for there was a need for that, for the Prophet ﷺ did not say to him, “Gold is forbidden, so do not wear it,” or, “Take it off.” Rather, he himself removed it and threw it to the ground.

It is well known that there is a distinction between enjoining right and forbidding wrong, and actually eliminating the wrong. Eliminating an evil act is the responsibility of whoever possesses authority and capability—such as the ruler whom the law empowers to do so, a man over the members of his household, a woman within her own home, and the like. Such a person may remove the wrong with his hand; if he cannot, then with his tongue; and if he still cannot, then with his heart.

By contrast, enjoining right and forbidding wrong are obligatory in every situation, because they do not entail physical change. They consist of directing people to what is good and warning them against what is evil; they also include inviting them to good, recommending virtue, and urging them to leave sin. These are three levels: invitation, command and prohibition, and actual change. At the level of invitation, one preaches, reminds, and calls people to guidance.

At the level of command, one addresses a specific person or group directly: “O so-and-so, be diligent in prayer; abandon lying; give up backbiting,” and the like.

Actual change means removing the wrongdoing itself and turning it into something right, just as the Prophet ﷺ removed the ring from its owner’s hand and cast it to the ground.