Flexibility in Enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil – A Applied Fundamental Study

Abstract

Praise be to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah, for this principle applies to all aspects of life, whether in acts of worship or in dealings with others; it is absolute, meaning it applies to everything that affects the individual and society, whilst being subject to certain constraints. These constraints define its boundaries and allow for flexibility within those limits, ensuring it is used in the correct manner for which it was intended, thereby leading to a clear and correct outcome, for the matter is well-known. What is right is that which the Sharia has prescribed and commanded people to do, and the prohibition is well-known; what is wrong is everything that the Sharia has forbidden and commanded people to avoid. So do not be surprised if what is right becomes wrong and what is wrong becomes right; this applies to matters that are not fixed. As for what the Sharia has established as the known and the prohibition of the forbidden, which it has forbidden and which are among the constants, it is not permissible for them to be turned into the known at one time and the forbidden at another. For example, the unjust killing of a soul is a constant forbidden act until the Day of Resurrection, and so on. However, lying to reconcile people or to quell strife is a good deed, even though lying in and of itself is an evil deed. Thus, the constants are fixed and well-known, and there is no deviation from them.