almighty Allah (SWT) or disobey Him.

The Holy Quran repeatedly addresses this, and we will explore a few verses is this regard. The first is verse 157 of Surah A’araaf (chapter 7 of the Holy Quran), addressing those who FOLLOW the Prophet of Islam (SAWA):

الَّذِينَ يَتَّبِعُونَ الرَّسُولَ النَّبِيَّ الْأُمِّيَّ الَّذِي يَجِدُونَهُ مَكْتُوبًا عِنْدَهُمْ فِي التَّوْرَاةِ وَالْإِنْجِيلِ يَأْمُرُهُمْ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَاهُمْ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ
“Those who follow the Messenger-Prophet, the Ummi, whom they find written down with them in the Taurat and the Injeel (who) enjoins them good and forbids them evil, and makes lawful to them the good things and makes unlawful to them impure things…”

This is the position of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (SAWA) and other divine Prophets (a.s) explained in the Holy Quran, in respect of the responsibility in calling people towards good and forbidding evil.
Now, when the Holy Quran speaks about the BELIEVERS acting according to their responsibility of calling people towards good and forbidding evil, Almighty Allah (SWT) says in verse 71 of Surah Tauba (chapter 9 of the Holy Quran) that the believing men and believing women are guardians of each other, with the purpose of inviting towards good and forbidding evil:

وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتُ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلِيَاءُ بَعْضٍ ۚ يَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَيُقِيمُونَ الصَّلَاةَ وَيُؤْتُونَ الزَّكَاةَ وَيُطِيعُونَ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ ۚ أُولَٰئِكَ سَيَرْحَمُهُمُ اللَّهُ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ
“And (as for) the believing men and the believing women, they are guardians of each other; they enjoin good and forbid evil and keep up prayer and pay charity, and obey Allah and His Messenger; (as for) these, Allah will show mercy to them; surely Allah is Mighty, Wise.”

Then, taking it a step further, the Holy Quran calls us Muslims the best example for humanity, as we enjoin good and forbid evil. This is stated in verse 110 of Surah aal-Imraan (chapter 3 of the Holy Quran):

كُنْتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ تَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ
“You are the best of the nations raised up for (the benefit of) men; you enjoin what is right and forbid the wrong and believe in Allah.”

The list can continue…as there are plenty of verses where the Holy Quran addresses this subject of Amr bil Ma’ruf wannahi anil Munkar (calling people towards good and forbidding evil).

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY IN THE QURAN ESTABLISHED THROUGH AMR BIL MA’RUF WANNAHI ANIL MUNKAR

The Quranic logic on this subject can be explained in a different way, where one can question why the need to stop someone from doing wrong when you know that the person is not going to listen and is paving the way for the Hellfire.

You may wonder, why the need to “waste your time”? The reason why we still need to invest in trying to guide people who have openly gone astray is that at least we will have an excuse in the court of Almighty Allah (SWT), that we have tried our best to do our job. Now, whether it was effective or not is beyond our control, but we tried what was within our capability to guide those who have gone astray back on track.

The Holy Quran speaks about the history of nations that were destroyed because they did not do Amr bil Ma’ruf wannahi anil Munkar (calling people towards good and forbidding evil).

AMR BIL MA’RUF WANNAHI ANIL MUNKAR EXEMPLIFIED IN HADITH NARRATIONS

In light of these verses of the Holy Quran, there are loads of Hadith narrations recorded from our beloved Prophet Muhammad (SAWA) and his holy Ahlul Bait (a.s) worth studying to comprehend this very deep institution of Amr bil Ma’ruf wannahi anil Munkar (calling people towards good and forbidding evil).

This is a system that Islam established as public accountability and protection. In other words, we are supposed to keep each other in check and looking out for each other.

Let us look at a famous Hadith recorded from Amir al-Mu’mineen Imam Ali ibn abi Talib (a.s), where he says that all the good deeds, and struggle (Jihad) in the path of Almighty Allah (SWT), is like a drop in the vast, magnanimous ocean of Amr bil Ma’ruf wannahi anil Munkar (calling people towards good and forbidding evil).”

And there are many, many more Hadith narrations to cite. Another example is the deeply thought-provoking Hadith from our beloved Prophet Muhammad (SAWA), who said that someone who upholds Amr bil Ma’ruf wannahi anil Munkar (calling people towards good and forbidding evil) is like the successor or vicegerent of Almighty Allah (SWT) and His Rasul (SAWA).

Then, there are other Hadith narrations which explain that if people practice Amr bil Ma’ruf wannahi anil Munkar (calling people towards good and forbidding evil) they will enjoy the Favours of Almighty Allah (SWT) showering on them, but if they do not immerse themselves in this responsibility, then the punishment of Almighty Allah (SWT) is inevitable.

