P2-HAD-06 Major teachings in the Hadiths Paper 2, Question 1 · compulsory
Hadith 6 — Changing an evil with hand, tongue or heart
This Hadith gives a graduated response to wrongdoing: responsible action, truthful speech and inward rejection. Ability, authority and likely consequences determine which response is lawful and wise.
Compulsory Question 1 Hadith 6 Life in the community
Syllabus connection
- P2.T1.b3 What each passage teaches about what Muslims should believe
- P2.T1.b4 What each passage teaches about how Muslims should act
- P2.T1.b5 Study with reference to the original Arabic text as well as the English translation
- A2.6 Hadith 6: Opposing wrongdoing Group (editorial): Community
Learn the material
Learning objectives
Key vocabulary
- munkar
- A recognised wrong or evil action.
- yad
- The hand; here, effective action within legitimate ability and responsibility.
- lisan
- The tongue; advice, warning, teaching or lawful protest.
- qalb
- The heart; refusing inward approval when stronger action is impossible.
- istita'a
- Real ability, including authority, knowledge and avoidance of greater harm.
Before you start
Answer from memory before opening the answers.
- Which teaching group has this course placed the Hadith in?
- What does Paper 2 Question 1(a) ask you to explain?
- What does part (b) ask you to do differently?
- Which short phrase best carries this Hadith's central instruction?
Check your answers
- Life in the community. This is an editorial teaching group; several Hadiths connect with both groups.
- What the Hadith teaches Muslims to believe or understand.
- How Muslims put the teaching into action through concrete practice.
- فَلْيُغَيِّرْهُ بِيَدِهِ.
The lesson
The prescribed Hadith
مَنْ رَأَى مِنْكُمْ مُنْكَرًا فَلْيُغَيِّرْهُ بِيَدِهِ، فَإِنْ لَمْ يَسْتَطِعْ فَبِلِسَانِهِ، فَإِنْ لَمْ يَسْتَطِعْ فَبِقَلْبِهِ، وَذَلِكَ أَضْعَفُ الْإِيمَانِ.
Whosoever of you sees an evil action, let him change it with his hand, and if he is not able to do so then with his tongue, and if he is not able to do so then with his heart, and that is the weakest of faith.
Prescribed Hadith 6 · Appendix 2 · recorded by al-Bukhari or Muslim in their Sahih collections (many by both)
Central teaching
Believers oppose recognised wrongdoing through lawful action, responsible speech or inward rejection according to knowledge, authority and ability.
Instruction → belief → action
| Teaching point | Evidence or focus | Development |
|---|---|---|
| Wrongdoing must not become normal | Let him change it with his hand. | The believer should recognise evil rather than treating it as morally neutral. |
| Action depends on authority and ability | If he is not able, then with his heart. | Changing by the hand is not permission for private violence or vigilantism. |
| Speech is a serious form of action | Let him change it with his hand. | Advice, reporting and truthful public or private words can resist harm. |
| The heart remains morally awake | If he is not able, then with his heart. | When action and speech are impossible, inward rejection preserves moral awareness. |
Do not copy the translation as your answer
Part (a) rewards the teaching behind the words. Name the instruction, explain the belief or principle it rests on, and develop its scope.
Context and chronology
The three levels are ordered by effective capacity, not by personal anger. The Hadith assumes knowledge, lawful responsibility and attention to consequences.
This text is often misused. Examination answers should explicitly state that it does not authorise vigilantism, coercion or creating greater harm.
Source discipline
Use the prescribed wording and secure context. Do not invent a narrator, occasion, collection number or historical detail merely to make the answer sound learned.
People, places and events
- The believer who witnesses a recognised wrong.
- Those with legitimate authority and capacity to intervene.
- People at risk of harm, whose protection should guide the response.
Qur'an and Hadith evidence
Learn short phrases that can be placed inside an explanation. English quotation is acceptable; accurate use matters more than length.
فَلْيُغَيِّرْهُ بِيَدِهِ
Let him change it with his hand.
Explain this through lawful authority and responsible capacity.
فَإِنْ لَمْ يَسْتَطِعْ فَبِقَلْبِهِ
If he is not able, then with his heart.
Faith must not inwardly approve evil even where direct action is unsafe.
Significance
- Allah holds people responsible in proportion to their real ability.
- Faith includes concern for justice and protection from harm.
- Means must be lawful and should not create a greater evil.
- Silence forced by powerlessness is different from inward approval of wrongdoing.
These are the beliefs and principles for part (a). The examination asks what the Hadith teaches, not only what its words say.
