Dealing with Rulers and Those Who Disagree in Da'wah

Question:
The first interjection is from Dr. Diara Siak Agi, of Ivorian nationality. Please proceed. Praise be to Allah, and may prayers and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah, and upon his family and companions, and may peace be upon them abundantly. And to proceed: We thank Your Eminence, the Shaykh, our father, Salih ibn Fawzan al-Fawzan, for these pieces of advice, these kind words, and these severe warnings. May Allah reward us with the best reward. We also thank the Islamic University, headed by its Rector, Professor Dr. Muhammad al-Aqilah, may Allah prolong his virtue. We thank the Islamic University, represented by the Deanship of Graduates, headed by the Honorable Shaykh, Professor Dr. Abdulaziz ibn Mubarak al-Ahmad. We thank them all for providing us, the graduates, with this rare opportunity to meet with Your Excellency or Your Eminence, the Shaykh, may Allah preserve him. We have benefited greatly from him. In his words, may Allah preserve him, he mentioned what a graduate should begin with when he returns to his country, and the calls to misguidance that may stand in his way. So we ask Your Eminence to clarify for us how a graduate can deal in his country with non-Muslim rulers, and with those who disagree with him in creed and methodology, especially in this time when calls to misguidance have multiplied, and what they do to distort the image of the truth. That is, what style of gentleness and what sound methodology should the graduate follow, such as being adorned with patience and fairness, and so on. May Allah reward him with good.

Answer:
And upon you be peace, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. There is no doubt that the graduate, and the non-graduate among those who wish to call to Allah, will face obstacles on their path. But they must be adorned with patience, wisdom, good admonition, and arguing in the best manner. The verse is before you: "Invite" . If you adopt this method and act upon this verse in your da'wah, few will oppose you. And if they do oppose you, at least their harm toward you will be lessened; their harm toward you will be lessened, at least, and perhaps Allah the Exalted and Sublime will guide them.
You know that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), when he was first sent, faced a great deal from the people, from the chiefs of Quraysh, and from his relatives. But through patience, wisdom, good admonition, not despairing, and persisting in the da'wah, in the end Allah guided those who had stood in his way, and they became those who strive alongside him, and after him (peace and blessings be upon him). His most fierce enemies became friends and followers, and they became soldiers of Islam defending it. And as for the one who persisted, his reckoning is with Allah the Exalted and Sublime. He did not succeed, nor did he harm the da'wah. His opposition did not harm the da'wah, nor did it prevent the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) from continuing. So you must have patience. You should say to the people what is good , and do not despair, for Allah the Exalted and Sublime is with you. And whoever Allah is with, Allah the Exalted will support him. It is not necessary that he be victorious immediately or in the short term, but he will be victorious, even if after a long time; he will be victorious, even if after a long time. So do not despair. The important thing is: do not despair, do not be discouraged, and do what you can . Do what you can. You will not be able to remove the rulers, but you can call them with a good da'wah and gentle speech . Yes.