الحمد لله نحمده ونستعينة ونستغفره، ونعوذ بالله من شرور أنفسنا، ومن سيئات أعمالنا 

وأشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له ، وأشهد أن سيدنا محمدًا عبده ورسوله .

Inshallah today, we will try to address an important subject which is related to our accountabilities on the day of judgment.  Are we only accountable for our own actions or will we also be held accountable for the actions of our community?   And if we are accountable for actions of our community, what is our responsibility towards it? 

If you consider this life like being in school, your graduation grade will depend on the nature of the assignment given to you by the professors.   If the assignment is an individual exam, your grade will be based on your answers in the exam.   But, if the assignment is a team project, your grade will depend on the grade of the team project, but it is possible that your grade will be based on a combination of the team grade as well as a grade of your own contribution to the team.  

We can take a survey to assess how many of you believe that they will be judged by Allah solely based on their level of righteousness; and how many believe that they will be judged based on a combination of their own righteousness as well as the righteousness of the community they live in.

Only if you believe that the righteousness of the community you live in has an impact on your rating in the hereafter, you will be committed to help the community achieve the highest level of righteousness.  But, if you believe that the status of your community has no impact on your rating in the hereafter, you will not care about whether they are righteous or not as long as you are righteous. 

To understand how Allah will judge us, we need to understand our role in this life.  Does Islam only emphasize the righteousness of the individual or does it emphasize the righteousness of the society.  If it emphasizes the righteousness of the society, one would expect that each member of the society will have some accountability of the actions of the society. 

The answer to these issues must be derived from relevant verses in the Quran and the authentic hadith.

First, we find that there are many verses in the Quran that emphasize the individual responsibility and that each one of us will have a book that includes records of all what he did in this life.  As example, Allah says in Surat Al-Isra:   

وَكُلَّ إِنسَـٰنٍ أَلۡزَمۡنَـٰهُ طَـٰٓٮِٕرَهُ ۥ فِى عُنُقِهِۦ‌ۖ وَنُخۡرِجُ لَهُ ۥ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡقِيَـٰمَةِ ڪِتَـٰبً۬ا يَلۡقَٮٰهُ مَنشُورًا (١٣) ٱقۡرَأۡ كِتَـٰبَكَ كَفَىٰ بِنَفۡسِكَ ٱلۡيَوۡمَ عَلَيۡكَ حَسِيبً۬ا (١٤)

“And We have tied the destiny of every human being to his neck; and on the Day of Resurrection, We shall bring forth a book for him that he will find wide open; (13) [and he will be told:] ‘Read your book.”  Enough for you today that your own self to hold you accountable!” (Al-Isra 17:13-14)

These verses imply that every person will have his own book, but we note that another verse that talks about the transgressors and it implies that they will have a single book, as Allah says in Surat Al-Kahf:

وَوُضِعَ ٱلۡكِتَـٰبُ فَتَرَى ٱلۡمُجۡرِمِينَ مُشۡفِقِينَ مِمَّا فِيهِ وَيَقُولُونَ يَـٰوَيۡلَتَنَا مَالِ هَـٰذَا ٱلۡڪِتَـٰبِ لَا يُغَادِرُ صَغِيرَةً۬ وَلَا كَبِيرَةً إِلَّآ أَحۡصَٮٰهَا‌ۚ وَوَجَدُواْ مَا عَمِلُواْ حَاضِرً۬ا‌ۗ وَلَا يَظۡلِمُ رَبُّكَ أَحَدً۬ا (٤٩)

“And the book will be placed (before them), then you will see the the guilty scared of its content and say: “Woe to us! What a book is this! It leaves out nothing, be it small or great, but takes everything into account!’ Thus, they will find all that they did facing them, and your Lord does not wrong anyone.” (Al-Kahf 18:49)

The verse implies that the guilty ones will be treated as a group and will have one book.  This may indicate that there will be a community trial. This suggestion can be justified by the following verses form Surat Al-Jathiya:

وَتَرَىٰ كُلَّ أُمَّةٍ۬ جَاثِيَةً۬‌ۚ كُلُّ أُمَّةٍ۬ تُدۡعَىٰٓ إِلَىٰ كِتَـٰبِہَا ٱلۡيَوۡمَ تُجۡزَوۡنَ مَا كُنتُمۡ تَعۡمَلُونَ (٢٨) هَـٰذَا كِتَـٰبُنَا يَنطِقُ عَلَيۡكُم بِٱلۡحَقِّ‌ۚ إِنَّا كُنَّا نَسۡتَنسِخُ مَا كُنتُمۡ تَعۡمَلُونَ (٢٩

“And you will see every community kneeling, every community will be called to its book. This Day you shall be recompensed for all that you used to do. (28) This is Our book that speaks against you with truth. Verily, We used to record all that you used to do.” (Al-Jathiya 45:28-29)

The verses indicate that the whole community apparently will be presented with one book, but then they will be divided in two groups, a group of the righteous and a group of the criminals as Allah says:  

فَأَمَّا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ فَيُدۡخِلُهُمۡ رَبُّہُمۡ فِى رَحۡمَتِهِۦ‌ۚ ذَٲلِكَ هُوَ ٱلۡفَوۡزُ ٱلۡمُبِينُ (٣٠) وَأَمَّا ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوٓاْ أَفَلَمۡ تَكُنۡ ءَايَـٰتِى تُتۡلَىٰ عَلَيۡكُمۡ فَٱسۡتَكۡبَرۡتُمۡ وَكُنتُمۡ قَوۡمً۬ا مُّجۡرِمِينَ (٣١)

“Then, as for those who believed and did righteous deeds, their Lord will admit them to His mercy. That is the evident triumph. (30) And as for those who disbelieved (it will be said to them): Were Our revelations not recited to you? But you showed arrogance and were a guilty people.” (Al-Jathiya 45:30-31)

This apparent group trial, does not contradict our standing in front of Allah as individuals as Allah says:

وَلَقَدْ جِئْتُمُونَا فُرَٰدَىٰ كَمَا خَلَقْنَـٰكُمْ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ

“And you have come to Us as individuals, just as We created you in the first time.” (Al-Ana’am 6:94)

وَكُلُّهُمۡ ءَاتِيهِ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡقِيَـٰمَةِ فَرۡدًا (٩٥)

“And every one of them will come to Him (Allah) alone on the Day of Judgement.” (Maryam 19:95)

These verses imply that when we stand as individuals, no one will have a defender to argue on his behalf.   But if you are being judged in a group, you can argue for yourself to absolve yourself from their crimes.  But you will only be justified to claim that you should not be judged based on the group action if you had advised them and they did not listen.  Only then you have an excuse.  This point is clear from the following verse in Surat Al-Araf:

وَإِذۡ قَالَتۡ أُمَّةٌ۬ مِّنۡہُمۡ لِمَ تَعِظُونَ قَوۡمًا‌ۙ ٱللَّهُ مُهۡلِكُهُمۡ أَوۡ مُعَذِّبُہُمۡ عَذَابً۬ا شَدِيدً۬ا‌ۖ قَالُواْ مَعۡذِرَةً إِلَىٰ رَبِّكُمۡ وَلَعَلَّهُمۡ يَتَّقُونَ (١٦٤)

“And when a group among them said: Why do you preach to a people whom Allah is about to destroy or punish with a severe punishment, they said: In order to absolve ourselves (to be free from guilt) before your Lord, and perhaps they may fear Allah.” (Al-Araf 7:164)

This verse addresses a key point that one often uses as excuse for not advising people when you know they are committing a clear violation of Allah.  The excuse would be that your advice will not help.  This verse gives two important reasons why you should advise:  First is that you don’t know whether they will heed your advice or not, only Allah knows. Second is that this will be your excuse in front of Allah not to judge you among them.   If you stay silent when you see grave violation of Allah’s commands being committed, you will be judged among the guilty group.  This warning is clear from these verses in Surat Al-Maeda:

لُعِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ ڪَفَرُواْ مِنۢ بَنِىٓ إِسۡرَٲٓءِيلَ عَلَىٰ لِسَانِ دَاوُ ۥدَ وَعِيسَى ٱبۡنِ مَرۡيَمَ‌ۚ ذَٲلِكَ بِمَا عَصَواْ وَّڪَانُواْ يَعۡتَدُونَ (٧٨) ڪَانُواْ لَا يَتَنَاهَوۡنَ عَن مُّنڪَرٍ۬ فَعَلُوهُ‌ۚ لَبِئۡسَ مَا ڪَانُواْ يَفۡعَلُونَ (٧٩)

“Those among the Children of Israel who disbelieved were cursed by the tongue of David, and of Jesus, son of Mary. That was because they disobeyed and used to transgress. (78) They did not forbid each other from the wickedness they did. Indeed. evil was what they have been doing!” (Al-Maeda 5:78-791)

The Quran is clear that a righteous person has the responsibility of giving advice to his community to promote goodness and prevent evil.  Many verses in the Quran emphasize this responsibility.   As an example, Allah says:

كُنتُمۡ خَيۡرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخۡرِجَتۡ لِلنَّاسِ تَأۡمُرُونَ بِٱلۡمَعۡرُوفِ وَتَنۡهَوۡنَ عَنِ ٱلۡمُنڪَرِ وَتُؤۡمِنُونَ بِٱللَّهِ‌ۗ

“You are the best Ummah (nation, community, society) ever raised up for mankind; you enjoin goodness and forbid evil and believe in Allah.” (Al-Emran 3:110)

The interesting observation about this verse is that Allah made the obligation to command goodness and forbid evil ahead of the belief in Him to emphasize the criticality of this obligatory command on every Muslim. When Allah commands us to enjoin goodness and forbid evil, Allah is speaking of something that any fair-minded and decent person will rate as good or evil and He is not talking about some issues on which Muslim scholars have differed.  After all Allah embedded in every human being what is good and what is bad. 

Because commanding goodness and forbidding evil is a major responsibility, every Muslim must be trained to be qualified to give advice regarding what is right and warn of what is wrong, To be qualified you must meet three qualifications.   In his book “The Certified” (المعتمد), Al-Qadi Abou Yaala (القاضي أبو يعلى) the great Hanbali scholar (380- 458H) wrote:

“It is not permitted for anyone to command what is good and forbid what is evil unless he is knowledgeable about what he commands and forbids, kind to whom he commands and forbids, and wise in the way he commands and forbids.”  

If you commit to give advice based on clear knowledge and using the best approach and you are rejected, then you can claim that you are a community by yourself similar to Prophet Ibrahim regarding him, Allah says:  

إِنَّ إِبۡرَٲهِيمَ كَانَ أُمَّةً۬ قَانِتً۬ا لِّلَّهِ حَنِيفً۬ا (١٢٠)

“Surely, Ibrahim was a community (by himself), devoted to Allah, a man of pure faith.” (Al-Nahl 16:120)

Commanding goodness and forbidding evil is so important that need to be taught to our children as Luqman did with his young son when he said to him:

يَا بُنَيَّ أَقِمِ الصَّلَاةَ وَأْمُرْ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَانْهَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَاصْبِرْ عَلَى مَا أَصَابَكَ إِنَّ ذَلِكَ مِنْ عَزْمِ الْأُمُور

“O my dear son! establish regular prayer, enjoin what is good and forbid what is wrong; and be patient in facing whatever happens to you; for this is firmness in (the conduct of) all matters. (Luqman 31:17)

After Luqman advised his son is to establish prayers which is the key to building the child’s connection with Allah, he advised him of commanding good and forbidding evil.   This gives the child a sense of his social responsibility toward others who will be mainly his friends.  Then the child was told to be aware that standing for what is good and against what is evil requires patience because he should expect to face difficulties, and this requires firmness of his character (إِنَّ ذَلِكَ مِنْ عَزْمِ الْأُمُور).

The question is whether the responsibility of advising with goodness and warning about evil is obligatory upon everyone (فرض عين) or the responsibility is removed if a group of people in the community is doing it (فرض كفاية). The following verse in Surat Al-Emran may imply that is the obligation can be satisfied by a group from among the community:

وَلۡتَكُن مِّنكُمۡ أُمَّةٌ۬ يَدۡعُونَ إِلَى ٱلۡخَيۡرِ وَيَأۡمُرُونَ بِٱلۡمَعۡرُوفِ وَيَنۡهَوۡنَ عَنِ ٱلۡمُنكَرِ‌ۚ وَأُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ هُمُ ٱلۡمُفۡلِحُونَ (١٠٤)

“There has to be a group from among you who invite to goodness and enjoin right conduct and forbid indecency. And they are the successful.” (Al-Emran 3:104)

But the general opinion is that this obligation is upon every individual (فرض عين) unless you are sure that this group will reach your own friends and associates. This opinion is logical for two reasons.  First the verse states that this group are the successful which can imply that those who are not part of this group are not successful.  Second, Allah will designate you as witness against those people who committed the evil, verifying that you have delivered to them His command.  How are you going to be a witness against others if you haven’t given them any advice?  Your role as witness is stated in verses such as:

وَكَذَٲلِكَ جَعَلۡنَـٰكُمۡ أُمَّةً۬ وَسَطً۬ا لِّتَڪُونُواْ شُہَدَآءَ عَلَى ٱلنَّاسِ وَيَكُونَ ٱلرَّسُولُ عَلَيۡكُمۡ شَهِيدً۬ا‌ۗ

“Thus, We have made you a moderate (balanced, middle) nation, so that you should be witnesses against the people, and the messenger a witness against you.” (Al-Baqara 2:143)

وَجَـٰهِدُواْ فِى ٱللَّهِ حَقَّ جِهَادِهِۦ‌ۚ هُوَ ٱجۡتَبَٮٰكُمۡ وَمَا جَعَلَ عَلَيۡكُمۡ فِى ٱلدِّينِ مِنۡ حَرَجٍ۬‌ۚ مِّلَّةَ أَبِيكُمۡ إِبۡرَٲهِيمَ‌ۚ هُوَ سَمَّٮٰكُمُ ٱلۡمُسۡلِمِينَ مِن قَبۡلُ وَفِى هَـٰذَا لِيَكُونَ ٱلرَّسُولُ شَهِيدًا عَلَيۡكُمۡ وَتَكُونُواْ شُہَدَآءَ عَلَى ٱلنَّاسِ‌ۚ (٧٨)

“And strive hard in Allah’s Cause as you ought to strive. He has chosen you (to convey His Message) and has not imposed in the religion any hardship on you.  It is the faith of your father Ibrahim (Abraham). He (Allah) named you Muslims earlier and in this (the Qur’an), so that the Messenger becomes a witness over you and you be witness over (other) people.” (Al-Hajj 22:78)

The support of the opinion that the responsibility is upon every Muslim can be justified by the example of the man mentioned in Surat Yasin who risked his life to give advice to the people even though there were three prophets assigned to this community, Allah says:

وَجَآءَ مِنۡ أَقۡصَا ٱلۡمَدِينَةِ رَجُلٌ۬ يَسۡعَىٰ قَالَ يَـٰقَوۡمِ ٱتَّبِعُواْ ٱلۡمُرۡسَلِينَ (٢٠) ٱتَّبِعُواْ مَن لَّا يَسۡـٴَـلُكُمۡ أَجۡرً۬ا وَهُم مُّهۡتَدُونَ (٢١(

“And there came rushing from the farthest part of the city. He said: O my people! Follow the messengers. (20) Follow those who do not ask for a reward from you and who are rightly guided.” (Yaseen 36:20-21)

To emphasize this responsibility, the Prophet (PBUH) gave the example of people on the ship: Nu’man bin Bashir reported that the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said:

عن النعمان بن بشير رضي الله عنهما أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال : ( مثل القائم على حدود الله والواقع فيها ، كمثل قوم استهموا على سفينة ، فأصاب بعضهم أعلاها وبعضهم أسفلها ، فكان الذين في أسفلها إذا استقوا من الماء مرّوا على من فوقهم ، فقالوا : لو أنا خرقنا في نصيبنا خرقا ولم نؤذ من فوقنا ، فإن يتركوهم وما أرادوا هلكوا جميعا ، وإن أخذوا على أيديهم نجوا ونجوا جميعا ) رواه البخاري

“The example of the person abiding by Allah’s order and restrictions in comparison to those who violate them is like the example of those persons who drew lots for their position in a boat. Some of them got positions in the upper deck, and the others in the lower deck. When the latter needed water, they had to go up to bring water from the top deck.  Concerning that they are troubling the passengers on the upper deck, they said, ‘Let us make a hole in the bottom of the ship (and get water) so that we do not trouble the upper deck passengers.’ If the people in the upper deck left the lower deck passengers to do what they had suggested; then all the people of the ship would be destroyed, but if they had prevented them, then both parties would be safe.” (Bukhari)

The Prophet (PBUH) emphasized that Allah’s punishment does not only befall those who commit evil, but it befalls everyone in the community who does not stand against it:  Hudhayfah ibn al-Yamān RA) reported that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said:

عن حذيفة عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال { والذي نفسي بيده لتأمرن بالمعروف ولتنهون عن المنكر أو ليوشكن الله عز وجل أن يبعث عليكم عذابا من عنده ثم تدعونه فلا يستجاب لكم } رواه الترمذي

“By the One in Whose Hand my soul is! Either you command good and forbid evil, or Allah will soon send upon you a punishment from Him, then you will pray to Him but He will not respond to you.”  [At-Tirmidhi – Ahmad]

Sayeda Aiysha said that the Prophet (PBUH) stood on the minbar and said:

عن عائشة ، قالت : دخل علي النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم ، فعرفت في وجهه أن قد حضره شيء ، فتوضأ ، وما كلم أحدا ، ثم خرج ، فلصقت بالحجرة أسمع ما يقول ، فقعد على المنبر ، فحمد الله وأثنى عليه ، ثم قال : يا أيها الناس ، إن الله تبارك وتعالى يقول لكم : مروا بالمعروف ، وانهوا عن المنكر ، قبل أن تدعوني ، فلا أجيبكم ، وتسألوني فلا أعطيكم ، وتستنصروني فلا أنصركم ،)صحيح ابن حبان(

“Allah the exalted is telling you: Enjoin good and forbid evil before you supplicate to Me and I will not answer you and before you ask Me and I will not give you and before you seek My help and I will not help you.” (ibn Hibban)

The companions clearly understood the criticality of this command.  Khalifa Abu Bakr (RA) said in one of his sermons:

ثبت أنّ أبا بكر الصديق t قال في خطبته: (أيّها الناس إنّكم تقرؤون هذه الآية {يا أيها الذين آمنوا عليكم أنفسكم لا يضركم من ضلّ إذا اهتديتم} [سورة المائدة: آية 105]وإنّكم تضعونها على غير موضعها، وإنّي سمعت النبي r يقول: ((إنّ النّاس إذا رأوا المنكر فلم يغيروه أوشك أن يعمهم الله بعقابٍ منه))(] أخرجه الترمذي. و أحمد وابن ماجه[“

“O People, you read this verse

{يا أيها الذين آمنوا عليكم أنفسكم لا يضركم من ضلّ إذا اهتديتم} [سورة المائدة: آية 105]

“O Who you believe, take care of yourselves. The one who goes astray cannot harm you, if you are rightly guided”, but you do not properly apply it, because I heard the Prophet (PBUH) saying: If people see evil and do not forbid it, they will be on the verge of being overtaken by punishment from Allah.”

We often use the excuse that we cannot openly express our views about the evil in the society for fear of the potential harm that can befall us and we justify our position by quoting:

  وَلَا نُكَلِّفُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا وَلَدَيْنَا كِتَـٰبٌ يَنطِقُ بِٱلْحَقِّ وَهُمْ لَا يُظْلَمُونَ

“And We do not task any human being with more than what he is able to bear:” (Al-Muminum 23:62)

Obviously, this is correct, but who decides what you can bear, is it you or Allah who has full knowledge of your abilities.  The complete verse reads:

وَلَا نُكَلِّفُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا وَلَدَيْنَا كِتَـٰبٌ يَنطِقُ بِٱلْحَقِّ وَهُمْ لَا يُظْلَمُونَ

“And We do not task any human being with more than what he is able to bear. With Us there is a book that speaks with truth [about the person’s abilities]; and they shall not be wronged” (Al-Muminum 23:62)

The honesty of assessing our abilities must be considered when applying the following hadith.  Abu Sa`eed al-Khudree (RA) said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say:

عن أبي سعيد الخدري رضي الله عنه قال : سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول : ( من رأى منكم منكرا فليغيره بيده ، فإن لم يستطع فبلسانه ، فإن لم يستطع فبقلبه ، وذلك أضعف الإيمان ) رواه مسلم

“Whosoever of you sees an evil, let him change it with his hand; and if he is not able to do so, then [let him change it] with his tongue; and if he is not able to do so, then with his heart — and that is the weakest of faith.” [Muslim]

The problem that we see these days is that issues that are very clear in our religion and in fact in all religions as evil, Muslims are now tolerating it and many of those who are in leadership positions give watered down answer when they are asked about them.  And worse, this will confuse our youth.

I hope that I presented the case that we will be held accountable for the evil others commit if we don’t absolve ourselves from this evil by clearly speaking against it and supporting those who speak against it.  If you are still not convinced of your responsibility towards the society you live in, you need to answer on whose behalf you are making the following declarations at least 17 time per day:

إِيَّاكَ نَعۡبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسۡتَعِينُ (٥)

You alone we worship and You alone we seek help (5). (Al-Fatiha 1:5)

Who are the “we” you are speaking on their behalf when you are praying alone?

Allah made an oath in Surat Al-Asr that we often recite that people are at loss if they don’t exhort each other to the truth, so if you don’t, who else is to save your community from the state of loss:  

وَٱلۡعَصۡرِ (١) إِنَّ ٱلۡإِنسَـٰنَ لَفِى خُسۡرٍ (٢) إِلَّا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ ٱلصَّـٰلِحَـٰتِ وَتَوَاصَوۡاْ بِٱلۡحَقِّ وَتَوَاصَوۡاْ بِٱلصَّبۡرِ (٣)

By the time, (1) Man is indeed in a state of loss, (2) Except those who believe and do good deeds and exhort one another to truth and exhort one another to observe patience. (Al-Asr 103:1-3)

We pray to Allah to give us the wisdom to always invite people to goodness and warn them of evil. We pray to Allah to give us the courage to always tell the truth and not make us of those who are willing to compromise in the truth for the sake of political correctness or for personal benefits.

DUA