16- وَبِهَذَا الإسْنَادِ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) يَقُولُ وَسُئِلَ عَنِ الأمْرِ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَالنَّهْيِ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ أَوَاجِبٌ هُوَ عَلَى الأمَّةِ جَمِيعاً فَقَالَ لا فَقِيلَ لَهُ وَلِمَ قَالَ إِنَّمَا هُوَ عَلَى الْقَوِيِّ الْمُطَاعِ الْعَالِمِ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ مِنَ الْمُنْكَرِ لا عَلَى الضَّعِيفِ الَّذِي لا يَهْتَدِي سَبِيلا إِلَى أَيٍّ مِنْ أَيٍّ يَقُولُ مِنَ الْحَقِّ إِلَى الْبَاطِلِ وَالدَّلِيلُ عَلَى ذَلِكَ كِتَابُ اللهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ قَوْلُهُ وَلْتَكُنْ مِنْكُمْ أُمَّةٌ يَدْعُونَ إِلَى الْخَيْرِ وَيَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ فَهَذَا خَاصٌّ غَيْرُ عَامٍّ كَمَا قَالَ اللهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَمِنْ قَوْمِ مُوسى أُمَّةٌ يَهْدُونَ بِالْحَقِّ وَبِهِ يَعْدِلُونَ وَلَمْ يَقُلْ عَلَى أُمَّةِ مُوسَى وَلا عَلَى كُلِّ قَوْمِهِ وَهُمْ يَوْمَئِذٍ أُمَمٌ مُخْتَلِفَةٌ وَالأمَّةُ وَاحِدَةٌ فَصَاعِداً كَمَا قَالَ اللهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ إِنَّ إِبْراهِيمَ كانَ أُمَّةً قانِتاً للهِ يَقُولُ مُطِيعاً للهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَلَيْسَ عَلَى مَنْ يَعْلَمُ ذَلِكَ فِي هَذِهِ الْهُدْنَةِ مِنْ حَرَجٍ إِذَا كَانَ لا قُوَّةَ لَهُ وَلا عُذْرَ وَلا طَاعَةَ قَالَ مَسْعَدَةُ وَسَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) يَقُولُ وَسُئِلَ عَنِ الْحَدِيثِ الَّذِي جَاءَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِه) إِنَّ أَفْضَلَ الْجِهَادِ كَلِمَةُ عَدْلٍ عِنْدَ إِمَامٍ جَائِرٍ مَا مَعْنَاهُ قَالَ هَذَا عَلَى أَنْ يَأْمُرَهُ بَعْدَ مَعْرِفَتِهِ وَهُوَ مَعَ ذَلِكَ يُقْبَلُ مِنْهُ وَإِلا فَلا.
16. Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from Harun ibn Muslim from Mas’adah ibn Sadaqah who has said the following: “I heard abu ‘Abd Allah 
, when asked about commanding others to do what is obligatory and prohibiting them from committing what is evil, whether this is obligatory upon the whole nation, saying, ‘No, it is not obligatory up on the whole nation.’ He (the Imam) was asked, ‘Why it is not obligatory upon the whole nation?’ He (the Imam) replied, ‘It is obligatory only upon the strong ones who are obeyed and who know well what is obligatory and what is evil. It is not obligatory upon the weak ones who are not able to find the way - about what the facts are - to the truth and falsehood. The proof thereof is in the book of Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, “Among you there must live a nation who must command to do what is obligatory and prohibit committing evil.” (3:104) This verse is of particular sense as opposed to a general sense, just as in the following verse: “Of the people of Moses, there is a nation who guide to the truth and with truth they issue judgments.” (7:158) Allah has not said, “It is obligatory upon the nation of Moses or upon his whole nation who in those days formed many nations.” Nation is also used to mean one person as well as to mean more than one person. Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Glorious, has said, “Ibrahim was a nation (person) very obedient to Allah.” (16:119) In peace-time when one is not able to enforce such commands it does not apply to his case. . . .’” “Mas’adah has said, ‘I heard abu ‘Abd Allah , when asked about a Hadith narrated from the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, that said, “The best Jihad is saying a word of justice before an unjust Imam.” He (the Imam) said, “This is true when commanding to do good, he knows well about what is ‘good’ as well as knowing that he will accept his command in the matter, otherwise, it (asking to do good) is not obligatory.’””
