“IF YOU CAN’T BEAT THEM, JOIN THEM”, HOW TRUE?

  Many times when people are not in a position to change a wrong physically what they say or are told is ‘if you can’t beat them, join them’, how true is this statement? Should you join people in wrongdoings just because you can’t stop them?

  In this kinds of cases, the Prophet(s.a.w) told us the nature of actions we should take when we see any wrongdoing perpetrated by a person or a group of people. He(s.a.w) said;

“Whoever of you sees an evil must then change it with his hands. If he is unable to do so, then (he must change it) with his tongue. And if he is not able to do so, then (he must change it) with his heart. And that is the slightest(effect of) faith” – Muslim

  In this hadith, the Prophet(s.a.w) makes it clear that the first thing a person must do when he sees a wrongdoing is to change it with his hands(i.e. remove it, if it is inanimate or prevent those doing the wrongs physically) but if he is not in a position to do that, i.e. he is not capable of changing the wrong physically, then he should change it with his tongue(i.e. by preaching against it or creating awareness amongst people on it evils) but if a person is not in the position to do this too, then he should change it in his heart(i.e. by hating that act itself).

Note: it is wrong to hate a Muslim(himself) who does wrong what should be hated is the wrongdoing.

In conclusion, when we see a wrongdoing, we try to stop those perpetrating it physically if we can’t, then we preach against it, if we can’t then we dislike the act. We don’t join them.

From the desk of a creative Muslim

Abdultoyyib ibn Musediq