THE SPIRIT OF
MUTUAL GUIDANCE
The Quran states that in this world, only those people are safe from loss who engage in urging one another to uphold truth (tawasi bil-haqq) and urging one another to stay patient (tawasi bil-sabr) (Quran, 103:3). Similarly, the Quran describes the special quality of the best community as the presence of a system of enjoining what is right (amr bil-ma‘ruf) and forbidding what is wrong (nahi ‘anil-munkar) among them (Quran, 3:110).
What does urging one another to uphold truth or enjoining what is right mean? In the words of a hadith, it means that when a person sees something wrong, they should try to correct it—if they have the strength, then with their hand; if not, then with their tongue. Urging one another to uphold truth is the initial level of this practice, and enjoining what is right is the next stage.
The first condition for carrying out this required religious practice in any society is the complete freedom of expression. Every person should be able to speak openly about something they see as wrong, without facing any obstruction.
It is clear that the actual standard for truth and falsehood is the Quran and the Sunnah, not personal opinion. Therefore, whenever someone feels something is wrong, their first step would be to express it—through speech or writing—so that discussion can begin. Through such discussion and debate, it will become clear what is correct and what is incorrect. Once this is established, it becomes the responsibility of influential individuals to implement it to the extent possible. In this way, the teaching of urging one another to uphold truth and enjoining what is right requires that the freedom of expression must be continuously present in a Muslim society. Without this kind of freedom, this religious duty cannot be carried out in its proper form.
Islam wants every person to have the freedom to express their views about others without restriction. If this action is genuinely driven by a good intention, it will be worthy of reward. And if it is done with a bad intention, then it will be blameworthy in the eyes of God.
The Quran quotes Prophet Jesus as saying: “He made me blessed wherever I may be” (Quran, 19:31). Mujahid (d. 104 AH), one of the most trustworthy in Quran commentary, explained this in his commentary as: Mu‘alliman lil-khayr (Kitab al-’Ilm by Abi Khaythamah: 30), meaning, “God made me a teacher of goodness.” The Prophet of Islam said: “A believer is a mirror to another believer” (Sunan Abi Dawud, Hadith No. 4918). Just as when a person stands before a mirror and it reflects their true face without distortion, in the same way, a believer continues to make their fellow believer aware of their flaws—without feeling superior or putting the other down.
This is expressed in another hadith as well: “Blessed is a person whom God has made a key to goodness and a lock against evil” (Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadith No. 238). This means that a sincere believer is highly sensitive about right and wrong. This sensitivity compels them to express their views whenever they see something that contradicts the truth.
However, this is not a one-sided matter. Just as God-consciousness inspires a person to speak the truth, it also produces in them a deep readiness to accept the truth. The same person who offers criticism of others is always prepared to accept the truth themselves when it is presented to them.
The reality is that the right to criticize others belongs only to the one who applies the same standard of accountability to themselves. Giving advice to others is appropriate only for the person who remains fully ready—both in heart and mind—to accept the truth whenever it is presented, and for whom neither ego nor pride becomes a barrier to accepting what is right. Such a person accepts the truth openly and without hesitation.
