Qawaid Muhimma fi al-Amr bil-Maruf wa al-Nahy an al-Munkar
- Author died
- -
- Editions
- The book is published on the website of the Saudi Ministry of Awqaf without publication details
Qawaid Muhimma fi al-Amr bil-Maruf wa al-Nahy an al-Munkar ala Daw al-Kitab wa al-Sunnah (Important Principles in Enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil in Light of the Quran and Sunnah) is a contemporary treatise by the Saudi scholar Hammoud al-Ruhayli, written during his tenure as an associate professor in the College of Da'wah and Usul al-Din at the Islamic University of Madinah . The work articulates the essential juristic and methodological maxims governing Islamic commanding of right and forbidding of wrong (al-amr bi-l-ma'ruf wa-l-nahy 'an al-munkar) .
Purpose and Scope
The author states that while numerous works have addressed the obligation of enjoining good and forbidding evil, many contemporary practitioners lack grounding in its foundational guidelines and regulatory principles . Consequently, some individuals command or forbid without sound legal knowledge, prioritize secondary moral virtues over correcting core theological errors such as polytheism (shirk), attempt physical intervention without the necessary authority, or act hastily without verifying facts, leading to harm that outweighs their intended reform . The treatise aims to provide a structured, concise guide grounded in the Quran, the prophetic Sunnah, and classical scholarly consensus to direct callers and reformers toward proper methodology .
Structure and Contents
The work is organized into an introduction, seven primary principles (qawa'id), and a concluding section summarizing its findings :
- First Principle: Divine revelation (al-Shar') is the foundational source establishing what constitutes good and evil .
- Second Principle: Possession of sound knowledge and clear insight (al-'ilm wa-l-basirah) regarding the realities of commanding and forbidding .
- Third Principle: Fulfilling the necessary conditions for censuring wrongdoing (shurut inkar al-munkar), which comprise four requirements: confirming that the act is genuinely prohibited; ensuring that the evil is currently taking place; requiring that the wrong is openly manifest without resorting to spying, unless publicly flaunted; and restricting denunciation to non-controversial matters devoid of legitimate juristic disagreement .
- Fourth Principle: Observing the progressive stages of denunciation (maratib inkar al-munkar), delineated into physical intervention with its specific prerequisites, verbal censure with its proper regulations, and denunciation within the heart .
- Fifth Principle: Prioritizing the more important over the important (taqdim al-aham 'ala al-muhimm) .
- Sixth Principle: Considering benefits and repelling harms (i'tibar al-masalih wa dar' al-mafasid) .
- Seventh Principle: Exercising verification and avoiding haste in all matters (al-tathabbut fi al-umur wa 'adam al-'ajalah) .
Methodological Features
In compiling the research, al-Ruhayli referenced Quranic passages by surah name and verse numbering, documented hadiths with a primary reliance on Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim when available, clarified uncommon lexical terms, cited classical and contemporary references, and favored clarity and concise phrasing over lengthy exposition . The work was published in academic journal formats, including the scholarly journal of Umm al-Qura University .
Answer updated