Question: What is Commanding the Good?

Answer: It is encouraging in ourselves and others what Allah has deemed as good in Islam, like prayer or fasting.

Question: What is Forbidding Evil?

Answer: It is discouraging ourselves and others from committing what Allah has deemed as evil, like lying or gossiping.

Question: Is Commanding the Good and Forbidding Evil obligatory?

Answer: Yes, as long as there is a possibility of an effect. There are some cases where it is obligatory in any case, please refer to your Marjaʿ.

Question: If I see someone not praying, and I know me telling them to do it won’t do any good, do I still have to Command what is Good?

Answer: If you are certain he or she won’t change, it is not obligatory to do it in most cases.

Question: What is the difference between Jihad and Commanding the Good & Forbidding Evil?

Answer: The latter is the direction, the former is the effort or struggle.