STATUS OF AMR BIL MA’RUF WANNAHI ANIL MUNKAR AS PART OF FURU-E-DIN

This highlights the critical importance of this institution of Amr bil Ma’ruf wannahi anil Munkar (calling people towards good and forbidding evil). Therefore, in the school of Ahlul Bait (a.s), it is regarded as Furu-e-Din (branches of religion).
The ROOTS of religion according to our ideology as Shia Muslims are 5:

  1. Tauheed (belief in One God)
  2. Nubuwwat (Prophethood and final divine message of Almighty Allah (SWT) being transmitted via Prophet Muhammad (SAWA))
  3. Qiyamat (belief in the final Day of Judgement)
  4. Imamat (Leadership of the 12 Imams of Ahlul Bait (a.s) as the divinely appointed successors to Prophet Muhammad (SAWA))
  5. Adalat (belief in the justice of Almighty Allah (SWT))
    The BRANCHES of religion according to our ideology as Shia Muslims are 10:
  6. Salaah (compulsory five daily prayers to Almighty Allah (SWT))
  7. Fasting in the month of Ramadaan
  8. Hajj (pilgrimage to the Holy land of Mecca)
  9. Zakat (those that are able to must pay 2.5% of their annual income to charity)
  10. Khums (paying your religious tax to the authorized delegate of the grand spiritual authority you follow (Marja), as the representative of the Imam of our time, al-Mahdi (atfs))
  11. Jihad (struggle in the path of Almighty Allah (SWT))
  12. Tawalla (loving the Ahlul Bait (a.s) as much as we love Rasulullah (SAWA))
  13. Tabarra (disassociating ourselves from those who oppress Allah (SWT), His Prophet (SAWA) and the holy Ahlul Bait (a.s)
  14. Amr bil Ma’ruf (enjoining good)
  15. Nahi anil Munkar (forbidding evil)

Hence, Amr bil Ma’ruf wannahi anil Munkar (calling people towards good and forbidding evil) is part of the Furu-e-Din (branches of religion). For us, it is as important as Salaah, fasting, Hajj, Zakat etc.

WHY IS AMR BIL MA’RUF WANNAHI ANIL MUNKAR NOT EMPHASIZED TO THE SAME EXTENT IN SUNNI ISLAM?

Now that we have established this, the question is, “what is Amr bil Ma’ruf wannahi anil Munkar (calling people towards good and forbidding evil)? The basic understanding we apply to this responsibility is that we need to invite people towards the rituals of our faith like Salaah, fasting etc. And also, to remind people about issues of good moral character like don’t lie, backbite etc. There is no doubt about the importance of this aspect of Amr bil Ma’ruf wannahi anil Munkar, which is well-practised by the Tablighi Jamaat!

That being said, when the Holy Quran addresses the importance of Amr bil Ma’ruf wannahi anil Munkar, and when the Imams of the Ahlul Bait (a.s) address the importance of Amr bil Ma’ruf wannahi anil Munkar, we learn that this institution is not restricted to these aspects of rituals and manners/etiquettes!

When the Imams of the Ahlul Bait (a.s) address the importance of Amr bil Ma’ruf wannahi anil Munkar, their focus is on all good, with priority to the roots of good and the roots of evil. Hence, Amr bil Ma’ruf wannahi anil Munkar in our school of thought as Shia Muslims is commonly associated with speaking truth to the power!

AMR BIL MA’RUF WANNAHI ANIL MUNKAR PRESENTS A MAJOR THREAT TO CORRUPT LEADERSHIP

The importance of Amr bil Ma’ruf wannahi anil Munkar, which is a Quranic concept, is not a point of difference between Sunni and Shia. However, the emphasis which is in the school of Ahlul Bait (a.s) on this institution of enjoining good and forbidding evil, is not emphasized in the culture and doctrine of Sunni Islam. The big question is WHY???
In Sunni Islam, Amr bil Ma’ruf wannahi anil Munkar is considered a good practice as per the Quranic command, but it does not have the elevated status to the extent that we emphasize it in our ideology as a branch of our faith as Shia Muslims.

The reason for this is that when Amr bil Ma’ruf wannahi anil Munkar is upheld in its true spirit, then it poses a very big threat to those in power, such as governments! That is why this institution is very much suppressed in Sunni Islam because the corrupt governments do not want anyone to be critical of them. That is why its importance does not go beyond matters of rituals and manners/etiquettes.

In the school of Ahlul Bait (a.s), we regard Amr bil Ma’ruf wannahi anil Munkar as the responsibility to speak the truth in the presence of an oppressive ruler, the way the Lady Zainab (s.a) did in the court of Yazid! That is the greatest Jihad and the greatest exhibition of Amr bil Ma’ruf wannahi anil Munkar!

