***Importance of Da’wah & Tabligh*** All praise is for Allah, Lord of the Worlds, who ordered us to follow His Messenger (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) and to call to His Way, and may Allah send praises and blessings of peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family, his companions, and those who truly follow them until the Day of Judgement. Da’wah is a fard kifiya (an obligation that rests upon the community, and individual). If there are individuals within a community inviting people to da‘wah, then others within the community are relieved of the obligation. If no-one in the community issues the invitation, the sin falls on every individual within that community. A person who performs da‘wah is known as a Da’i. Although their effectiveness will vary according to their ability, all da’i should be, at the very least, familiar with the basic teachings of Islam. Allah Says in the Holy Quran... And let there be [arising] from you a nation (Bond of People) inviting to [all that is] good, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong, and those will be the successful. (al Qur’an, under verse 104, Surah Al-‘Imran,) Allah Ta‘ala speaks of Da’wah in several places in the Quran: 1-“We made you a middle nation to be witnesses over mankind.” (Surah al-Baqara, 143) 2-“Let there be a community among you, who call to the good, enjoin the right and forbid the wrong. They are the ones who have success.” (Surah Al-‘Imran, verse 104) 3-“And warn your tribe and close ones.” (Surah al-Shura, verse 214) 4-“Call to the way of your Lord with wisdom and fair admonition. And argue with them in a way that is best.” (Surah al-Nahl, verse 12) In these verses Allah Ta‘ala praises this ummah as being the guides of mankind. Whereas earlier ummah required their followers to extend guidance to their own kith, kin and nation, our ummah differs in that it is our duty to spread the Word of Allah Ta‘ala to the whole of mankind. There is a duty upon this ummah to call towards good and forbid evil for the whole of mankind. It is necessary for everyone in the ummah to perform da‘wah according to his or her ability. A da’i should use wisdom and speak with softness. He should teach of the benefits of Islam in both this world and the next. As a last resort, and only if required, debating should be employed to remove any doubts. But this also should be performed in the best possible way. Da‘wah should be given with the best of speech and in the most polite manner. In his last sermon the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: “Convey what you have received from me, even if it is a verse.” (Bukhari, Muslim chapter on Hajj) This Hadeeth and the references from the Qur`an prove that da‘wah is wajib and that every Muslim, according to their skill, and according to the opportunities Allah gives them, should engage in it. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: “If one of you sees a wrong, let him change it with his hand, and if he is unable then with his tongue, and if he is unable then with his heart. And that is the weakest degree of faith.” “Keep commanding good and forbidding the evil and if you do not, Allah will not accept your supplication (du‘a).” The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, spoke about one of the communities of the Bani Isra’il that did many evil things. Their ‘ulama tried to forbid them but the people did not stop. The ‘ulama continued to keep company with these very people despite their wrong actions. Then Allah Ta`ala hardened some of the ‘ulamas’ hearts as they continued to keep the company of these evil people without rectifying the evil that they saw. Later, the prophets such as Dawud and ‘Isa, peace be upon them, cursed them for this. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said if there were people committing sins and people who had the power to stop them but did not do so, then Allah Ta`ala would punish both parties before their death. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, also said there would be people in his ummah who would not consider an evil doer an oppressor. He, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, advised that when someone sees such people, he/she should keep away from them and not to sit in their company. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said that a person who did not command the good and forbid the evil was not of his company. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said that Allah Ta‘ala commanded Jibreel to destroy a city because of the evildoers therein. Jibreel said, “O Allah, there is a person in the city who has never disobeyed you.” Allah said, “Destroy him as well, because he was not offended by their evildoing”. These Hadeeth are mentioned in Muslim, Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah and Bahaiqi ***Times and Places for performing Da‘wah*** There are no fixed times and places for da‘wah. Whenever and wherever one has the opportunity, one should perform da‘wah - even when walking, at college or university, at work, or visiting people whom one knows. All these areas should be viewed as opportunities for da‘wah. When performing da‘wah to non-Muslims, one must always remember that one’s family, friends and those around us also have the right to our da‘wah. It is not correct to leave your relatives and go elsewhere to perform da‘wah, as our family has a right to benefit from our da’wah too: “O you who believe, save yourselves and your families from the Fire.” (Surah al-Tahrim) This verse commands us to direct, our families to follow Islam correctly, so our family has more right on us since we are in a position of authority over them. Today, we see that many Muslims unfortunately neglect their families to concentrate their da‘wah activities upon others. Those they leave at home, often in In non-islamic environment, may even fail to meet the very basic requisites and obligations of being a Muslim. This could result in their children marrying non-Muslims, thus taking their children, grandchildren and all subsequent generations to Hell. It really is no light matter. We seek the protection of Allah Ta‘ala from this. Although da‘wah is a fard kifiya it should always be balanced with one’s other duties and obligations.
Posted on: Sun, 14 Dec 2014 19:28:27 +0000
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