‘Amr bil Ma’rūf and Nahy Anil Munkar’ is summarised below with the help of some Ahadith of Masomeen-asws:
كنز جامع الفوائد و تأويل الآيات الظاهرة رَوَى الشَّيْخُ الْمُفِيدُ قَدَّسَ اللَّهُ رُوحَهُ بِإِسْنَادِهِ إِلَى مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ السَّائِبِ الْكَلْبِيِّ قَالَ: لَمَّا قَدِمَ الصَّادِقُ ع الْعِرَاقَ نَزَلَ الْحِيرَةَ فَدَخَلَ عَلَيْهِ أَبُو حَنِيفَةَ وَ سَأَلَهُ عَنْ مَسَائِلَ وَ كَانَ مِمَّا سَأَلَهُ أَنْ قَالَ لَهُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ مَا الْأَمْرُ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ فَقَالَ ع الْمَعْرُوفُ يَا أَبَا حَنِيفَةَ الْمَعْرُوفُ فِي أَهْلِ السَّمَاءِ الْمَعْرُوفُ فِي أَهْلِ الْأَرْضِ وَ ذَاكَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ أَبِي طَالِبٍ ع
(The books) ‘Kunz Jamie Al Fawaid’ and ‘Taweel Al Ayaat Al Zaahira’ – It is reported by the sheyh Al Mufeed, by his chain to Muhammad Bin Al Saib Al Kalby who said,
‘When Al-Sadiq-asws arrived at Al-Iraq, he-asws descended at Al-Hira. Abu Hanifa came up to him and asked him-asws some questions, and from what he asked was that he said, ‘May I be sacrificed for you-asws, what is ‘enjoining of the good’ (Al-Amr Bil Ma’rouf)?’ So he-asws said: ‘Al-Ma’rouf, O Abu Hanifa, is the one-asws who is well known among the inhabitants of the sky, and well known among the inhabitants of the earth, and that is Amir-Al-Momineen Ali-asws Bin Abu Talib-asws’.
قَالَ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ فَمَا الْمُنْكَرُ قَالَ اللَّذَانِ ظَلَمَاهُ حَقَّهُ وَ ابْتَزَّاهُ أَمْرَهُ وَ حَمَلَا النَّاسَ عَلَى كَتِفِهِ قَالَ أَلَا مَا هُوَ أَنْ تَرَى الرَّجُلَ عَلَى مَعَاصِي اللَّهِ فَتَنْهَاهُ عَنْهَا فَقَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع لَيْسَ ذَاكَ بِأَمْرٍ بِمَعْرُوفٍ وَ لَا نَهْيٍ عَنْ مُنْكَرٍ إِنَّمَا ذَاكَ خَيْرٌ قَدَّمَهُ
He said, ‘May I be sacrificed for you-asws, so what is the evil (Al-Munkar)?’ He-asws said: ‘The one who wronged his-asws right, and blackmailed for its matter, and carried the people upon his shoulder’. He said, ‘Indeed! Who is he that you-asws see the man to be on the disobedience of Allah-azwj, so that we can forbid from him?’ Abu Abdullah-asws said: ‘That is not ‘enjoining to the good’ (Al-Amr Bil Ma’rouf’) nor is it ‘forbidding from the evil’ (Nahiy An Al-Munkar), but rather that is good he sends ahead’.
قَالَ أَبُو حَنِيفَةَ أَخْبِرْنِي جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ عَنْ قَوْلِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَ ثُمَّ لَتُسْئَلُنَّ يَوْمَئِذٍ عَنِ النَّعِيمِ قَالَ فَمَا هُوَ عِنْدَكَ يَا أَبَا حَنِيفَةَ قَالَ الْأَمْنُ فِي السَّرْبِ وَ صِحَّةُ الْبَدَنِ وَ الْقُوتُ الْحَاضِرُ
Abu Hanifa said, ‘May I be sacrificed for you-asws, inform me about the Words of Allah-azwj Mighty and Majestic: Then you will be Questioned on that Day about the boons [102:8]. He-asws said: ‘So what do you have, O Abu Hanifa?’ He said, ‘The security in the flock, and the physical health, and the present livelihood’.
