Someone asked, "Messenger of Allah, when should we abandon enjoining good and forbidding evil?"He replied, "When there appears among you what appeared among the Children of Israil, when immorality is found among your elders, kingship among your young, and knowledge among your lowest."
حدثنا زيد بن يحيى الدمشقي حدثنا أبو معيد حدثنا مكحول
قيل يا رسول الله متى ندع الائتمار بالمعروف والنهي عن المنكر قال إذا ظهر فيكم ما ظهر في بني إسرائيل إذا كانت الفاحشة في كباركم والملك في صغاركم والعلم في رذلكم
Its isnad is sahih. Zayd bin Yahya Dimashqi, Abu Abdullah Khuzai, is trustworthy, and Abu Mueid is Hafs bin Ghaylan, a Dimashqi, and he too is trustworthy.The hadith was narrated by Tahawi in Mushkil Athar 4/214, and by Abu Naeem in Hilyah 5/185, and it is these two who identified Abu Mueid as Hafs bin Ghaylan. Without them there would have been a problem in the isnad, for in the printed edition it appears as Abu Saeed from Makhul, and Ibn Hajar and others say that Abu Saeed from Makhul is unknown, which would mean the hadith is daif. In the manuscript the name is unclear, so it was read as they had recorded it, but going back to the sources resolved this problem for me after I had hesitated over it for a long time.The hadith is also supported by the following, "Rather, enjoin one another to what is right and forbid one another from what is wrong, until you see stinginess being obeyed, desire being followed, worldly life being preferred, and every man with an opinion pleased with his own opinion. Then look after yourself alone, and leave the common people aside." This was narrated by Abu Dawud, 4/121, no. 4341, in the book of battles, and by Tirmidhi in his commentary on "Take care of yourselves" [Maidah 5:105], 5/257, no. 3058, where he said, "It is hasan and rare," and by Ibn Majah in the book of tribulations, 2/1331, no. 4014.