• three • aayaat • that • will • expose • you •

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Once a man came to Ibn ‘Abaas Radiyallahu ‘Anh and said to him: Ya ibn ‘Abaas, I wish to enjoin whats good (alma’ruuf) and forbid the evilness (almunkar). He (ibn ‘Abaas) asked: have you reached this state?. He (the man) answered: I wish to. Then Ibn ‘Abaas said: “If you do not fear to be exposed by three ayaat (verses) from the Book of Allāh then do so.” He (the man) said: and which are they?. Ibn ‘Abaas replied:
The saying of Him Ta’ala:

أَتَأْمُرُونَ النَّاسَ بِالْبِرِّ وَتَنْسَوْنَ أَنْفُسَكُمْ
Do you Enjoin Al-Birr (piety and righteousness and each and every act of obedience to Allâh) on the people and you forget (to practise it) yourselves”
(Suratu Al-Baqarah:44)

Ibn ‘Abaas asked the man: Ahakamta Hadheh. Have you mastered this ayah?

The man replied him no

So Ibn ‘Abaas continued: the second is the saying of Him Ta’ala

يَا أَيّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لِمَ تَقُولُونَ مَا لَا تَفْعَلُون َ
كَبُرَ مَقْتًا عِنْدَ اللَّهِ أَنْ تَقُولُوا مَا لَا تَفْعَلُونَ
O you who believe! Why do you say that which you do not do?
Most hateful it is with Allâh that you say that which you do not do
(Suratu Assaf: 2-3)

Ibn ‘Abaas asked the man: Ahakamta Hadheh? Have you mastered this ayah?

The man replied him no

Then ibn ‘Abaas recited the saying of the righteous slave Saleh ‘Alayhi Assalam:

وَمَا أُرِيدُ أَنْ أُخَالِفَكُمْ إِلَى مَا أَنْهَاكُمْ عَنْهُ إِنْ أُرِيدُ إِلَّا الْإِصْلَاحَ
I wish not, in contradiction to you, to do that which I forbid you. I only desire reform to the best of my power.
(Suratu Huud: 88)

Ibn ‘Abaas asked the man: Ahakamta Hadheh? Have you mastered this ayah?

The man replied him no. So ibn ‘Abaas adviced him to start with himself first!

…will these three ayaat testify against or for you on The Day of Judgement?

Ad-Dahhaak Narrated this from Ibn ‘Abaas, see the explanation of the ayah 44 in suratul Baqarah. Tafseer Ibn Katheer Rahimahullah