and were habitually transgressing. The Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—was reclining when he said this; he then sat upright and declared, “No, by Him in whose hand is my soul, you must restrain them and compel them to the truth with firm resolve!” In another version, recorded by Abu Dawud, he said: “Indeed not, by Allah! You will most certainly command what is right, forbid what is wrong, seize the oppressor firmly by the hand, compel him to the truth with determination, or confine him strictly to the truth.”

Once it is understood that removing evil is an obligation proportionate to one’s ability, it must also be understood that someone who contents himself with verbal censure while he is able to correct with his hand has neglected a duty; and someone who limits himself to inward disapproval while he is able to speak out has likewise fallen short of what is required.

Some ignorant people imagine that the warnings against loosing one’s tongue or hand against Muslims include denouncing blatant wrongs and correcting them, whether by deed or word, when one has the ability. This, in fact, appears to be the sense of the writer’s remarks when he attacked those who condemn shaving the beard. The writer and others of weak perception fail to realize that letting the beard grow is obligatory, and that shaving it is one of the evils that must be changed according to one’s capacity. They also fail to grasp that whoever abandons the rectification of wrongs while able to do so exposes himself to Allah’s wrath, His aversion, and a painful punishment.

As for his statement, “They forgot that Islam forbids driving a wedge between a man…"