> Some Advice On Giving Da'wah

[jzcasejz]

I was reading through a book, when a passage reminded me of this forum, so I thought I'll post it here for y'all (excuse the spelling errors, if any).

Da'wah that is not founded on knowledge is obviously a da'wah that is founded on ignorance. And the harmful consequences on a da'wah that is founded on ignorance are greater than the benefits it yields. My brothers, calling others to the way of Allah based on ignorance is contrary to what the Prophet (SAW) and those who followed him were upon. Look at the saying of Allah (SWT), wherein He (SWT) commands His Prophet (SAW):

قل هذه سبيلي أدعو إلى الله على بصيرة أنا ومن اتبعني وسبحان الله وما أنا من المشركين

Say, "This is my way; I invite to Allah with insight, I and those who follow me. And exalted is Allah ; and I am not of those who associate others with Him." [12:108]

He said, "I invite unto Allah (SWT) with sure knowledge, I and whosoever follows me," i.e., whosoever follows me must invite unto Allah (SWT) with sure knowledge, and not with ignorance.

Contemplate the saying of Allah (SWT), "With sure knowledge." The caller to the way of Allah must be upon sure knowledge in three matters:

Firstly, he must have knowledge of what he is calling others to follow

One must know the Islamic rulings regarding the matter that he is calling others to follow. One might invite others to a practice, thinking it to be compulsory, when in fact it is not compulsory in Allah's Religion. In this case, one is making a practice bidning upon Allah's slaves when Allah (SWT) did not make that practice binding upon them. In another situation, one might invite others to abstain from a practice, thinking that is is haram, when in fact it is not haram in Allah's Religion. And so in this case, he is forbidding Allah's slaves from a practice that Allah made lawful for them.

We have heard people forbidding others from every newly invented thing (i.e., regarding wordly things), even if the invention is something needed and does not result in any kind of harm that is forbidden in Islam.

For example, one might say, "Do not listen to the Qur'an from a tape recorder." "Why?" He will say, "Because that was not known to be done during the era of the Prophet (SAW) and his companions. It is therefore a bid'ah, and the Messenger of Allah (SWT) said, 'Every bid'ah is misguidance.' [1]

This person is inviting unto Allah, but not upon sure knowledge. During the era of the Prophet (SAW), did there exist libraries, printing presses, or shelves for books? Of course, the answer is no. There was not even a calender during the lifetime of the Prophet (SAW). The first person to standardise the Islamic calender was 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (RA) in the year 16AH. Do we now say that using a calender is bid'ah, and is consequently forbidden? Of course, the answer is no.

There are those who follow and opposite course; for example, one of them will say, "Place a tape player near the microphone, and play a recorded adhan, and that will be the adhan for us." This person does not want us to achieve worship through the adhan, rather, he merely, wants us to hear the voice of a muadhin (that he prefers), and this is also a mistake.

One might imagine some practice to be compulsory, basing the belief upon his ijtihad that is incorrect. Would that he stopped there! But he then goes on to judge the worth of others based on his mistaken view, and this is the problem. If someone does not agree with his opinion, even though it is wrong based on proofs from the Qur'an and Sunnah, he will hate and abhor that person. But if someone agrees with him, he will love him, even though that person who agrees with him is upon the same bid'ah as he is upon. And again, this is the problem!

I do not want to belabour the point regarding this specific issue but it is one that is common among the youth; they show support for one who issues an Islamic ruling that is in agreement with their preconceived view, and they disassociate themsleves from one who rules otherwise, a way of going about things that is clearly wrong.

One who issues a ruling in the Religion must not do so in order to be praised and loves by the people; instead, he should issue rulings based on what, in his view, is Allah's Sharee'ah. The muftee articulates rulings of Allah's Religion, and so he must know where to place his foot before he plants it: he must know something to be the true ruling of the Sharee'ah before he issues his ruling.

Secondly, he must know the situation of the person he is inviting

When the Prophet (SAW) send Mu'adh (RA) to Yemen he said to him:

"Indeed you are going to a nation from the people of the Book." [2]

The Prophet (SAW) informed him of that so that he would know their situation and the prepare for them.

Should you go to a person, inviting him to Islam without knowing his situation? At the very outset of your meeting with him, that person might proffer some specious argument that will leave you utterly confounded, in spite of the fact that you are upon the truth. Therefore, you must learn about the situation of the one you are calling. What is his level of knowledge? And how good is he in arguing and debating?