فَقَالَ يَا أَبَا حَنِيفَةَ لَئِنْ وَقَّفَكَ اللَّهُ وَ أَوْقَفَكَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ حَتَّى يَسْأَلَكَ عَنْ كُلِّ أَكْلَةٍ أَكَلْتَهَا وَ شَرْبَةٍ شَرِبْتَهَا لَيَطُولَنَّ وُقُوفُكَ
So he-asws said: ‘O Abu Hanifa! If Allah-azwj were to Pause you on the Day of Judgement until He-azwj Questions you about every food that you have eaten and every drink you have drunk, it would be a very lengthy pause for you’.
قَالَ فَمَا النَّعِيمُ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ قَالَ النَّعِيمُ نَحْنُ الَّذِينَ أَنْقَذَ اللَّهُ النَّاسَ بِنَا مِنَ الضَّلَالَةِ وَ بَصَّرَهُمْ بِنَا مِنَ الْعَمَى وَ عَلَّمَهُمْ بِنَا مِنَ الْجَهْلِ
He said, ‘May I be sacrificed for you-asws, so what are the boons?’ He-asws said: ‘We-asws are the boons which Allah-azwj has Saved the people with, by us-asws from the misguidance, and Made them to see by us-asws from their blindness, and Taught them by us-asws from their ignorance’.
قَالَ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ فَكَيْفَ كَانَ الْقُرْآنُ جَدِيداً أَبَداً قَالَ لِأَنَّهُ لَمْ يُجْعَلْ لِزَمَانٍ دُونَ زَمَانٍ فَتُخْلِقَهُ الْأَيَّامُ وَ لَوْ كَانَ كَذَلِكَ لَفَنِيَ الْقُرْآنُ قَبْلَ فَنَاءِ الْعَالَمِ.
He said, ‘May I be sacrificed for you-asws, so how can the Quran be fresh forever?’ He-asws said: ‘Because there will never come an era where its Verses are not valid, and had it been that, the Quran would perish before the world ceases to be’’.[1]
ولقد أوحى الله فيما مضى قبلكم إلى جبرئيل، وأمره أن يخسف ببلد يشتمل على الكفار والفجار فقال جبرئيل: يارب أخسف بهم إلا بفلان الزاهد؟ ليعرف ماذا يأمر الله به. فقال الله عزوجل: بل اخسف بفلان قبلهم. فسأل ربه، فقال: يا رب عرفني لم ذلك وهو زاهد عابد؟ قال: مكنت له وأقدرته، فهو لا يأمر بالمعروف، ولا ينهى عن المنكر، وكان يتوفر على حبهم في غضبي لهم.
And Allah-azwj Revealed unto Jibraeel-as, sometime in the past, and Ordered him-as to bury a city containing infidels and mischief-makers. Jibraeel-as said: ‘O Lord-azwj! Bury along with them that particular ascetic by whom the Order of Allah-azwj is known?’ Allah-azwj the Almighty Said: ‘In fact, bury him before the others’. He-as asked the Lord-azwj: ‘O Lord-azwj! I do not know him to be like that, and he is an ascetic worshipper?’ He-azwj Said: ‘He had the ability to enjoin the good and forbid the evil, and was overwhelmed in his love for them over My-azwj Anger to them (so did not stop them from evil)’.
فقالوا: يا رسول الله وكيف بنا ونحن لا نقدر على إنكار ما نشاهده من منكر؟ فقال رسول الله (صلى الله عليه وآله): لتأمرن بالمعروف ولتنهن عن المنكر، أو ليعمنكم عقاب الله، ثم قال: من رأى منكم منكرا فلينكره بيده إن استطاع، فان لم يستطع فبلسانه فان لم يستطع فبقلبه، فحسبه أن يعلم الله من قلبه إنه لذلك كاره.
