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366chapter sixYou are the best of peoples, evolved for mankind, enjoining what is right,forbidding what is wrong, and believing in God… ($l #Imr§n 3:110)They believe in God and the Last Day; they enjoin what is right, and forbidwhat is wrong; and they hasten (in emulation) in (all) good works: theyare in the ranks of the righteous. ($l #Imr§n 3:114)The hypocrites, men and women, (have an understanding) with eachother: they enjoin evil, and forbid what is just, and are close with their hands.( Al-Tawba 9:67)The believers, men and women, are protectors one of another: theyenjoin what is just, and forbid what is evil; they observe regular prayers,practise regular charity, and obey God and His apostle. ( Al-Tawba9:71)(They are) those who, if We establish them in the land, establish regularprayer and give regular charity, enjoin the right and forbid wrong: withGod rests the end (and decision) of (all) affairs. ( Al-\ajj 22:41)“O my son! Establish regular prayer, enjoin what is just, and forbid whatis wrong; and bear with patient constancy whatever betide you; for thisis firmness (of purpose) in (the conduct of ) affairs. (Luqm§n 31:17)…for he commands them what is just and forbids them what is evil; he allowsthem as lawful what is good (and pure) and prohibits them from whatis bad (and impure); He releases them from their heavy burdens andfrom the yokes that are upon them… ( Al-A#r§f 7:157)The above verses quote the two terms ‘what is right’ and ‘what iswrong’ always in conjunction with each other. Other verses mentionthem separately, as in the following two examples:For divorced women maintenance (should be provided) on a reasonable(scale) [bi’l-ma#råf ]. This is a duty on the righteous. ( Al-Baqara 2:241)…for prayer restrains from shameful and unjust deeds [ al-munkar]; andremembrance of God is the greatest (thing in life) without doubt. AndGod knows the (deeds) that you do. ( Al-#Ankabåt 29:45)Right and wrong is one of those pairs of binary opposition that theBook uses repeatedly in order to highlight clear and unambiguouscontrast: e.g., day and night, heaven and earth, blind and seeing,even and odd, far and near, this world and the Next, Paradise andwhat is right and forbid indecency’; AhA: ‘enjoin what is esteemed and forbid whatis odius’; AH: ‘urges what is right, and forbids what is wrong’. The translators’ use ofthe pair ‘to enjoin"—‘to prohibit’ does not reflect MS’s intention to separate theactivities of al-amr and al-nahy from the sphere of (state) legislation. For him al-amrand al-nahy ought to be seen on the same level as the prescriptions of medicines orthe proscriptions (i.e., health advice) of a medical doctor, who cannot enforce whathe or she has prescribed and who is not permitted to punish someone who has failedto follow his proscriptions. AH’s rendering as ‘urges what is right’ is perhaps closestto MS’s interpretation.