Significance in practice
For part (b), use setting → action → effect. Specific practice is stronger than saying “Muslims should follow it”.
| Setting | Action | How this applies the Hadith |
|---|---|---|
| Safeguarding | Report abuse or danger through the proper safeguarding route. | Authority can intervene while the vulnerable person is protected. |
| School or work | Challenge a harmful claim calmly or seek support from a responsible adult or manager. | Speech resists wrong without escalating danger. |
| Public responsibility | Officials use lawful powers to stop fraud, violence or unsafe practice. | The 'hand' operates through entrusted authority, not personal revenge. |
| Powerlessness | Refuse to celebrate or imitate a wrong and pray for a safe opportunity to help. | The heart does not surrender morally when direct action is impossible. |
Connections with other topics
| Source or topic | Connection |
|---|---|
| Hadith 12 | Gentleness and non-alienating leadership guide how correction should be communicated. |
| Hadith 17 | Haya helps the believer reject wrongdoing even when no one else is watching. |
| Hadith 3 | Good speech includes truthful correction expressed without abuse. |
Common misconceptions
Students often think Every Muslim may physically punish any wrong they see.
In fact Physical intervention requires legitimate authority, knowledge, proportion and avoidance of greater harm.
Students often think Changing with the heart means doing nothing and not caring.
In fact It means refusing approval while lacking safe capacity for stronger action.
Students often think The loudest response is the strongest faith.
In fact Wisdom, evidence and consequences matter; reckless action may itself become wrong.
What the examiner wants
AO1: what you must know
- Know the complete set translation and the meaning of the key Arabic terms.
- State the central instruction accurately: Believers oppose recognised wrongdoing through lawful action, responsible speech or inward rejection according to knowledge, authority and ability.
- Develop at least three underlying beliefs or principles.
- Use a short phrase from the Hadith as evidence rather than copying the whole translation.
- Give balanced coverage across the two Hadiths you choose.
The Hadith teaching answer
Paper 2 Question 1 asks two different things from Paper 1. Part (a) asks what the Hadith teaches Muslims to believe. Part (b) asks how they put it into action — which needs concrete, practical examples.
- The instruction
- Simply and directly: what is the Prophet ﷺ telling Muslims to do?
- The belief behind it
- What this shows about Allah, or about what a believer is.
- The action
- Concrete practice — in the home, the community, and everyday life.
- Today
- A real, specific example a student could actually give.
AO2: what you must understand
Part (b) needs actions. Each example should show who does what, in which setting, and how it expresses the teaching.
Safeguarding
Action: Report abuse or danger through the proper safeguarding route. Effect: Authority can intervene while the vulnerable person is protected.
School or work
Action: Challenge a harmful claim calmly or seek support from a responsible adult or manager. Effect: Speech resists wrong without escalating danger.
Public responsibility
Action: Officials use lawful powers to stop fraud, violence or unsafe practice. Effect: The 'hand' operates through entrusted authority, not personal revenge.
Powerlessness
Action: Refuse to celebrate or imitate a wrong and pray for a safe opportunity to help. Effect: The heart does not surrender morally when direct action is impossible.
Worked examination example
Weaker response
The Hadith gives every individual permission to use force whenever they disapprove of something.
Why it is weak: it distorts or narrows the teaching and gives no developed belief or practical action.
Stronger response
Wrongdoing must not become normal: the believer should recognise evil rather than treating it as morally neutral. Action depends on authority and ability: changing by the hand is not permission for private violence or vigilantism. Speech is a serious form of action: advice, reporting and truthful public or private words can resist harm. The heart remains morally awake: when action and speech are impossible, inward rejection preserves moral awareness.
Why it is stronger: it identifies several teachings, develops them and remains within the wording's limits.
Practise
Guided practice
- Reduce the Hadith to one accurate instruction.
- Select three belief or principle statements from the teaching table.
- Attach one short phrase from the Hadith to each developed point.
- Turn two applications into setting → action → effect sentences.
- Correct one misconception without using vague language.
Before you write, answer these
- What is the instruction?
- What belief or principle lies behind it?
- Which exact action proves application?
The examination gives roughly a third of a page for a 4-mark answer. Aim for a short, dense paragraph — no introduction needed. Your work saves automatically in this browser.
Independent practice
- Write a 90–120 word part (a) explanation without looking.
- Write two separate part (b) examples from different settings.
- Compare this Hadith with Hadith 12 in one similarity and one difference.
- Explain why the first misconception is wrong.
The examination gives roughly a third of a page for a 4-mark answer. Aim for a short, dense paragraph — no introduction needed. Your work saves automatically in this browser.
Check your understanding
Answer each question, then check it. Every option is explained — including the ones that are wrong — so read the feedback even when you were right.
Write a full answer
Exam-style practice question
Four Hadiths are printed in the examination. Practise choosing the two you can explain and apply most evenly.