They asked: ‘O Messenger of Allah-saww! And how is it for us when we have no power to stop the evil that we witness being committed?’ The Messenger of Allah-saww: ‘Either you enjoin good and forbid evil or there will be Punishment of Allah-azwj on you’.
Then he-saww said: ‘If any one of you sees evil being committed, he should try to stop it with his hands, if possible, and if he is not able to then denounce it by his tongue, and if even that is not possible, then he should (reject it) by his heart. This is sufficient for him as Allah-azwj Knows the state of his heart that he abhorred it’.[2]
بِالْإِسْنَادِ الْأَوَّلِ عَنِ ابْنِ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنْ يَعْقُوبَ السَّرَّاجِ عَنْ جَابِرٍ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ( عليه السلام ) قَالَ سُئِلَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ( عليه السلام ) عَنِ الْإِيمَانِ فَقَالَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ جَعَلَ الْإِيمَانَ عَلَى أَرْبَعِ دَعَائِمَ عَلَى الصَّبْرِ وَ الْيَقِينِ وَ الْعَدْلِ وَ الْجِهَادِ
By the former chain, from Ibn Mahboub, rom Yaqoub Al Sarraj, from Jabir,
Abu Ja’far-asws has said: ‘Amir Al-Momineen-asws was asked about the Emān. So he-asws said: ‘Allah-azwj Mighty and Majestic Made the Emān to be upon four foundations – Upon the patience, and the conviction, and the justice, and the Jihad.
فَالصَّبْرُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ عَلَى أَرْبَعِ شُعَبٍ عَلَى الشَّوْقِ وَ الْإِشْفَاقِ وَ الزُّهْدِ وَ التَّرَقُّبِ فَمَنِ اشْتَاقَ إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ سَلَا عَنِ الشَّهَوَاتِ وَ مَنْ أَشْفَقَ مِنَ النَّارِ رَجَعَ عَنِ الْمُحَرَّمَاتِ وَ مَنْ زَهِدَ فِي الدُّنْيَا هَانَتْ عَلَيْهِ الْمُصِيبَاتُ وَ مَنْ رَاقَبَ الْمَوْتَ سَارَعَ إِلَى الْخَيْرَاتِ
So the patience from that, is upon four branches – The desire, and the fear, and the ascetism, and the vigilance. So the one who is desirous for the Paradise would disregard the lustful desires; and the one who fears from the Fire would back away from the Prohibitions; and the one who is ascetic in the world, the difficulties would be easy upon him (to bear); and the one who is vigilant of the death, would hasten to the goodness.
وَ الْيَقِينُ عَلَى أَرْبَعِ شُعَبٍ تَبْصِرَةِ الْفِطْنَةِ وَ تَأَوُّلِ الْحِكْمَةِ وَ مَعْرِفَةِ الْعِبْرَةِ وَ سُنَّةِ الْأَوَّلِينَ فَمَنْ أَبْصَرَ الْفِطْنَةَ عَرَفَ الْحِكْمَةَ وَ مَنْ تَأَوَّلَ الْحِكْمَةَ عَرَفَ الْعِبْرَةَ وَ مَنْ عَرَفَ الْعِبْرَةَ عَرَفَ السُّنَّةَ وَ مَنْ عَرَفَ السُّنَّةَ فَكَأَنَّمَا كَانَ مَعَ الْأَوَّلِينَ وَ اهْتَدَى إِلَى الَّتِي هِيَ أَقْوَمُ وَ نَظَرَ إِلَى مَنْ نَجَا بِمَا نَجَا وَ مَنْ هَلَكَ بِمَا هَلَكَ وَ إِنَّمَا أَهْلَكَ اللَّهُ مَنْ أَهْلَكَ بِمَعْصِيَتِهِ وَ أَنْجَى مَنْ أَنْجَى بِطَاعَتِهِ
And the conviction is upon four branches – Clever thinking, and the construed wisdom, and the lesson understood, and a Sunnah of the former ones. So the one who thinks cleverly would recognise the wisdom, and the one who construes the wisdom would recognise the lesson (to be learnt), and the one who recognises the lesson (to be learnt) would recognise the Sunnah, and the one who recognises the Sunnah, so it is as if he was with the former ones, and he would be guided to that which is upright, and he would look at the one who achieved salvation, what he had achieved salvation with, and the one who was destroyed, what he was destroyed by. And rather, destroyed is the one whom Allah-azwj Destroys due to his disobedience, and salvaged is the one who is salvaged by his obedience’.
