Enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil is One of the Most Important Obligations of the Muslim Society

Hence enjoining in what is good and forbidding what is evil is one of the most important obligations of the Muslim society, besides prayer and Zakah, especially when the Muslims become established in the land and gain victory over their enemies. Indeed, victory only comes from Allah to those whom He knows will undertake this duty.

 ٱلَّذِينَ أُخۡرِجُواْ مِن دِيَـٰرِهِم بِغَيۡرِ حَقٍّ إِلَّآ أَن يَقُولُواْ رَبُّنَا ٱللَّهُ‌ۗ وَلَوۡلَا دَفۡعُ ٱللَّهِ ٱلنَّاسَ بَعۡضَہُم بِبَعۡضٍ۬ لَّهُدِّمَتۡ صَوَٲمِعُ وَبِيَعٌ۬ وَصَلَوَٲتٌ۬ وَمَسَـٰجِدُ يُذۡڪَرُ فِيہَا ٱسۡمُ ٱللَّهِ ڪَثِيرً۬ا‌ۗ وَلَيَنصُرَنَّ ٱللَّهُ مَن يَنصُرُهُ ۥۤ‌ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَقَوِىٌّ عَزِيزٌ (٤٠) ٱلَّذِينَ إِن مَّكَّنَّـٰهُمۡ فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ أَقَامُواْ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتَوُاْ ٱلزَّڪَوٰةَ وَأَمَرُواْ بِٱلۡمَعۡرُوفِ وَنَهَوۡاْ عَنِ ٱلۡمُنكَرِ‌ۗ وَلِلَّهِ عَـٰقِبَةُ ٱلۡأُمُورِ (٤١)

 Those who have been expelled from their homes unjustly only because they said: "Our Lord is Allâh." - For had it not been that Allâh checks one set of people by means of another, monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques, wherein the Name of Allâh is mentioned much would surely have been pulled down. Verily, Allâh will help those who help His (Cause). Truly, Allâh is All-Strong, All-Mighty. (40) Those (Muslim rulers) who, if We give them power in the land, (they) enjoin Iqamat-as-Salât.[] [i.e. to perform the five compulsory congregational Salât (prayers) (the males in mosques)], to pay the Zakât and they enjoin Al-Ma'rûf (i.e. Islâmic Monotheism and all that Islâm orders one to do), and forbid Al-Munkar (i.e. disbelief, polytheism and all that Islâm has forbidden) [i.e. they make the Qur'ân as the law of their country in all the spheres of life]. And with Allâh rests the end of (all) matters (of creatures). (41)

According to a hadith narrated by Bukhari, the Messenger (SAW) depicted the society in which people enjoin in what is good and forbid what is evil, and the society in which the people to not enjoin what is good and forbid what is evil, as being the passengers of a ship who drew lots, so some of them took the upper part of the ship and others took the lower part. Then those who were in the lower part felt too embarrased to keep passing by those who ere in the upper part in order to collect water, so they said, "Who don'y we make a hole in our part of the ship so that we will not disturn those who are above us?" If the others let them do what they wanted, they would all have perished, but if they took hold of their hands (to stop them ), they would all be saved.

This is a brilliant depiction of the effect that enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil has on a society. Thus it becomes clear that enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil saves those who are careless and disobedient, as well as those who are obedient and righteous, and that keeping quiet or being careless or falling short with regard to enjoining what si good and forbidding what is evil is dangerous and leads to deterioration and doom that is not limited only to those who make that mistake, but includes all the people, righteous and immoral, obedient and disobedient, pious and evil.

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Source: The Ideal Muslim Society by Dr. Muhammad Ali Al-Hashimi Pages 101-102