Individuals carry the duty of holding the rulers accountable, which has been ordered by Allah (swt), in their capacity as individuals and by groups and parties in their capacity as groups and parties.

In addition to ordering the Muslims to invite to the Good (Al-Khair), enjoin the Ma’ruf and forbid the Munkar and to hold the rulers accountable, Allah (swt) has also ordered them to establish political parties from among themselves. These political parties would carry out, as groups, the call to the Good, that is, to Islam, to enjoining Ma’ruf, to forbid the Munkar and to hold the rulers accountable. Allah (swt) says; “Let there arise from amongst you a group which calls to the good, enjoins Ma’ruf and forbids Munkar.” [TMQ Al-’Imran: 104]

This means that the Muslims should establish a group from among themselves, which would have the quality of a group and would perform two actions. These are the call to Islam and to enjoin Ma’ruf and forbid Munkar.

This command of establishing a group is decisive because the task that the verse commands the group to perform is an obligation that Muslims must perform as confirmed by the numerous Ayaat and Ahadith. This serves as a Qareenah that the command of establishing a group is decisive. The command mentioned in the verse is thus also decisive. It is a duty of sufficiency upon Muslims. If it is performed by some of them, others would be exempted, as it is not an individual duty. Allah (swt) has ordered the Muslims to establish from among themselves a group to carry out the duty of calling to the Good, to enjoin Ma’ruf and forbid Munkar. He (swt) did not command all the Muslims, in the verse, to carry out such a duty. He only ordered them to establish a group that carries out that duty. The order is thus focussed on the establishing of a group and not on the performing of the two tasks.