Overview  (Verse 110)

A Quality Essential to the Muslim Community
 
You are the best community that has ever been raised for mankind; you enjoin the doing of what is right and forbid what is wrong, and you believe in God. Had the people of earlier revelations believed, it would have been for their own good. Few of them are believers, while most of them are evildoers. (Verse 110)

Its unique qualities make the Muslim community the best nation ever to be raised for mankind. Having outlined these qualities of enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong and believing in God, the verse goes on to explain that to have faith is better for people.

This verse describes the Muslim nation so that it becomes aware of its position, value and true nature. The first part of the verse imposes a very heavy duty on the Muslim community, while at the same time honouring and elevating it to a position which cannot be given to any other community: “You are the best community that has ever been raised for mankind; you enjoin the doing of what is right and forbid what is wrong, and you believe in God.”
 
We note first that the reference to the Muslim community as one which “has been raised” is made in the passive voice. This suggests that a highly skilful hand has neatly moulded this community and brought it forth from behind the eternal curtain which covers things known only to God. The expression adopted here indicates a subtle and gentle movement which brings forth onto the stage of existence a whole nation which has a unique role to play and a special position to occupy.
 
“You are the best community that has ever been raised for mankind.” The Muslim nation should understand this in order to know its position and its true nature. It should know that it has been raised specially for the purpose of assuming the leadership of mankind, since it is the best nation. God wants the leadership in this planet of ours to be assumed by the forces of goodness, not the forces of evil. It follows that it should never be in the recipient position, taking what other nations have to offer. It must be the one to offer to others whatever it has of sound ideology, philosophy, morality and knowledge, and of course its perfect system. This is the duty of the Muslim nation, imposed on it by its unique position and the purpose of its very existence. It is a duty on the Muslim nation to assume the leadership of mankind at all times. By assuming it, it also takes upon itself certain responsibilities. Leadership cannot be given to any nation which claims it, unless it proves that it is the worthy leader. By its ideology and social system, the Muslim community is worthy of this position. What remains for it is to prove that in scientific advancement and in the fulfilment of man’s task of building the earth, it is also an able leader. It is clear then that the system which brings this nation into existence demands much from it and gives it the incentive to excel in every field, if only it would follow this system and appreciate its requirements and duties.
 
The first requirement is that the Muslim nation should work hard at protecting human life from evil. It must have the power to enable it to enjoin the doing of all that is right and forbid the doing of all that is wrong. It is, after all, the best nation ever raised for mankind. This position is not given to the Muslim community as the result of any favouritism, coincidence or random selection. Far be it from God to do that. Positions and duties are not given by God to different nations on the basis of any favouritism, as the people of earlier revelations were wont to believe, describing themselves as “God’s children and beloved people.” (Al-Mā’idah 5:18) The criterion which makes a certain community worthy of the position of leadership is its active work for the preservation of human life from evil and the promotion of what is right, in addition to its implementation of the faith which defines what is right and what is wrong: “You enjoin the doing of what is right and forbid what is wrong.” (Verse 110)

The position of leadership is thus earned through the active fulfilment of its tasks, heavy as they are, and through following the way defined for it, thorny as it may be. In practical terms, it means standing up against evil, promoting every good and protecting society against all elements of corruption. All these are extremely hard tasks, but they are nevertheless necessary if a good human society is to be established and protected. There is no other way to bring about the type of society which God loves.
 
Belief in God is also necessary so that the community has a correct standard of values and a correct definition of what is right and what is wrong. What is socially agreed by a community is not enough. For it may happen that corruption becomes so widespread that standards are no longer correct or appropriate. Hence, reference must be made to a permanent concept of good and evil, virtue and vice, right and wrong. This concept should have as its basis something other than the social norms of any particular generation.
 
Belief in God provides all this, since it ensures a correct concept of the universe and the relationship between the Creator and His creation. It provides the correct concept of man, the purpose of his existence and his true position in the universe. It is from this general concept that moral values and principles should be derived. The desire to earn God’s pleasure and to avoid His displeasure motivates people to work for the implementation of these principles. They, in turn, are safeguarded by fear of God and by the authority of His law.
 
Belief in God is necessary for those who invite to all that is good, enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong, to proceed along their appointed course and bear all its difficulties and hardships. They have to face the tyranny of evil at its fiercest, the pressures of worldly desires at their strongest, as also complacency, weakness and narrow ambition. To do this, they have to be equipped with faith. It is their only weapon. Their support comes from God. Any other aid is exhaustible, any other weapon can be overpowered and any other support is liable to collapse.
 
Earlier in the sūrah, the Muslim community is described by God as having the necessary qualities to implement His Divine method. That community, however, does not come into existence by its own volition, but only when it possesses the essential qualities which distinguish it from the rest of mankind. It either invites to all that is good, enjoins what is right and forbids what is wrong, in addition to believing in God; in this case it gives credence to its existence as a Muslim nation. Or, alternatively, it does not do any of this. In this case it is deemed not to have come into existence, and it loses its Islamic identity.
 
