Promotion of Virtue, Prevention of Vice in Story of Moses

TEHRAN (IQNA) – Most of people who are mentioned in the Quran for having been punished received divine punishment for doing something wrong.

For example, the people of Lut and the people of Noah were respectively punished for homosexuality and idolatry.

But there is a people mentioned in the Quran who were punished for failing to do something, that is Amr bil Maroof wa Nahi 'anil Munkar (Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice).

Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice is an educational method that the society usually does not have proper knowledge about.

Unlike preaching, this method includes an outside requirement or prohibition in addition to internal motivation. In preaching and encouragement, the teacher tries to create an internal motivation in someone so that he would act based on that motivation. But in Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, the outside pressure to make one to something is greater than the internal motivation.

In the field of education, the teacher tries to harmonize the student with the objectives of teaching, using a set of integrated and purposeful behaviors and activities. Based on this definition, Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice is a method that can help the teacher in reaching educational objectives.

In the story of Moses (AS) and the Bani Isra’il in the Quran, the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice and a lack of it are at play. God says those who failed to do Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice had a bad ending:

“Therefore, when they forgot that of which they were reminded, We saved those who were forbidding evil, and seized the evildoers with an evil punishment for that which they used to do of evil.” (Verse 165 of Surah Al-A’raf)

In this verse, God clearly says that those doing Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice were saved and the rest received punishment. Among those punished were people who opposed the sins committed by others but received divine punishment for not preventing the vices.

In another verse, we read about Moses (AS) doing Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice: “So (Moses!) take it forcefully, and order your nation to take what is best of it. I shall show you the home of the wicked.” (Verse 145 of Surah Al-A’raf)

In this verse, God orders Moses (AS) to command the Bani Isra’il to act upon the Torah.