Applying Physical Force for Commanding the Good and Shunning Evil

Assalâmu ‘alaykum wa rahmatullâhi wa barakâtuh respected Mufti.

1) Some of my Muslim colleagues at work insist on smoking and listening to music while driving our truck. The problem is that I am sitting with them in the same room/cabin of the truck and thus I am breathing smoke and hearing music. I have asked them several times to stop the music and smoking (at least, while I am present) but they don’t listen to me.

Considering that I have already tried to shun the evil verbally, will it be permissible for me now to enforce Sharî’ah by using physical force?

a) Can I take the cigarettes of their mouth and throw them away or tread them out on the floor?
b) Can I switch off the radio by force although I am not at the command of the vehicle nor am I the owner of the vehicle? (but they aren’t the owner either.)
c) Can I beat/slap these people if they don’t stop smoking and listening to music in my presence?

2) There are posters in my masjid which advertise for riba loans, (Turkish) dance club events and some poster also show women which are not covered properly. Is it permissible to tear down those posters and put them into trash without even asking the council of the masjid? Is it permissible to take advertisement flyers and put them into trash without asking?

3) Concerning the very same masjid, what should be done about the TV there? Haram things are being broadcated directly into the masjid building…

I am sick of always having to bear the sins of others and I people don’t pay attention anymore to verbal admonition, so I feel physical force should be used. I think people need a good beating to realize
what’s at stake, but I am not in the position to beat people up, so I can only do minor things like removing posters, etc.

Please advise respected Muftî.

Wa’alaykum as Salām wa raḥmatullāhi wa barakātuhu,

Undoubtedly, applying physical action might have an adverse effect. People will regard you as insane and will not pay any attention to you. In fact, it might even lead to a lot more corruption; where they will retaliate or report you to the police. Thus, you are not bound, nor is it wise for you to use physical force to stop the evil.

Nabi صلي الله عليه وسلم said,

من رأى منكم منكرا فليغيره بيده فإن لم يستطع فبلسانه فإن لم يستطع فبقلبه وذلك أضعف الإيمان (أخرجه مسلم في صحيحه – 1 / 69)

“Whoever sees an evil should change it with his hands, if he is unable, he should change it with his tongue, and if he is unable he should change it with his heart, and that is the weakest form of Imān.” (Narrated by Imām Muslim, 1/69)

Under the commentary of this narration scholars mention that using the hand (i.e. using physical force) is upon the leaders or those appointed by the leaders (police etc), using the tongue (i.e. openly and publically speaking against the wrong) is compulsory on the scholars and using the heart (i.e. constantly thinking of other ways to change the evil) is required from a layman.

Hence, you should constantly look for constantly think of other ways in which you can change the wrong. This could be done by constant advice, getting scholars to talk to those who are wrong etc. Likewise, if there are other means for transportation, you should consider using those; even if it might take a little longer.

a, b, c) You may not do any of these.

2) You may tear off these pamphlets in the absence of the council of the Masjid.

3) As mentioned above, you could get scholars to talk to the authorities of the Masjid. You should also constantly think of other means to change the wrong.

The reason why it will not be permissible to break the televisions, as opposed to tearing the pamphlets, is that the value of the pamphlets are minimal and the authorities will not be angered by losing the value of those pamphlets. Yes, the reason they might be provoked is because of the content on those pamphlets. This is in contrast to the televisions.

وضدُّه: الأمر بالمعروف، والنهيُ عن المنكر، وهو فرضٌ على وجه الكفاية، عند القدرة، بلا ضررٍ يلحقه في ذلك، قال اللَّه تعالى: {وَلْتَكُن منكم أُمةٌ، يَدْعون إلى الخير، ويأمرون بالمعروف، ويَنْهَوْن عن المنكرِ، وأولئك هم المفلحون}، عن أبي سعيد رضي اللَّه عنه، أنه قال: سمعت رسول اللَّه صلى اللَّه عليه وسلم يقول: “مَنْ رأَى منكم مُنْكراً، فليُغَيّره بيده، فإنْ لم يستطع فبلسانه، فإن لم يستطع فبقلبه، وذلك أَضعفُ الإيمان”. وهذا الحديث نصٌّ في كون الوجوب على هذا الترتيب، على كلّ شخص، مكلف، قادر. وقال بعض العلماء: التغيير باليد: على الأمراء، والحكّام، وباللسان: على العلماء، وبالقلب: على العوام، وهو المروي عن الإمام أبي حنيفةرضي اللَّه عنه (الدرر المباحة للنحلاوي – 1 / 244)

قال رحمه الله ( ومن دعي إلى وليمة وثمة لعب وغناء يقعد , ويأكل ) أي إذا حدث اللعب والغناء هناك بعد حضوره يقعد ويأكل , ولا يترك , ولا يخرج لأن إجابة الدعوة سنة قال عليه الصلاة والسلام { من لم يجب الدعوة فقد عصى أبا القاسم } فلا يتركها لما اقترنت البدعة من غيره كصلاة الجنازة لا يتركها لأجل النائحة فإن قدر على المنع منعهم , وإن لم يقدر يصبر لقوله عليه الصلاة والسلام { من رأى منكم منكرا فليغيره بيده فإن لم يستطع فبلسانه فإن لم يستطع فبقلبه , وذلك أضعف الإيمان } , وقال أبو حنيفة ابتليت بهذا مرة هذا إذا لم يكن مقتدى به فإن كان مقتدى به , ولم يقدر على منعهم يخرج , ولا يقعد لأن في ذلك شين الدين , وفتح باب المعصية على المسلمين , والمحكي عن أبي حنيفة رحمه الله كان قبل أن يصير مقتدى به , وإن كان ذلك على المائدة فلا يقعد لقوله تعالى { فلا تقعد بعد الذكرى مع القوم الظالمين } , وإن كان هناك لعب وغناء قبل أن يحضرها فلا يحضرها لأنه لا يلزمه إجابة الدعوة إذا كان هناك منكر . (تبيين الحقائق – 6 / 13)