The promotion of virtue and the prevention of vice is strongly recommended in Islam. This was stated explicitly in the following words of Allah the Almighty. “And let there be (arising) from you a nation inviting to (all that is) good, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong, and those will be the successful. (Holy Qur'an 3:104). There are divergent views among Islamic scholars about the ruling regarding this. Some claim that it is obligatory on every Muslim while others assert that it is a common obligation. It appears that the state and prominent Islamic scholars are of the latter view and hence, the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice (Hai'a) was established. The Hai'a has done great work with regards to prayer and maintaining decency and eradicating black magic and sorcery, and the use of drugs and liquor. However, the Holy Qur'an and the actions of the Prophet (peace be upon him) have stressed the need to be wise and gentle while preaching the path of God. Unfortunately, some members of the Hai'a have violated this approach and resort to coarseness and violence which has led to misunderstanding. This has resulted in creating a gap between the Hai'a staff and members of the community, and thus has led to the division of society wherein some people support the actions of the Hai'a, while others are critical of their behavior. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said that spilling the blood of other Muslims is a grave sin in Islam. With this in mind, how can we justify a high speed chase of vehicles that leads to the loss of life, simply on the basis of a doubt that might not have any degree of credibility? Moreover, Allah forbids suspicion, as stated in the Qur'an: “Avoid much suspicion; indeed some suspicion is sin” (12:49). Take for example the case of a man who died at the Hai'a center in Tabuk after he was taken into custody. The man was a retired soldier who went to Tabuk with a consignment sent by another man to be delivered to a housemaid. When he was handing over this consignment to the maid, he was caught by members of the Hai'a staff and was taken to the Hai'a center where he died. Another great misfortune involving the Hai'a happened recently to a young man who was picnicking, together with his wife and children, at Al-Sukran Park in the Baljurashi region. Hai'a staff members approached the man claiming that the volume of his car stereo was too loud. This eventually resulted in the Hai'a in their vehicle chasing the family in their car at a high speed which led to an accident in which the young man was killed and his pregnant wife and children were seriously injured. What prompted the Hai'a staffers to interfere with a man who was sitting together with his wife and children? Did they possibly think that those with him were not his wife and children? This is something which is almost impossible for me to understand. I think that the Kingdom's rulers, led by King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, have taken note of the harshness of some Hai'a members, and for this reason, the leaders of the Hai'a have been changed several times in the past few years. Each new leader has promised to reform the Hai'a, and has announced plans for training courses for Hai'a staff. People were very happy when King Abdullah issued orders to appoint Dr. Abdul Latif Aal Al-Sheikh as the head of the Hai'a for he was well-known for his moderation and fairness, especially when he said: “We will promote virtue and prevent vice without any atrocity.” This statement has deep and clear implications. He also issued an order to prevent the Hai's staff from chasing vehicles. I think that any staff member who does not adhere to the orders of the Hai'a organization should be considered undisciplined and thus unfit to remain in an organization with such important and sensitive duties as the Hai'a.
— Dr. Ali Al-Ghamdy is a former Saudi diplomat who specializes in Southeast Asian affairs.He can be reached at [email protected]
