Hadith: When people see an oppressor but do not stop him, Allah will soon overwhelm them with a punishment from Him
عَنْ أَبِي بَكْرٍ الصِّدِّيقِ رضي الله عنه أَنَّهُ قَالَ: أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ، إِنَّكُمْ تَقْرَؤُونَ هَذِهِ الآيَةَ: {يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا عَلَيْكُمْ أَنْفُسَكُمْ لاَ يَضُرُّكُمْ مَنْ ضَلَّ إِذَا اهْتَدَيْتُمْ}، وَإِنِّي سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ:
«إِنَّ النَّاسَ إِذَا رَأَوْا الظَّالِمَ فَلَمْ يَأْخُذُوا عَلَى يَدَيْهِ أَوْشَكَ أَنْ يَعُمَّهُمُ اللَّهُ بِعِقَابٍ مِنْهُ».
[صحيح] - [رواه أبو داود والترمذي والنسائي في الكبرى وابن ماجه وأحمد] - [سنن الترمذي: 2168]
المزيــد ...
Abu Bakr as-Siddīq (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: O people, you recite this verse: {O you who believe, take care of your own selves. Those who have gone astray will not harm you as long as you are guided.} Indeed, I heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) say:
"When people see an oppressor but do not stop him, Allah will soon overwhelm them with a punishment from Him."
[Authentic hadith] - [Narrated by Abu Daoud & At-Termedhy & Ahmad & Ibn Majah & An-Nasa'i in Major Sunan] - [Sunan At-Termedhy - 2168]
Abu Bakr as-Siddīq (may Allah be pleased with him) informs that people recite the following verse:
{O you who believe, take care of your own selves. Those who have gone astray will not harm you as long as you are guided.} [Surat al-Mā’idah: 105]
and the meaning they grasp therefrom is that one should work on reforming himself alone, bearing in mind that the misguidance of others can never harm him after that and that they are not required to enjoin good or forbid evil.
However, he informed them that this was not the true meaning of the verse and that he heard the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) say: When people see the oppressor and do not stop him from practicing his oppression, despite having the ability to do so, Allah will soon overwhelm all of them, the evildoer and the one remaining silent regarding this, with a punishment from Him.
Benefits from the Hadith
- Exchanging advice, enjoining good, and forbidding evil are among the Muslims' duties.
- Allah's universal punishment includes the oppressor for his oppression and the one who remains silent without forbidding such oppression if he has the ability to forbid it.
- Teaching common people and helping them understand the Qur’anic texts in the right manner.
- One should assign good care to understanding the Book of Allah Almighty so as not to understand it in a way different from that which He has meant it to be understood.
- Guidance cannot be attained without enjoining good and forbidding evil.
- The right interpretation of the verse: keep guarding yourselves against sins, and if you guard yourselves, the misguidance of whoever commits the prohibitions will not harm you, if you are not able to enjoin good and forbid evil and if you are guided to avoid such prohibitions.