Whoever thinks that a particular land protects its inhabitants from calamity in all circumstances, because of its special status or because it contains the graves of prophets and righteous people, is mistaken. The best of all places is Mecca, yet Allah inflicted a severe punishment on its people. The Most High says:

“Allah sets forth the example of a town that was safe and secure, receiving its provision in abundance from every direction. Yet it was ungrateful for Allah’s blessings, so Allah made it taste hunger and fear that enveloped it because of what its people used to do.”

“A messenger from among themselves certainly came to them, but they denied him, so punishment overtook them while they were wrongdoers.”

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Those in authority have the foremost duty to support the religion of the Messenger—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—and the guidance and religion of truth he brought, and to denounce what he forbade, as well as the lies and religious innovations falsely attributed to him, whether through the transmitter’s ignorance or deliberate intent. For the foundation of religion is enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong. Foremost among what is right is worshipping Allah alone, and foremost among what is wrong is associating partners with Him.

Allah sent Muhammad—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—with guidance and the religion of truth. Through him, Allah distinguished between worshipping Him alone and associating partners with Him, between truth and falsehood, between guidance and misguidance, between sound judgment and error, and between right and wrong. Whoever seeks to enjoin what he forbade, forbid what he commanded, and alter his law and religion—whether through ignorance and lack of knowledge or for some ulterior purpose or personal desire—the ruler has the foremost duty to restrain him by the means Allah and His Messenger have commanded. And he himself has the foremost duty