Beginning the call to Allah with creed and the people's need for tawhid (the oneness of Allah)

The questioner:
Honorable Shaykh, this is a large collection of questions. We ask your permission to present those related to the topic of the lecture. A questioner says: Does the one who calls to Allah the Exalted begin by explaining the correct Salafi creed? Or does he begin by purifying souls and discussing the virtues of deeds? And do our countries need the call to tawhid (the oneness of Allah)?

The Shaykh:
Yes, the one who calls to Allah follows the methodology of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) and the methodology of the messengers before him. The first thing he begins with is rectifying the creed, the creed of tawhid (the oneness of Allah), because it is the foundation. If there is a defect in it, there is no benefit in the rest of the deeds. But if the creed is sound, the deeds are accepted. For this reason, he (peace and blessings be upon him) said to Mu'adh: "Let the first thing you call them to be the testimony that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah." This is tawhid. The Muslims need the call to tawhid. They may have errors, they may have mistakes, they may have bad ideas; they need the call even though they are Muslims. The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "You will come to a people from among the People of the Book, and they are scholars of the People of the Book, scholars, and yet they needed the call; they needed someone to call them to Allah." Allah, Mighty and Majestic, said: The Prophet said to him: "Fear Allah." Allah commanded him to have taqwa (mindfulness of Allah) even though he feared Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), but the intent of that was to remind him and to firm him in his fear of Allah. So the Muslim is affirmed, reminded, and warned, because a person is not infallible; he may fall into shirk (associating partners with Allah) or some of the violations. He needs the call to Allah, Glorified and Exalted. He addressed the believers and said to them: "Fear Allah." He said: "Believe in Allah and His Messenger," meaning: remain firm in faith and persist in it. So it should not be said that people are Muslims and monotheists and do not need the call. This is a statement that is either from an ignorant person or from one who is misguided. He wants to divert people from the call to tawhid so that evil ideas, shirk, and superstitions may seep into them. Therefore, the call must continue with the Muslims and with others, without a doubt. The Muslims are more deserving of the call to purify their conditions, to firm them in the truth, and to remove the doubts that enter them; they need the call. As for calling to the virtues of deeds and good conduct while neglecting the creed, this is contrary to the call of the messengers. This is a call that is contrary to the call of the messengers (peace and blessings be upon them). We leave the people as they are, with their superstitions, shirk, and ignorance of the creed, and we only encourage them to good conduct. This is not the methodology of the call that the messengers (peace and blessings be upon them) followed. Yes.

The questioner:
May Allah reward you with good. So, Honorable Shaykh, we understand from this that the call to the tawhid of Allah the Exalted and the eagerness to teach people the tawhid of Allah, Glorified and Exalted, is a methodology that the caller must follow, and it is not subject to the people's need to learn this. And it is not. And it is not subject only to the people's need.

The Shaykh:
As we mentioned, there must be a defect in society. There must be seepage into society. It is not necessary that there be callers to misguidance who infiltrate among the people. People must be warned about these matters, and about preserving the creed and not compromising it. One must be alert to the infiltration of sowers of discord and enemies from within and without. This is necessary. The religion is not protected except by the correct call to Allah, Glorified and Exalted. Yes.

The presenter:
May Allah reward you with good,