Using the statement of Allah the Exalted, “And warn your close relatives,” as evidence against the Tablighi group

The questioner:
Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success, does the statement of Allah the Exalted serve as evidence for criticizing the Tablighi group?

The Shaykh:
Yes.

The questioner:
His saying, the Exalted: Is this cited as evidence to condemn the Tablighi group who travel through the countries of the world for da'wah, and perhaps neglect their families and relatives in the course of their da'wah?

The Shaykh:
This is specific to those who went beyond their people, their land, and their families to call people who were far away from them to this ruling. Therefore, this does not indicate a lack of understanding of the da'wah (calling others to Islam). The da'wah begins with the closest, then the next closest, as Allah the Exalted said, "And warn your nearest relatives." He said: The methodology of the da'wah is that you begin with the land before the land, and your relatives are more deserving of your benefit, and more deserving of your da'wah, and the people of your land, and those in shirk (associating partners with Allah) and kufr (disbelief) in the distant lands. This is not among the principles of the da'wah, nor among its methodology.