AMR BIL MA’RUF WANNAHI ANIL MUNKAR IS THE CORNERSTONE OF THE HUSAINI MISSION

This Amr bil Ma’ruf wannahi anil Munkar manifested in Karbala! Let me repeat the critical point from the well-known will which Imam Husain (a.s) wrote to his brother Muhammad ibn Hanafiyya:

“The only thing which invites me to this great movement is that I should reform the affairs of the followers of my grandfather, eradicate corruption, undertake enjoining to do good and restraining from evil and follow the tradition of my grandfather, the Prophet of Allah.”

Imam Husain (a.s) is making it abundantly clear that the reason why he will never pay allegiance to Yazid is that he needs to reform the Ummah of his grandfather, our beloved Prophet Muhammad (SAWA). The level of reform that Imam Husain (a.s) is highlighting here is the responsibility of inviting people towards good and stopping evil.

Now, we need to unpack this, as we need to understand what Ma’ruf was Imam Husain (a.s) inviting to, and what Munkar was he wanted to stop? What is the definition of Ma’ruf and Munkar in the language of Imam Husain (a.s)?
Surely, he was not referring to calling people towards Salaah, as people were already doing that! The same goes for other required acts of worship, which people were already practising. When Imam Husain (a.s) was defining Ma’ruf (good) and Munkar (evil), he was addressing the root of good and the root of evil!

AMR BIL MA’RUF WANNAHI ANIL MUNKAR CLEARLY DEFINED BY IMAM HUSAIN (A.S) THROUGH IMAMATE

Imam Husain (a.s) explained in the court of Madina that the root of good is them, the Ahlul Bait (a.s) of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (SAWA), where everything starts and ends! He explains that everything comes down from Almighty Allah (SWT) because of them, the Ahlul Bait (a.s). He then makes it categorically clear that they are the leaders and Yazid is a corrupt drunkard.

Imam Husain (a.s) is therefore saying that he wants to invite people towards the legitimate Imamat (leadership) as the manifestation of Ma’ruf (good). Conversely, Imam Husain (a.s) is saying that he is opposing corrupt leadership. Imam Husain (a.s) was therefore not addressing matters of rituals and manners/etiquettes in the institution of Amr bil Ma’ruf wannahi anil Munkar.

Imam Husain (a.s) was protesting about the extent of corruption in society and how Bani Umayyah have destroyed Islam and the Muslim nation established by his grandfather, Rasulullah (SAWA). So, we can now compare where is the level of Amr bil Ma’ruf wannahi anil Munkar of Imam Husain (a.s) versus Amr bil Ma’ruf wannahi anil Munkar as we commonly see practised by the Tablighi Jamaat for example.

For Imam Husain (a.s), Amr bil Ma’ruf is about talking truth to the power, simple as that!

ALMIGHTY ALLAH (SWT) ESTABLISHES THE PRIORITY OF AMR BIL MA’RUF WANNAHI ANIL MUNKAR

Verse 71 of Surah Tauba (chapter 9 of the Holy Quran) which we read earlier, is an eye-opener when we try an understand it from how Imam Husain (a.s) explains it. He says that Almighty Allah (SWT) has prioritized Amr bil Ma’ruf wannahi anil Munkar before commanding us to establish prayer, charity and obedience to Him.

Imam Husain (a.s) then provides a brilliant insight by saying that prayer, charity and obedience to Almighty Allah (SWT) will only be possible through first establishing of Amr bil Ma’ruf wannahi anil Munkar!

وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتُ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلِيَاءُ بَعْضٍ ۚ يَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَيُقِيمُونَ الصَّلَاةَ وَيُؤْتُونَ الزَّكَاةَ وَيُطِيعُونَ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ ۚ أُولَٰئِكَ سَيَرْحَمُهُمُ اللَّهُ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ
“And (as for) the believing men and the believing women, they are guardians of each other; they enjoin good and forbid evil and keep up prayer and pay charity, and obey Allah and His Messenger; (as for) these, Allah will show mercy to them; surely Allah is Mighty, Wise.”

As discussed earlier, the definition of Ma’ruf according to Imam Husain (a.s) is that if society has a legitimate, righteous leader, then all the good is there. Conversely, if society has an evil transgressor as a leader, then the whole society will be in a state of corruption. Imam Husain (a.s) is therefore saying that the real Ma’ruf is Imamate (leadership), and the real Munkar is illegitimate leadership! This means, if righteous leadership is restored, then everything will come right.

