Islam > Hadiths > Dawah and hisbah > Da‘wah and Hisbah
Authenticity grade : AuthenticUpdated on 24 September 2026 at 12:34 AM
📖 2 min readعَنْ أَبِي بَكْرٍ الصِّدِّيقِ رضي الله عنه أَنَّهُ قَالَ: أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ، إِنَّكُمْ تَقْرَؤُونَ هَذِهِ الآيَةَ: {يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا عَلَيْكُمْ أَنْفُسَكُمْ لاَ يَضُرُّكُمْ مَنْ ضَلَّ إِذَا اهْتَدَيْتُمْ}، وَإِنِّي سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ: «إِنَّ النَّاسَ إِذَا رَأَوْا الظَّالِمَ فَلَمْ يَأْخُذُوا عَلَى يَدَيْهِ أَوْشَكَ أَنْ يَعُمَّهُمُ اللَّهُ بِعِقَابٍ مِنْهُ».
Abu Bakr as-Siddīq (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: O people, you recite this verse: {O you who believe, take care of your own selves. Those who have gone astray will not harm you as long as you are guided.} Indeed, I heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) say: "When people see an oppressor but do not stop him, Allah will soon overwhelm them with a punishment from Him."
Abu Bakr as-Siddīq (may Allah be pleased with him) informs that people recite the following verse:
{O you who believe, take care of your own selves. Those who have gone astray will not harm you as long as you are guided.} [Surat al-Mā’idah: 105]
and the meaning they grasp therefrom is that one should work on reforming himself alone, bearing in mind that the misguidance of others can never harm him after that and that they are not required to enjoin good or forbid evil. However, he informed them that this was not the true meaning of the verse and that he heard the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) say: When people see the oppressor and do not stop him from practicing his oppression, despite having the ability to do so, Allah will soon overwhelm all of them, the evildoer and the one remaining silent regarding this, with a punishment from Him.
Categories : Ruling of Enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil