Enjoining Right and forbidding wrong

Enjoining Right & Forbidding Wrong - 21
Allah began these seven ayas, with which He commissioned the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi
wa sallam) to deliver the message to His creation, by ordering the Prophet to warn, and
concluded them with the order to have patience. Warning people of Allah's punishment is
of course enjoining them to do right and forbidding them the doing of wrong, so we see
that patience is obligatory after undertaking the enjoining of right. In this vein, Allah said:
[And be patient for the decree of your Lord, verily you are in our Eyes] Qur'an
52/48
[And be patient with that which they say, and remove yourself from them in a
gracious manner.] Qur`an 73/10
[And so be patient, as the firmly-intentioned prophets were patient.] Qur`an
46/35.
[So be patient for the decree of your Lord, and do not be as the man in the
Whale (i.e. Jonah)] Qur`an 68/48
[And be patient, and your patience is none other than by the leave of Allah.]
Qur'an 16/127.
[And have patience since, verily Allah does neglect the reward of the gooddoers.]
Qur'an 11/115.
Thus, three things are absolutely essential: knowledge, compassion, and patience.
Knowledge is required before enjoining right and forbidding wrong, compassion is required
during its practice, and patience is required after it. This separation is not to negate the
fact that these three qualities need to be present at all times. This is similar to a statement
narrated from the early generations of scholars and which has been attributed by some to
the Prophet. Abu Ya'la mentioned it in his book entitled Al-Mu'tamad as follows:
"None should enjoin right and forbid wrong except one who is knowledgeable
in that which he enjoins, knowledgeable in that which he forbids,
compassionate in that which he enjoins, compassionate in that which he
forbids, forbearing in that which he enjoins, and forbearing in that which he
forbids."
Translated by Salim Abdallah ibn Morgan