RESTORATION OF AMR BIL MA’RUF WANNAHI ANIL MUNKAR IS THE MAIN REASON FOR KARBALA

Imam Husain (a.s) repeated this in every station along the journey to Karbala. The day that Imam Husain (a.s) departed from Madina, he went to bid farewell at the grave of his grandfather, Rasulullah (SAWA), stating that he loves Ma’ruf (good) and he hates Munkar (evil). This is the essence of Husain ibn Ali (a.s), where he cannot tolerate this moral decay in society, from leadership to the grassroots level!

Amr bil Ma’ruf wannahi anil Munkar of Imam Husain (a.s) is a lengthy discussion in Karbala. The vision of Imam Husain (a.s) is crystal clear – people could not see the depths of debauchery and moral decay that Imam Husain (a.s) was fearful of society reaching.

The shortsighted view of the masses was that there is no big deal if the ruler Yazid is corrupt and sitting in his palace in Damascus and drinking. Contrast this with the vision of Imam Husain (a.s), where he could see that the problem is not confined to one person by the name of Yazid drinking in Damascus. Rather, the problem is that if he does not intervene, then there will be nothing by the name of Islam and the message of Almighty Allah (SWT) remaining.

This is precisely the reason for Imam Husain (a.s) remonstrating, to awaken the dead conscience of the public, with his ultimate sacrifice. Yes, Imam Husain (a.s) took this path and offered the highest of sacrifice.

MUHARRAM: TIME FOR US TO RENEW OUR COMMITMENT TO AMR BIL MA’RUF WANNAHI ANIL MUNKAR

In the Ziyarat of Imam Husain (a.s), as taught to us by our 6th Imam of Ahlul Bait (a.s), Imam Jafar Sadiq (a.s), we say:

اشْهَدُ انَّكَ قَدْ اقَمْتَ ٱلصَّلاَةَ
ashhadu annaka qad aqamta alssalata
I bear witness that you performed the prayers,

وَآتَيْتَ ٱلزَّكَاةَ
wa atayta alzzakata
defrayed the poor-rate,

وَامَرْتَ بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ
wa amarta bilma rufi enjoined the right, وَنَهَيْتَ عَنِ ٱلْمُنْكَرِ wa nahayta an almunkari
forbade the wrong,

I want to therefore humbly us all, that as we are here renewing our commitment to Imam Husain (a.s), let us make a commitment to uphold Amr bil Ma’ruf wannahi anil Munkar. Let us feel the responsibility that we cannot be silent in the face of corruption and sinful acts taking place in our society.

If we truly call ourselves Husaini, then we cannot sleep while our neighbour is hungry. Similarly, if we truly call ourselves Husaini, we cannot be silent in the face of corruption and disobedience of Almighty Allah (SWT) around us.
This is the spirit of Husain ibn Ali (a.s) which we need to implement.

3RD MUHARRAM: UMAR IBN SA’AD ARRIVES IN KARBALA WITH 4,000 SOLDIERS

It is the 3rd of Muharram on the plains of Karbala. As discussed in the previous lecture, Imam Husain (a.s) entered Karbala on 2nd Muharram. Umar ibn Sa’ad arrived in Karbala on 3rd Muharram with 4,000 soldiers.

Karbala and Kufa are only about 70-80kms apart. Today, we can get between the two points in a little over an hour, while it would have taken a few hours in those days. Ibn Ziyad knew that Imam Husain (a.s) is in Karbala with a very small group of people. Sometimes, I wonder why ibn Ziyad dispatched an army of 4,000 soldiers with Umar ibn Sa’ad, knowing full well Imam Husain (a.s) only had a very small group with him?

Then, as we know, this number of troops in the enemy’s camp only increased as the days went by, until it reached 30,000 a week later, on the most tragic Day of Ashura. So, it was 30,000 on the enemy’s side, and 72 people fighting on the side of Imam Husain (a.s).

Why the need to bring 30,000 soldiers to kill 72 people? It is not at all rational, and a completely lopsided ratio, not to mention the big-budget required to dispatch 30,000 soldiers and the logistics associated with it. So then, the question is WHY?

By the way, the 30,000 noted in historical records was the number of official soldiers, but there were also those unofficial ones who joined along the way with high hopes of receiving a gift for killing Imam Husain (a.s) if they join these 30,000, and hence the total number in the enemy’s camp probably exceeded the 30,000 official soldiers.

The reason for this is because there was a young Hashemi by the name of Muslim ibn Aqil all alone, abandoned in Kufa a month ago, and 500 people struggled to arrest this special envoy and cousin of Imam Husain (a.s).

When they could not arrest Muslim ibn Aqil, they sent an emergency request to ibn Ziyad to send more soldiers. So, ibn Ziyad realized a month ago when this occurred, that when confronted with this sacred family, he will need to deploy many more soldiers as they will come face to face with warriors Husain (a.s) and Abbas (a.s) and other loyal, courageous forces defending the dignity of Islam.

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