The Qur’ān stresses this in numerous places, each of which will be discussed in its appropriate context. The Sunnah also includes a number of such directives and commands by the Prophet, some of which may be quoted here:
 
Abū Sa`īd al-Khudrī reports that he heard the Prophet saying: “Let any of you who sees something wrong put it right with his own hand. If he is unable to do so, let him change it by the word of his mouth. If he cannot do even that, then let him do it within himself. This is the weakest form of faith.” (Related by Muslim.)
 
Abū Dāwūd and Al-Tirmidhī relate on the authority of Ibn Mas`ūd that the Prophet said: “When the children of Israel began to commit sins frequently, their scholars tried to dissuade them, but they persisted. Their scholars, nevertheless, continued to attend their social gatherings, and to eat and drink with them. God left them to stray and sealed their hearts. He also cursed them in the words of David, Solomon and Jesus, son of Mary.” The Prophet was saying this as he reclined, but at this point he sat up and said: “By Him who holds my soul in His hand, you must make them turn back to what is right.”
 
Al-Tirmidhī relates on the authority of Ĥudhayfah that the Prophet said: “By Him who holds my soul in His hand, you will enjoin the doing of what is right and forbid what is wrong, or else, God will visit you with a punishment of His own. You will, then, pray to Him and He will not answer you.”
 
God’s Messenger says: “When a sin is committed on earth, a person who witnesses it and denounces it is the same as one who has not seen it, and the one who has been absent and approves of it is considered like one who has taken part in it.” (Related by Abū Dāwūd.)
 
Abū Sa`īd al-Khudrī quotes the Prophet as saying: “One of the highest forms of jihad is to confront a despotic ruler with the word of truth.” (Related by Abū Dāwūd and Al-Tirmidhī.)
 
Jābir quotes the Prophet as saying: “The best of all martyrs is Ĥamzah and a man who stands up to a despotic ruler, enjoins him to do what is right and forbids him what is wrong, and is, therefore, killed by that ruler.”
 
The Prophet stresses this quality of enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong in many other hadīths, all of which establish beyond any shadow of doubt that it is a prerequisite for the Muslim community. The Sunnah contains a wealth of directives which provide the best education for the Muslim community. Unfortunately, however, we tend not to give the Sunnah its true value.

Overview  (Verse 110)

A Quality Essential to the Muslim Community
 
You are the best community that has ever been raised for mankind; you enjoin the doing of what is right and forbid what is wrong, and you believe in God. Had the people of earlier revelations believed, it would have been for their own good. Few of them are believers, while most of them are evildoers. (Verse 110)

Its unique qualities make the Muslim community the best nation ever to be raised for mankind. Having outlined these qualities of enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong and believing in God, the verse goes on to explain that to have faith is better for people.

This verse describes the Muslim nation so that it becomes aware of its position, value and true nature. The first part of the verse imposes a very heavy duty on the Muslim community, while at the same time honouring and elevating it to a position which cannot be given to any other community: “You are the best community that has ever been raised for mankind; you enjoin the doing of what is right and forbid what is wrong, and you believe in God.”
 
We note first that the reference to the Muslim community as one which “has been raised” is made in the passive voice. This suggests that a highly skilful hand has neatly moulded this community and brought it forth from behind the eternal curtain which covers things known only to God. The expression adopted here indicates a subtle and gentle movement which brings forth onto the stage of existence a whole nation which has a unique role to play and a special position to occupy.
 
“You are the best community that has ever been raised for mankind.” The Muslim nation should understand this in order to know its position and its true nature. It should know that it has been raised specially for the purpose of assuming the leadership of mankind, since it is the best nation. God wants the leadership in this planet of ours to be assumed by the forces of goodness, not the forces of evil. It follows that it should never be in the recipient position, taking what other nations have to offer. It must be the one to offer to others whatever it has of sound ideology, philosophy, morality and knowledge, and of course its perfect system. This is the duty of the Muslim nation, imposed on it by its unique position and the purpose of its very existence. It is a duty on the Muslim nation to assume the leadership of mankind at all times. By assuming it, it also takes upon itself certain responsibilities. Leadership cannot be given to any nation which claims it, unless it proves that it is the worthy leader. By its ideology and social system, the Muslim community is worthy of this position. What remains for it is to prove that in scientific advancement and in the fulfilment of man’s task of building the earth, it is also an able leader. It is clear then that the system which brings this nation into existence demands much from it and gives it the incentive to excel in every field, if only it would follow this system and appreciate its requirements and duties.
 
