What is the status of this narration?
حدثنا أبو خيثمة، قال: حدثنا محمد بن يزيد بن خنيس، قال: سمعت وهيب بن الورد بن أبي الورد، مولى بني مخزوم قال: لقي عالم عالما هو فوقه في العلم، فقال: يرحمك الله، ما الذي أخفي من عملي؟ قال: ما يظن بك أنك لم تعمل حسنة قط إلا أداء الفرائض، قال: يرحمك الله، فما الذي أعلن من عملي؟، قال: الأمر بالمعروف والنهي عن المنكر؛ فإنه دين الله الذي بعث الله به أنبياءه إلى عباده، وقد اجتمع الفقهاء على قول نبي الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: {وجعلني مباركا أين ما كنت} [مريم: 31] ما بركته تلك؟ قال: الأمر بالمعروف والنهي عن المنكر أينما كان
Answer
Imam Ibn Abid Dunya (rahimahullah) has recorded this narration with a suitable chain.
(Kitabul Amr Bil Ma’ruf Wan Nahy ‘Anil Munkar, Hadith: 13)
Imam Abu Nu’aym (rahimahullah) has recorded a longer version of this narration.
(Hilyatul Awliya, vol. 8 pg. 152. Also see: Tahdhibul Kamal, vol. 31 pg. 174)
Translation
Wuhayb ibnul Ward (rahimahullah) relates: ‘A scholar once met a more senior scholar and said, ‘May Allah have mercy on you, Which deeds of mines should I conceal’? He [the senior scholar] replied, It should seem [to others] that you only fulfil your obligatory deeds.’ The scholar then said, ‘May Allah have mercy on you, Which [good] deeds should I expose’? The scholar replied, ‘Enjoining good and forbidding evil, for this is the way of Allah and the [task] which Allah assigned to the Ambiya, to convey to His servants. The Jurists are unanimous regarding the following statement of Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) concerning the verse ‘And make me blessed wherever I may be’ (Surah Maryam, Verse: 31), ‘Blessed’ refers to enjoining good and forbidding evil wherever you are.’
And Allah Ta’ala Knows best.
Answered by: Moulana Suhail Motala
Approved by: Moulana Muhammad Abasoomar
Checked by: Moulana Haroon Abasoomar