Hadiths set for this practice
- Hadith 6 — this lesson
- Hadith 12 — Gentleness in leadership
- Hadith 17 — Modesty
- Hadith 1 — Sincerity (nasiha)
Exam-style practice question
Important: Question 1 is marked as a whole
Question 1 is marked as a whole. Both of your chosen passages are read together and given ONE mark out of 4 for part (a), and ONE mark out of 4 for part (b). This means balance matters: an excellent answer on one passage and a thin answer on the other is limited by the overall impression. Choose two passages you can develop equally well.
(a) Choose any two of the Hadiths above. Explain what teachings they contain for Muslims to believe. [4] AO1
(b) Explain how Muslims can put these teachings into action. [4] AO2
Written by this course to match the style and demand of the examination. It is not a Cambridge question.
Plan your answer
Before you write, answer these
- Which two Hadiths can I develop equally well?
- For each, what is the instruction and what beliefs lie behind it?
- What short wording can I use as evidence?
- Which two practical actions are specific and realistic?
- Have I divided time and space evenly?
Out of scope here: Copying the translations, giving only personal opinion, or describing general importance without concrete action.
The examination gives roughly a third of a page for a 4-mark answer. Aim for a short, dense paragraph — no introduction needed. Your work saves automatically in this browser.
Indicative answer
Show an indicative answer Write yours first — you will learn more
Part (a) — Hadith 6
Wrongdoing must not become normal: the believer should recognise evil rather than treating it as morally neutral. Action depends on authority and ability: changing by the hand is not permission for private violence or vigilantism. Speech is a serious form of action: advice, reporting and truthful public or private words can resist harm. The heart remains morally awake: when action and speech are impossible, inward rejection preserves moral awareness.
Part (a) — Hadith 12
The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and give him peace) sent Abu Musa and Mu‘adh ibn Jabal to Yaman, and he sent each of them to govern a part. Then he said: ‘Be gentle and do not be hard, and cause rejoicing and do not alienate.’ This teaches the central principle of Gentleness in leadership and should be developed from its own lesson.
Part (b) — practical action
Safeguarding: Report abuse or danger through the proper safeguarding route. Authority can intervene while the vulnerable person is protected.
School or work: Challenge a harmful claim calmly or seek support from a responsible adult or manager. Speech resists wrong without escalating danger.
Other answers are equally valid
- Marks are awarded for what is correct. Nothing is deducted for errors or omissions.
- Credit is given for valid answers that go beyond the syllabus and the mark scheme.
- It is entirely possible to reach the highest level using different information or a different argument from the one shown here.
- Answers are judged against the levels of response, not against a checklist of required points.
Marking guidance reference
Important: Question 1 is marked as a whole
Question 1 is marked as a whole. Both of your chosen passages are read together and given ONE mark out of 4 for part (a), and ONE mark out of 4 for part (b). This means balance matters: an excellent answer on one passage and a thin answer on the other is limited by the overall impression. Choose two passages you can develop equally well.
| Level | Marks | What the examiner is looking for |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | 4 |
|
| 3 | 3 |
|
| 2 | 2 |
|
| 1 | 1 |
|
| 0 | 0 |
|
What moves an answer up: The clearest difference between Level 3 and Level 4 is comprehensiveness, development, and quotation. Level 3 "may quote"; Level 4 is "likely to quote".
| Level | Marks | What the examiner is looking for |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 3–4 |
|
| 1 | 1–2 |
|
| 0 | 0 |
|
What moves an answer up: The whole AO2 distinction is discussion versus description. A factually excellent but purely descriptive paragraph cannot reach Level 2.
Note that AO2 has two levels, not four. Some older textbooks and revision guides still show a four-level scale for part (b); that scale is out of date.
Self-assessment checklist reference
Judge your answer as a whole against the levels above, not by counting points. An answer can reach the top band using different material from the indicative answer.
Consolidate
Lesson summary
- Believers oppose recognised wrongdoing through lawful action, responsible speech or inward rejection according to knowledge, authority and ability.
- Allah holds people responsible in proportion to their real ability.
- A strong part (a) answer explains the instruction and the belief behind it rather than copying the translation.
- A strong part (b) answer gives specific, realistic actions and explains how each action applies the teaching.
- Both selected Hadiths are marked together, so balanced treatment is essential.
Retrieval flashcards
Further revision task reference
- Create a one-page card with the Arabic opening, complete translation, one instruction, three beliefs and three actions.
- Retrieve it after 24 hours, one week and one month.
- Complete an eight-minute Question 1 practice pairing it with Hadith 12.
- Replace any vague action with a named setting, action and effect.
Before you write, answer these
- Which belief is secure?
- Which action is too vague?
- Which Arabic phrase can I recall accurately?
The examination gives roughly a third of a page for a 4-mark answer. Aim for a short, dense paragraph — no introduction needed. Your work saves automatically in this browser.
Your progress is saved in this browser only. Use My progress to export it if you change device.
Why this would reach the top band
The response distinguishes belief from action, develops the teaching instead of copying it, and gives realistic applications. Other accurate teachings and examples can reach the same level.