Hadith on Evil: When to abandon enjoining good?

Anas ibn Malik reported: It was said, “O Messenger of Allah, when should we give up enjoining good and forbidding evil?” The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “When there appears among you the same as the nations which came before you.” We said, “O Messenger of Allah, what appeared among the nations before us?” The Prophet said, “Kingship among your youths, obscenity among your elders, and knowledge among your most vile.

Source: Sunan Ibn Mājah 4015

Grade: Sahih (authentic) according to Ahmad Shakir

عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ قَالَ قِيلَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ مَتَى نَتْرُكُ الْأَمْرَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَالنَّهْيَ عَنْ الْمُنْكَرِ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِذَا ظَهَرَ فِيكُمْ مَا ظَهَرَ فِي الْأُمَمِ قَبْلَكُمْ قُلْنَا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَمَا ظَهَرَ فِي الْأُمَمِ قَبْلَنَا قَالَ الْمُلْكُ فِي صِغَارِكُمْ وَالْفَاحِشَةُ فِي كِبَارِكُمْ وَالْعِلْمُ فِي رُذَالَتِكُمْ

4015 سنن ابن ماجه كتاب الفتن باب قوله تعالى يا أيها الذين آمنوا عليكم أنفسكم

1/717 المحدث أحمد شاكر خلاصة حكم المحدث إسناده صحيح في عمدة التفسير

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Abu Amina Elias
Abu Amina Elias (Justin Parrott) is an academic librarian, researcher, and translator specializing in the Quran, Hadith, and their commentaries. He is a former instructor of Islamic Creed for Mishkah University.
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