Ahadith

Abu Sa‘id Khudri relates that the Holy Prophet directed: Refrain from sitting in the streets. It was said to him: Messenger of Allah, we cannot help sitting in the streets. There is no other place where we can sit and discuss matters. He said: In that case fulful the obligations due to the street. He was asked: What is due to the street? He said: Restraining of looks, removal of obstructions, reciprocation of greetings, enjoining good and forbidding evil (Bokhari and Muslim). (Aal-e-`Imran 106, Aal-e-`Imran 112, Al-A`raf 201, At-Taubah 71, Al-Kahf 31, Al-Hijr 96, Al-A`raf 167)

Ibn Abbas relates that the Holy Prophet noticed a gold ring on the finger of a man, took it off it and threw it away saying: One of you inclines towards a brand of fire and places it on his hand. After the Holy Prophet left, someone said to the man: Pick up the ring and make use of it in some other way. He said: The Holy Prophet has thrown it away, I shall never pick it up (Muslim). (Aal-e-`Imran 106, Aal-e-`Imran 112, Al-A`raf 201, At-Taubah 71, Al-Kahf 31, Al-Hijr 96, Al-A`raf 167)

Abu Sa‘id Hasan Basri relates that A‘aih ibn Amr visited Ubaidullah ibn Ziad and said to him: Son, I heard the Prophet say: The worst functionary is one who deals harshly with people. Beware, lest you should be one such. Ubaidullah said to him: Do sit down, you are but dry fodder from among the companions of the Holy Prophet. He retorted: And was there fodder among them? Surely, fodder came later among others (Muslim). (Aal-e-`Imran 106, Aal-e-`Imran 112, Al-A`raf 201, At-Taubah 71, Al-Kahf 31, Al-Hijr 96, Al-A`raf 167)

Huzaifah relates that the Holy Prophet said: By Him in Whose hands is my life, you will continue to enjoin good and forbid evil, or else Allah will certainly afflict you with torment from Him. Thereafter your supplications will not be heard (Tirmidhi). (Aal-e-`Imran 106, Aal-e-`Imran 112, Al-A`raf 201, At-Taubah 71, Al-Kahf 31, Al-Hijr 96, Al-A`raf 167)

Abu Sa‘id Khudri relates that the Holy Prophet said: The highest striving is saying that which is just to a tyrant (Abu Daud and Tirmidhi). (Aal-e-`Imran 106, Aal-e-`Imran 112, Al-A`raf 201, At-Taubah 71, Al-Kahf 31, Al-Hijr 96, Al-A`raf 167)

Tariq ibn Shihab relates that a person asked the Holy Prophet" when he had just put his foot in the stirrup: What is the highest form of striving? He said: Speaking truth to a tyrant (Nisai). (Aal-e-`Imran 106, Aal-e-`Imran 112, Al-A`raf 201, At-Taubah 71, Al-Kahf 31, Al-Hijr 96, Al-A`raf 167)

Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud relates that the Holy Prophet said: The first weakness crept in among the children of Israel in this wise. One of them would meet another and say to him: Fear God and give up what you are doing, for this is not permissible for you. Then he would meet him the next day and find no change in him, but this would not prevent him from eating, drinking and associating with him. When it came to this Allah perverted the hearts of some on account of their association with others. Then he recited: Those of the children of Israel who disbelieved were cursed by David and by Jesus son of Mary. That was because they disobeyed and were given to transgression. They did not try to restrain one another from the iniquity that they committed. Evil indeed was that which they used to do. Thou shalt see many of them taking the disbelievers as their helpers. Evil indeed is that which they have chosen to send on ahead for themselves, which is that Allah is displeased with them and in this torment shall they abide. Had they believed in Allah and this Prophet, and in that which has been sent down to him, they would not have taken the disbelievers as their helpers, but most of them are disobedient (5.79-82), Then he continued: Indeed, by Allah, you must enjoin good and forbid evil and seize the hand of the wrongdoer and persuade him to act justly and establish him firmly on the right, else Allah will involve the hearts of some of you with the hearts of others and will curse you as he cursed them (Abu Daud and Tirmidhi). The version of Tirmidhi has it: The Holy Prophet said: When the children of Israel became sinful their divines forbade them, but they would not desist. Yet the divines associated with them and ate and drank with them. So they were cursed by the mouths of David and Jesus son of Mary because they were disobedient and were given to transgression. At this stage the Holy Prophet who had been leaning back on a pillow sat up and said: No, No. By Him in Whose hands is my life, there is no escape for you but that you persuade them to act justly.

Abu Bakr Siddique relates: O ye people who read this verse: O ye who believe, be heedful of your own selves. If you make sure of being rightly guided yourselves, the going astray of another will not harm you (5.106); I have heard the Holy Prophet say: When the people see a wrongdoer committing a wrong and do not seize his hand to restrain him, it is most likely that Allah would afflict them with His chastisement (Abu Daud, Tirmidhi and Nisai). (An-Nisa' 60, Al-Ahzab 74)

Usamah ibn Zaid relates that he heard the Holy Prophet say: A man will be brought on the Day of Judgment and will be thrown into the Fire, whereby his arteries will protrude out of his belly and he will go round and round holding them as does a donkey working a mill. The denizens of the Fire will gather round him and say: What is this? Did you not enjoin good and forbid evil? He will say: That is so. I enjoined good, but did not do it; and I forbade evil but did it (Bokhari and Muslim). (An-Nisa' 60, Al-Ahzab 74)

Abu Hurairah relates that the Holy Prophet said: A hypocrite has three characteristics: when he talks he lies, when he makes a promise he acts contrary to it, and when something is entrusted to him he embezzles it (Bokhari and Muslim). Another version adds: Even if he joins in Prayer, observes the fast and esteems himself a Muslim. (An-Nisa' 60, Al-Ahzab 74)