Saving the Ummah through the Shariah’s Implementation

Narrated An-Nu`man bin Bashir: The Prophet (ﷺ) said:

مَثَلُ الْمُدْهِنِ فِي حُدُودِ اللَّهِ وَالْوَاقِعِ فِيهَا مَثَلُ قَوْمٍ اسْتَهَمُوا سَفِينَةً، فَصَارَ بَعْضُهُمْ فِي أَسْفَلِهَا وَصَارَ بَعْضُهُمْ فِي أَعْلاَهَا، فَكَانَ الَّذِي فِي أَسْفَلِهَا يَمُرُّونَ بِالْمَاءِ عَلَى الَّذِينَ فِي أَعْلاَهَا، فَتَأَذَّوْا بِهِ، فَأَخَذَ فَأْسًا، فَجَعَلَ يَنْقُرُ أَسْفَلَ السَّفِينَةِ، فَأَتَوْهُ فَقَالُوا مَا لَكَ قَالَ تَأَذَّيْتُمْ بِي، وَلاَ بُدَّ لِي مِنَ الْمَاءِ، فَإِنْ أَخَذُوا عَلَى يَدَيْهِ أَنْجَوْهُ وَنَجَّوْا أَنْفُسَهُمْ، وَإِنْ تَرَكُوهُ أَهْلَكُوهُ وَأَهْلَكُوا أَنْفُسَهُمْ

"The example of the person abiding by Allah's orders and limits (or the one who abides by the limits and regulations prescribed by Allah) in comparison to the one who does wrong and violates Allah's limits and orders is like the example of people drawing lots for seats in a boat. Some of them got seats in the upper part while the others in the lower part; those in the lower part have to pass by those in the upper one to get water, and that troubled the latter. One of them (i.e., the people in the lower part) took an ax and started making a hole in the bottom of the boat. The people of the upper part came and asked him, (saying), 'What is wrong with you?' He replied, "You have been troubled much by my (coming up to you), and I have to get water.' Now if they prevent him from doing that they will save him and themselves, but if they leave him (to do what he wants), they will destroy him and themselves." [Saheeh al-Bukhari]

Commenting on this hadith, Mulla Ali al-Qari (d. 1014 A.H.) said:

(أَهْلَكُوهُ وَأَهْلَكُوا أَنْفُسَهُمْ) : وَالْمَعْنَى أَنَّهُ كَذَلِكَ إِنْ مَنَعَ النَّاسُ الْفَاسِقَ عَنِ الْفِسْقِ نَجَا وَنَجَوْا مِنْ عَذَابِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى، وَإِنْ تَرَكُوهُ عَلَى فِعْلِ الْمَعْصِيَةِ وَلَمْ يُقِيمُوا عَلَيْهِ الْحَدَّ حَلَّ بِهِمُ الْعَذَابُ وَهَلَكُوا بِشُؤْمِهِ، وَهَذَا مَعْنَى قَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى: {وَاتَّقُوا فِتْنَةً لَا تُصِيبَنَّ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا مِنْكُمْ خَاصَّةً}

“they will destroy him and themselves”: This means that people will be saved from Allah’s punishment if they prevent the faasiq from committing fisq, in addition to saving that individual himself as well. And if they were to leave him to commit his sins and not implement the hadd on him, then they would be punished and destroyed. This is the meaning of Allah’s statement: “Beware of a trial that will not only affect the wrongdoers among you. [8:25]”

Mulla Ali al-Qari proceeds to differentiate between excusing this display of fisq for forbidden reasons such as greed, etc. and permissible reasons such as warrying off greater evil, etc.

Badrul Deen Al-‘Aini (d. 855 A.H.), commenting on the hadith, also states:

وَهَكَذَا إِقَامَة الْحُدُود تحصل بهَا النجَاة لمن إقامها وأقيمت عَلَيْهِ، وإلاَّ هلك العَاصِي بالمعصية والساكت بِالرِّضَا بهَا. وَقَالَ الْمُهلب: فِي هَذَا الحَدِيث: تَعْذِيب الْعَامَّة بذنب الْخَاصَّة، وَاسْتِحْقَاق الْعقُوبَة بترك الْأَمر بِالْمَعْرُوفِ.

“And just like that, the establishment of the hudud becomes a means for being saved for those who apply them, in addition to those upon whom they are applied on. Otherwise, both the sinner and he who is silent about that person’s sin out of approval both perish. Al-Muhallab (d. 435 A.H.) said: In this hadith, we find that the masses could be punished for the sins of a few. And that punishment is worthy for those who neglect commanding the good.”