The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "There has never been a prophet sent by Allah to a community before me without his having from among his people devoted disciples and companions who followed his way and adhered to his command. Then there came after them successors who said what they did not do and did what they were not commanded to do. Whoever struggles against them with his hand is a believer, whoever struggles against them with his tongue is a believer, and whoever struggles against them with his heart is a believer. Beyond that, there is not even a mustard seed of faith."
أن رسول الله ﷺ قال: ما من نبي بعثه الله في أمة قبلي إلا كان له من أمته حواريون وأصحاب يأخذون بسنته، ويقتدون بأمره، ثم إنها تخلف من بعدهم خلوف، يقولون ما لا يفعلون، ويفعلون ما لا يؤمرون، فمن جاهدهم بيده فهو مؤمن، ومن جاهدهم بلسانه فهو مؤمن، ومن جاهدهم بقلبه فهو مؤمن. وليس وراء ذلك من الإيمان حبة خردل.
Muslim reported it in the Book of Faith (50) through several chains of transmission from Yaqub bin Ibrahim bin Saad, who said, "My father narrated to me, from Salih bin Kaysan, from Harith, from Jafar bin Abdullah bin Hakam, from Abdul-Rahman bin Miswar, from Abu Rafi, from Abdullah bin Masud," and he related it.Abu Rafi said, "I then narrated it to Abdullah bin Umar, but he disputed it with me. Later Ibn Masud arrived and settled at Qanat. Abdullah bin Umar asked me to accompany him to visit him, so I went along with him. When we sat down, I asked Ibn Masud about this hadith, and he narrated it to me just as I had narrated it to Ibn Umar."Salih said, "Something similar to this is also narrated from Abu Rafi," meaning without mentioning Ibn Masud or Qanat, which is a valley among the valleys of Madinah.This hadith is directed at the nations that came before, and its wording contains no mention of this nation, as Ibn Salah stated. Commanding good and forbidding wrong is established by the Book and the sunnah, but it is a collective obligation, such that if some undertake it, the burden is lifted from the rest, as when the ruler appoints certain individuals to it.As for removing wrong by hand, this is restricted to those who hold authority to remove it, such as the head of a household over his household, or the ruler, or someone the ruler appoints for that purpose. As for ordinary members of the public, it is sufficient for them to report it to the ruling authority or whoever represents him, since the use of force by them may lead to strife and corruption.One who commands good and forbids wrong should do so gently, as this brings him closer to achieving what is sought. Shafii, may Allah have mercy on him, said, "Whoever advises his brother privately has counseled him and adorned him, but whoever advises him publicly has exposed him and disgraced him." Nawawi mentioned this in his commentary on Sahih Muslim.