Does the hadeeth, “Whoever among you sees an evil action, let him change it by his hand [by force]…” mean that we should change it by force straightaway, even though it may be possible to change it by speaking out?
Praise be to Allaah.
Changing evil things is to be done by stages, progressing by degrees from warning and reminding, to preaching and alarming, then rebuking, then changing it “by hand” (by force), then carrying out acts of punishment and vengeance, and finally by declaring hostility and referring the matter to the judge.