The Appropriate Method for Da'wah
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Q8: I live in one of the islands of Indonesia , and among the people there is a prevalence of shirk (associating partners with Allah) that expels one from the religion. So what is the appropriate method for calling people to tawhid (the oneness of Allah), especially those of young age?
A8: Calling people to Islam and the worship of Allah alone, with no partner for Him, is the duty of the Messengers and the Muslims who followed them. The Muslims after the sending of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) are those who carry out this task; for they are the ones upon the truth revealed from Allah the Exalted. They engage in calling to this truth in obedience to Allah the Exalted, following the example of their Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) and the prophets before him (peace and blessings be upon them), out of mercy for creation and compassion for them from the punishment of Allah, and to establish the proof upon people. The first action the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) performed and the first foundation he established was calling people to the tawhid of Allah, the sincerity of worship to Him, and guiding them to the details thereof. The phrase that indicates this meaning is the saying: "La ilaha illa Allah" (There is no deity but Allah). This is the solid foundation, along with the testimony that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. These two principles and foundations are the foundation of Islam and the foundation of the rectification of this Ummah (the Muslim community) for whoever takes them up, stands firm upon them, and is patient with them, in knowledge, action, and da'wah (calling others to Islam).
His affairs were set right and Allah rectified the community through him, and whoever neglects them or neglects one of them is lost and perishes. It is obligatory to work for Islam by calling people to the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) according to the methodology to which Allah guided and to which He commanded His Messenger Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) in His saying:[An-Nahl 16:125], and His saying: [Yusuf 12:108]. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) clarified the path of calling to Allah through his saying, his writing, and his action, saying: Sahih Muslim 49a, narrated by Ahmad, Muslim, and the compilers of the Sunan. He said to Mu'adh when he sent him to Yemen: , narrated by Ahmad, al-Bukhari, Muslim, and the compilers of the Sunan. In the hadith of Sahl ibn Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him), the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) when he gave him the banner on the day of the Battle of Khaybar: Sahih Muslim 2406, narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim. Therefore, it is incumbent upon the married among the people of Islam to strive to guide their brothers to good, and to strive for their adherence to the path of the Salaf of this Ummah, the Rightly Guided Caliphs, and the rightly guided imams, and to hold fast to it as we have clarified previously.
A8: Calling people to Islam and the worship of Allah alone, with no partner for Him, is the duty of the Messengers and the Muslims who followed them. The Muslims after the sending of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) are those who carry out this task; for they are the ones upon the truth revealed from Allah the Exalted. They engage in calling to this truth in obedience to Allah the Exalted, following the example of their Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) and the prophets before him (peace and blessings be upon them), out of mercy for creation and compassion for them from the punishment of Allah, and to establish the proof upon people. The first action the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) performed and the first foundation he established was calling people to the tawhid of Allah, the sincerity of worship to Him, and guiding them to the details thereof. The phrase that indicates this meaning is the saying: "La ilaha illa Allah" (There is no deity but Allah). This is the solid foundation, along with the testimony that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. These two principles and foundations are the foundation of Islam and the foundation of the rectification of this Ummah (the Muslim community) for whoever takes them up, stands firm upon them, and is patient with them, in knowledge, action, and da'wah (calling others to Islam).
His affairs were set right and Allah rectified the community through him, and whoever neglects them or neglects one of them is lost and perishes. It is obligatory to work for Islam by calling people to the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) according to the methodology to which Allah guided and to which He commanded His Messenger Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) in His saying:
Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good instruction, and argue with them in a way that is best
ادْعُ إِلَى سَبِيلِ رَبِّكَ بِالْحِكْمَةِ وَالْمَوْعِظَةِ الْحَسَنَةِ وَجَادِلْهُمْ بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُSay, "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."
قُلْ هَذِهِ سَبِيلِي أَدْعُو إِلَى اللَّهِ عَلَى بَصِيرَةٍ أَنَا وَمَنِ اتَّبَعَنِي وَسُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ وَمَا أَنَا مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَHe who amongst you sees something abominable should modify it with the help of his hand; and if he has not strength enough to do it, then he should do it with his tongue, and if he has not strength enough to do it, (even) then he should (abhor it) from his heart, and that is the least of faith.
من رأى منكم منكرًا فليغيره بيده، فإن لم يستطع فبلسانه فإن لم يستطع فبقلبه وذلك أضعف الإيمانYou will come to a people of the Book, so let the first thing you call them to be the testimony that there is no deity but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. If they obey you in that, then inform them that Allah has made obligatory upon them five prayers in the day and night. If they obey you in that, then inform them that Allah has made obligatory upon them a charity to be taken from their rich and returned to their poor. If they obey you in that, then beware of the best of their wealth, and fear the supplication of the oppressed, for there is no barrier between it and Allah.
إنك تأتي قومًا من أهل الكتاب، فليكن أول ما تدعوهم إليه شهادة أن لا إله إلا الله وأن محمدًا رسول الله، فإن هم أطاعوك لذلك فأعلمهم أن الله افترض عليهم خمس صلوات في اليوم والليلة، فإن هم أطاعوك لذلك فأعلمهم أن الله قد افترض عليهم صدقة تؤخذ من أغنيائهم فترد على فقرائهم، فإن هم أطاعوك لذلك فإياك وكرائم أموالهم، واتق دعوة المظلوم فإنه ليس بينها وبين الله حجابAdvance cautiously until you reach their open places, thereafter invite them to Islam and inform them what is obligatory for them from the rights of Allah, for, by Allah, if Allah guides aright even one person through you that is better for you than to possess the most valuable of the camels.
انفذ على رسلك حتى تنزل بساحتهم، ثم ادعهم إلى الإسلام، وأخبرهم بما يجب عليهم من حق الله تعالى فيه، فوالله لأن يهدي الله بك رجلاً واحدًا خير لك من حمر النعم
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.