You apprise yourself of these matters so that you can prepare for him, and then discuss with him and debate with him. In you enter into a debate with one who is stronger than you in argumentation, and who then overcomes you with his arguments, however false they may be, a large spot will stain the truth, and you will have been the cause of it. Do not think that one who is upon falsehood will always be beaten,for the Messenger (SAW) said:

"Verily, you come with your disputes to me, and perhaps one of you is more eloquent in presenting his argument than another, and then I rule for him based on what I hear from him. If I rule for one to take anything from the right of his brother, then let him not take it, for I am (in that case) cutting for him a piece of the Fire." [3]

This proves that even when a litigant is upon falsehood, he might be more eloquent in presenting his arguments than his opponent is, and so a ruling is issued in his favour by dint of that. The important point ot understand here is that the caller must have knowledge about the one he is inviting.

Thirdly, one must know how to give da'wah

This is a matter that some callers are lacking in. A caller might be zealous and enthusiastic, but he is unable to restrain himself when restraint is called for, and so he is calling others to the way of Allah without wisdom. And Allah (SWT) says:

ادع إلى سبيل ربك بالحكمة والموعظة الحسنة وجادلهم بالتي هي أحسن إن ربك هو أعلم بمن ضل عن سبيله وهو أعلم بالمهتدين

Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good instruction, and argue with them in a way that is best. Indeed, your Lord is most knowing of who has strayed from His way, and He is most knowing of who is [rightly] guided. [12:125]

Yet, the caller we just described, whose heart is filled with zeal for his religion, is unable to restrain himself, unable to control his emotions. When someone rejects his message, he will pounce on him like a predatory bird pounces on meat, and he will not be thinking about the consequences of his actions, which might affect not only his own person but others who are calling to the truth as well.

As you know, the truth has its enemies (who are waiting to take advantage of our mistakes). Allah (SWT) says:

وكذلك جعلنا لكل نبي عدوا من المجرمين وكفى بربك هاديا ونصيرا

And thus have We made for every prophet an enemy from among the criminals. But sufficient is your Lord as a guide and a helper. [25:31]

The message of every Prophet has an enemy from the evildoers. Therefore, every caller must think about the consequences before he acts, weighing matters (before making a decision to act). I encourage my brother callers to resort to wisdom, care and deliberation, having the knowledge that Allah (SWT) says:

يؤتي الحكمة من يشاء ومن يؤت الحكمة فقد أوتي خيرا كثيرا وما يذكر إلا أولو الألباب

He gives wisdom to whom He wills, and whoever has been given wisdom has certainly been given much good. And none will remember except those of understanding. [2:269]

If we wished, we could have related here examples of that from the guidance of the Messenger (SAW), the teacher of good, the best of callers, and the wisest of them.

If the pressing need to have correct knowledge that is founded on the Qur'an and Sunnah is indicated by revealed texts, then it is also indicated by the dictates of the sound mind, one that is not afflicted by desires and falsehood, for how can you call others to Allah (SWT) when you do not know the way that leads to Him and when you do not know His Sharee'ah? In this case, how can you consider youself to be a caller?

If one is bereft of knowledge, it is upon him to first learn and then to perform da'wah. However, one might say, "Does what you just said contradict the saying of the Prophet (SAW): 'Convey from me, even if it is a single verse'?"

The answer: No. The Prophet (SAW) said, "Convery from me," which means that what we convery must actually come from the Messenger of Allah (SWT), and that is what we are saying here. Furthermore, when we say that the caller needs knowledge, we are not saying that he needs to have a great deal of knowledge; but rather we are saying that he should invite only to what which he has knowledge about and that he should not speak about a matter concerning which he has no knowledge.

Footnotes:
[1] A portion of a hadeeth that is related in Muslim (867), in the chapter, "Lightening the Prayer and the Khutbah," in a narration related by Jabir bin Abdullah (RA)
[2] A portion of a hadeeth that is related by al-Bukhari (1395), in the chapter, "Zakat is obligatory." He also related it in other sections of his saheeh. Muslim related it in the chapter, "Calling to the Two Testimonies and to the Laws of Islam," in a narration related by Abdullah ibn Abbas (RA)
[3] Related by al-Bukhari (2680) in the chapter, "Whoever Establishes the Proof after the Oath." Muslim related it as well (1713) in the chapter "Ruling by what is Aparent, and Eloquence in Presenting one's Argument," in a narration related by Umm Salamah (RA)

Taken from: The Islamic Awakening by Shaykh Muhammad bin Salih al-'Uthaymeen

[MaryM]

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jazakallah khair for sharing.