36/20. Chapter:
Sunan Ibn Majah 4013 — Change Evil by Hand, Tongue, or Heart
Enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil
Whoever Sees an Evil Hadith: Hand, Tongue, and Heart
Sunan Ibn Majah : 4013
Sunan Ibn MajahHadith Number 4013
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو كُرَيْبٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ رَجَاءٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ، وَعَنْ قَيْسِ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ، عَنْ طَارِقِ بْنِ شِهَابٍ، عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ، قَالَ أَخْرَجَ مَرْوَانُ الْمِنْبَرَ فِي يَوْمِ عِيدٍ فَبَدَأَ بِالْخُطْبَةِ قَبْلَ الصَّلاَةِ فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ يَا مَرْوَانُ خَالَفْتَ السُّنَّةَ أَخْرَجْتَ الْمِنْبَرَ فِي هَذَا الْيَوْمِ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ يُخْرَجُ وَبَدَأْتَ بِالْخُطْبَةِ قَبْلَ الصَّلاَةِ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ يُبْدَأُ بِهَا . فَقَالَ أَبُو سَعِيدٍ أَمَّا هَذَا فَقَدْ قَضَى مَا عَلَيْهِ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ يَقُولُ " مَنْ رَأَى مِنْكُمْ مُنْكَرًا فَاسْتَطَاعَ أَنْ يُغَيِّرَهُ بِيَدِهِ فَلْيُغَيِّرْهُ بِيَدِهِ فَإِنْ لَمْ يَسْتَطِعْ فَبِلِسَانِهِ فَإِنْ لَمْ يَسْتَطِعْ فَبِقَلْبِهِ وَذَلِكَ أَضْعَفُ الإِيمَانِ " .
Abu Sa'eed Al-Khudri Narrated from:
Marwan brought out the pulpit on the day of ‘Eid, and he started with the sermon before the prayer. A man said: ‘O Marwan, you have gone against the Sunnah. You have brought out the pulpit on this day, and it was not brought out before, and you have started with the sermon before the prayer, and this was not done before.’ Abu Sa’eed said: ‘As for this man, he has done his duty. I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: ‘Whoever among you sees an evil action and can change it with his hand (by taking action), let him change it with his hand. If he cannot do that, then with his tongue (by speaking out); and if he cannot do that, then with his heart (by hating it and feeling that it is wrong), and that is the weakest of faith.’”
Reference : Sunan Ibn Majah 4013In-book reference : Book 36, Hadith 88English translation : Vol. 5, Book 36, Hadith 4013
Summary of Sunan Ibn Majah Hadith 4013
This famous Hadith about changing evil explains what a believer should do when seeing wrong. Abu Sa’eed mentioned a man who objected when Marwan changed the Eid order by starting with the sermon before the prayer. Abu Sa’eed said the man had done his duty, then narrated the Prophet’s صلى الله عليه وسلم words: whoever sees an evil and can change it with his hand should do so; if not, then with his tongue; if not, then with his heart, and that is the weakest of faith. The Hadith gives a clear order based on ability. It teaches action when possible, speech when action is not possible, and inward rejection when neither is possible.
What we learn from this hadith
- Responding to evil is tied to ability: hand, tongue, then heart.
- Speaking against wrong can fulfill a duty when action is not possible.
- Rejecting evil in the heart still matters, though it is called the weakest faith.
- The Hadith uses a real example of correcting a change in the Eid practice.