The first requirement is that the Muslim nation should work hard at protecting human life from evil. It must have the power to enable it to enjoin the doing of all that is right and forbid the doing of all that is wrong. It is, after all, the best nation ever raised for mankind. This position is not given to the Muslim community as the result of any favouritism, coincidence or random selection. Far be it from God to do that. Positions and duties are not given by God to different nations on the basis of any favouritism, as the people of earlier revelations were wont to believe, describing themselves as “God’s children and beloved people.” (Al-Mā’idah 5:18) The criterion which makes a certain community worthy of the position of leadership is its active work for the preservation of human life from evil and the promotion of what is right, in addition to its implementation of the faith which defines what is right and what is wrong: “You enjoin the doing of what is right and forbid what is wrong.” (Verse 110)

The position of leadership is thus earned through the active fulfilment of its tasks, heavy as they are, and through following the way defined for it, thorny as it may be. In practical terms, it means standing up against evil, promoting every good and protecting society against all elements of corruption. All these are extremely hard tasks, but they are nevertheless necessary if a good human society is to be established and protected. There is no other way to bring about the type of society which God loves.
 
Belief in God is also necessary so that the community has a correct standard of values and a correct definition of what is right and what is wrong. What is socially agreed by a community is not enough. For it may happen that corruption becomes so widespread that standards are no longer correct or appropriate. Hence, reference must be made to a permanent concept of good and evil, virtue and vice, right and wrong. This concept should have as its basis something other than the social norms of any particular generation.
 
Belief in God provides all this, since it ensures a correct concept of the universe and the relationship between the Creator and His creation. It provides the correct concept of man, the purpose of his existence and his true position in the universe. It is from this general concept that moral values and principles should be derived. The desire to earn God’s pleasure and to avoid His displeasure motivates people to work for the implementation of these principles. They, in turn, are safeguarded by fear of God and by the authority of His law.
 
Belief in God is necessary for those who invite to all that is good, enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong, to proceed along their appointed course and bear all its difficulties and hardships. They have to face the tyranny of evil at its fiercest, the pressures of worldly desires at their strongest, as also complacency, weakness and narrow ambition. To do this, they have to be equipped with faith. It is their only weapon. Their support comes from God. Any other aid is exhaustible, any other weapon can be overpowered and any other support is liable to collapse.
 
Earlier in the sūrah, the Muslim community is described by God as having the necessary qualities to implement His Divine method. That community, however, does not come into existence by its own volition, but only when it possesses the essential qualities which distinguish it from the rest of mankind. It either invites to all that is good, enjoins what is right and forbids what is wrong, in addition to believing in God; in this case it gives credence to its existence as a Muslim nation. Or, alternatively, it does not do any of this. In this case it is deemed not to have come into existence, and it loses its Islamic identity.
 
The Qur’ān stresses this in numerous places, each of which will be discussed in its appropriate context. The Sunnah also includes a number of such directives and commands by the Prophet, some of which may be quoted here:
 
Abū Sa`īd al-Khudrī reports that he heard the Prophet saying: “Let any of you who sees something wrong put it right with his own hand. If he is unable to do so, let him change it by the word of his mouth. If he cannot do even that, then let him do it within himself. This is the weakest form of faith.” (Related by Muslim.)
 
Abū Dāwūd and Al-Tirmidhī relate on the authority of Ibn Mas`ūd that the Prophet said: “When the children of Israel began to commit sins frequently, their scholars tried to dissuade them, but they persisted. Their scholars, nevertheless, continued to attend their social gatherings, and to eat and drink with them. God left them to stray and sealed their hearts. He also cursed them in the words of David, Solomon and Jesus, son of Mary.” The Prophet was saying this as he reclined, but at this point he sat up and said: “By Him who holds my soul in His hand, you must make them turn back to what is right.”
 
Al-Tirmidhī relates on the authority of Ĥudhayfah that the Prophet said: “By Him who holds my soul in His hand, you will enjoin the doing of what is right and forbid what is wrong, or else, God will visit you with a punishment of His own. You will, then, pray to Him and He will not answer you.”
 
God’s Messenger says: “When a sin is committed on earth, a person who witnesses it and denounces it is the same as one who has not seen it, and the one who has been absent and approves of it is considered like one who has taken part in it.” (Related by Abū Dāwūd.)
 
Abū Sa`īd al-Khudrī quotes the Prophet as saying: “One of the highest forms of jihad is to confront a despotic ruler with the word of truth.” (Related by Abū Dāwūd and Al-Tirmidhī.)
 
Jābir quotes the Prophet as saying: “The best of all martyrs is Ĥamzah and a man who stands up to a despotic ruler, enjoins him to do what is right and forbids him what is wrong, and is, therefore, killed by that ruler.”
 
The Prophet stresses this quality of enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong in many other hadīths, all of which establish beyond any shadow of doubt that it is a prerequisite for the Muslim community. The Sunnah contains a wealth of directives which provide the best education for the Muslim community. Unfortunately, however, we tend not to give the Sunnah its true value.