وَ الْعَدْلُ عَلَى أَرْبَعِ شُعَبٍ غَامِضِ الْفَهْمِ وَ غَمْرِ الْعِلْمِ وَ زَهْرَةِ الْحُكْمِ وَ رَوْضَةِ الْحِلْمِ فَمَنْ فَهِمَ فَسَّرَ جَمِيعَ الْعِلْمِ وَ مَنْ عَلِمَ عَرَفَ شَرَائِعَ الْحُكْمِ وَ مَنْ حَلُمَ لَمْ يُفَرِّطْ فِي أَمْرِهِ وَ عَاشَ فِي النَّاسِ حَمِيداً
And the justice is upon four branches – Depth of understanding, and vastness of knowledge, and the blossom of wisdom, and the garden of forbearance. So the one who understands would interpret the entirety of knowledge, and the one is knowledgeable would recognise the Laws of wisdom, and the one who is forbearing would not exaggerate in his matters, and would live among the people, praised.
وَ الْجِهَادُ عَلَى أَرْبَعِ شُعَبٍ عَلَى الْأَمْرِ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَ النَّهْيِ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَ الصِّدْقِ فِي الْمَوَاطِنِ وَ شَنَآنِ الْفَاسِقِينَ فَمَنْ أَمَرَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ شَدَّ ظَهْرَ الْمُؤْمِنِ وَ مَنْ نَهَى عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ أَرْغَمَ أَنْفَ الْمُنَافِقِ وَ أَمِنَ كَيْدَهُ وَ مَنْ صَدَقَ فِي الْمَوَاطِنِ قَضَى الَّذِي عَلَيْهِ وَ مَنْ شَنِئَ الْفَاسِقِينَ غَضِبَ لِلَّهِ وَ مَنْ غَضِبَ لِلَّهِ غَضِبَ اللَّهُ لَهُ
And the Jihād is upon four branches – Upon the enjoining of the good, and forbidding from the evil, and the truthfulness in the places, and shunning the transgressors. So the one who enjoins with the goodness would strengthen the back of the Momin, and the one who forbids from the evil would grind the nose of the hypocrites and thwart his plots, and the one who is truthful in the places, it would come to pass, that which is upon him, and the one who shuns the transgressors would be angered for the Sake of Allah-azwj, and the one who is angered for the Sake of Allah-azwj, Allah-azwj would get Angered for him (against his enemies).
فَذَلِكَ الْإِيمَانُ وَ دَعَائِمُهُ وَ شُعَبُهُ .
So that is the Emān and its pillars and its branches.[3]
Definition of Amr Bin Marouf by the 6th Imam-asws:
كنز: روى الشيخ المفيد قدس الله روحه بإسناده إلى محمد بن السائب الكلبي قال: لما قدم الصادق (عليه السلام) العراق نزل الحيرة فدخل عليه أبو حنيفة وسأله عن مسائل وكان مما سأله أن قال له: جعلت فداك ما الامر بالمعروف ؟
It is reported by Sheykh Al Mufeed, may Allah-azwj Sanctify his soul, by his chain going up to Muhammad Bin Al Saib Al Kalby who said,
‘When Al-Sadiq-asws proceeded to Al-Iraq, he-asws encamped at Al-Hira. Abu Haneefa came to him-asws and asked him about certain issues, and it was from what he asked him-asws, that he said to him-asws, ‘May I be sacrificed for you-asws! What is ‘Amr Bin Marouf’ (enjoining of the good)?’
