Qais says: Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) stood up, praised and glorified Allah Almighty, and then said: O people! Indeed, you recite this verse: O you who believe! Take care of your own selves. If you follow the right guidance, no harm can come to you from those who go astray. (Surah Al-Ma'idah: 105), but we heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: Indeed, when people see evil and do not change it, it is near that Allah Almighty will inflict a general punishment upon them.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: When disobedience began among the Children of Israel, their scholars forbade them, but when they did not desist, their scholars began to sit with them in their gatherings and markets, and to eat and drink with them. So Allah Almighty mingled the hearts of some with the hearts of others, and cursed them through the tongues of Dawud (peace be upon him) and Isa son of Maryam (peace be upon him). This was because they used to disobey and transgress. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was reclining, then he sat up and said: By Him in Whose hand is my soul! (Matters will be set right) when you turn them towards the truth.

Narrated from Sayyiduna Jarir (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: When people are committing disobedience, and among them there is a person who is the most honorable and it is possible for him to stop them from that evil, but he does not stop them, then Allah Almighty sends a general punishment upon such people.

Hasan bin Muhammad says: An Ansari woman narrated to me, she is still alive, if you wish, I can take you to her. He said: No, just narrate to me. That woman said: I went to Lady Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her), and in the meantime, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) also came to her, but it seemed as if he (peace and blessings be upon him) was angry. I screened myself from him (peace and blessings be upon him) with the sleeve of my shirt. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said something, but I could not understand. I said: O Mother of the Believers! It seems that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) has come in a state of anger? She said: Yes, did you not hear what he (peace and blessings be upon him) said? I said: What did he (peace and blessings be upon him) say? She said: He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Verily, when evil spreads in the land and it is not restrained, then Allah the Exalted will send His punishment upon the people of the earth. I said: O Messenger of Allah! Even in such a state when there will be righteous people among them? He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Yes, there will be righteous among them, but the punishment that descends upon the people will also seize them, then Allah the Exalted will take them towards His forgiveness and pleasure.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Amr (may Allah be pleased with them both) that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: When you see my Ummah such that they do not say to the oppressor, "You are an oppressor," then (know that Allah Almighty's support and help) has been withdrawn from them.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both, that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: The Hour will not be established until Allah takes away the good and religious people from the inhabitants of the earth, and only lowly people will remain, who will neither recognize good nor forbid evil.

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: He is not from among us who does not respect the elders, does not show mercy to the young, does not enjoin good, and does not forbid evil.

Narrated from Sayyiduna Nu’man bin Bashir (may Allah be pleased with him), the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: The example of those who establish the limits of Allah and those who transgress them is like a group of people who drew lots for places in a boat for a sea journey. Some of them got seats in the lower part and some in the upper part. Those in the lower part, when they needed water, would go up to the upper part, and water would spill on those above. So the people above said: We will not let you keep coming up and causing us trouble. Hearing this, those below said: Then we will make a hole in our part to get water. If the people above hold their hands and stop them from doing so, they will all be saved. But if they leave them to their own devices, they will all be destroyed.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, that someone said: O Messenger of Allah! When can we stop enjoining good and forbidding evil? The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: When those matters become apparent which appeared among the Children of Israel, and they are: when indecency appears among the elders, kingship among the young, and knowledge among the lowly people.

It is narrated from Sayyida Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her), she says: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) came to me, and I recognized from his face that something had prompted him to do something. In any case, he performed ablution and went out without speaking to anyone. I came near the chambers and heard him saying: O people! Indeed, Allah Almighty says: Enjoin good and forbid evil before a time comes when you will call upon Me, but I will not answer you; you will ask of Me, but I will not grant you; and you will seek My help, but I will not help you.