“If you see evil, start with your hand”

I recently came across an article in which a Muslim imam, or holy figure, was quoted as saying “If you see evil, start with your hand.” Intrigued, I did some digging and found that the saying paraphrases a Hadith in Islamic religious tradition, wherein the Prophet Muhammad is reported to have said: “Whoever among you sees an evil, let him change it with his hand; 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.”

Stripped of theological labels, the wisdom transcends religion and speaks to the warrior ethos, to the protector’s code, to every person who refuses to be a bystander in the face of wrongdoing. It’s not a call to vigilantism—it’s a call to responsibility. It’s a call to manifest the change we want to see.

In today’s world, evil wears many faces. It walks in classrooms filled with fear. It hides in the shadows of cyberspace, peddling despair and division. It sits in quiet rooms where abuse is ignored and in crowded ones where injustice is excused. And too often, we look the other way, waiting for someone else to intervene.

But what if that someone is you?

To “start with your hand” is to take action. Not symbolic outrage. Not social media rants. Not keyboard courage. Real-world, tangible intervention. Protect the vulnerable. Confront the bully. Shield the broken. Help the wounded.

And when you can’t move the mountain with your hands, use your voice. Speak the truth, even if your voice shakes. Be the dissenting opinion when silence serves oppression.

And if all else fails, refuse to harden your heart. Carry the weight of conscience. Mourn what is broken. Stay human.

But always, always start with your hand. Because evil doesn’t fear hashtags—it fears resistance. It fears men and women who rise when it would be easier to sit. It fears those who reach for the light, even when the dark feels safer.

So when you see evil—don’t wait. Don’t look around. Don’t hope someone else will fix it.

Start with your hand.

Be the one who acts.

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Scott is a veteran of a half-dozen combat deployments and has served in several different Special Operations units over the course of his Army career. Scott’s writing focuses largely on veterans’ issues, but he is also a big proponent of Constitutional rights and has a deep interest in politics. He often allows other veterans who request anonymity to publish their work under his byline. Scott welcomes story ideas and feedback on his articles and can be reached at havokjournal@havokmedia.com. 

As the Voice of the Veteran Community, The Havok Journal seeks to publish a variety of perspectives on a number of sensitive subjects. Unless specifically noted otherwise, nothing we publish is an official point of view of The Havok Journal or any part of the U.S. government.