فقال (عليه السلام): المعروف يا أبا حنيفة المعروف في أهل السماء المعروف في أهل الارض وذاك أمير المؤمنين علي بن أبي طالب (عليه السلام).
He-asws said: ‘المعروف’ Al-Marouf’, O Abu Haneefa, is the one well-known among the people of the sky and the one well-known among the people of the earth, and that is Amir Al-Momineen Ali-asws Bin Abu Talib-asws’.
قال: جعلت فداك فما المنكر ؟ قال: اللذان ظلماه حقه وابتزاه أمره، وحملا الناس على كتفه.
May I be sacrificed for you-asws! So, what is ‘Al-Munkar’ (the evil to be forbidden from)?’ He-asws said: ‘Those two (Abu Bakr & Umar) who oppressed him-asws of his-asws rights and swindled his-asws command, and loaded the people upon his-asws shoulders’.
قال: ألا ما هو أن ترى الرجل على معاصي الله فتنهاه عنها ؟
He said, ‘Is it not what you see the man upon an act of disobedience of Allah-azwj so you forbid him from it?’
فقال أبو عبد الله (عليه السلام): ليس ذاك أمر بمعروف ولا نهي عن منكر إنما ذاك خير قدمه.
Abu Abdullah-asws said: ‘That is not ‘Amr Bil Marouf’ nor is it ‘Nahy An Munkar’. But rather, that is (the) good he sends forward’.
قال أبو حنيفة: أخبرني جعلت فداك عن قول الله عزوجل: (ثم لتسئلن يومئذ عن النعيم)
Abu Haneefa said, ‘May I be sacrificed for you-asws! Inform me about the Words of Allah-azwj Mighty and Majestic: Then you will be Questioned on that Day about the boons (benefits) [102:8]’.
قال: فما هو عندك يا أبا حنيفة ؟ قال، الامن في السرب، وصحة البدن، والقوت الحاضر. فقال: يا أبا حنيفة لئن وقفك الله أو اوقفك يوم القيامة حتى يسألك عن كل أكلة أكلتها وشربة شربتها ليطولن وقوفك.
He-asws said: ‘So, what is it as, with you, O Abu Haneefa?’ He said, ‘The security in the flock (community) and the health of the body, and the daily subsistence of the present’. He-asws said: ‘O Abu Haneefa! If Allah-azwj were to Pause you, or stops you on the Day of Qiyamah until He-azwj Questions you about every food you had eaten and drink you had drunk, your pausing would be prolonged’.
قال: فما النعيم جعلت فداك ؟ قال: النعيم نحن، الذين أنقذ الله الناس بنا من الضلالة، وبصرهم بنا من العمى، وعلمهم بنا من الجهل.
He said, ‘So, what the Boons, may I be sacrificed for you-asws?’ He-asws said: ‘We-asws are the Boons, those Allah-azwj Saved the people through us-asws from the straying, and made them seeing through us-asws from the blindness, and Taught them through us-asws from the ignorance’.
قال: جعلت فداك فكيف كان القرآن جديدا أبدا ؟ قال: لانه لم يجعل لزمان دون زمان فتخلقه الايام، ولو كان كذلك لفني القرآن قبل فناء العالم.
He said, ‘May I be sacrificed for you-asws! How will the Quran be fresh forever?’ He-asws said: ‘Because it is not Made for a (particular) era, an era made defunct by the days, and if it was like that, the Quran would perish before the annihilation of the universe’’.[4]
[1] Bihar Al Anwaar – V 23, The book of Imamate, P 1 Ch 29 H 34
[2] Tafseer Imam Hassan Askariasws, Hadith No. 307
[3] Al Kafi V 2 – The Book Of Belief and Disbelief CH 26 H 1
[4] Bihar Al Anwaar – V 10, The book of Argumentation, S 3 Ch 13 H 10