Scholars’ Call to Sports Clubs and Activating Da'wah Centers

The questioner:
Please, Shaykh 'Abd al-'Aziz, regarding da'wah centers, for example, inside the country. It is well known that the one who usually comes to the mosque is one in whom there is good; that is, a man does not come to the mosque unless there is good in his heart. But there are other areas where the youth gather, and it is observed that da'wah centers do not focus on connecting with these entities, such as sports clubs and others. What is Your Eminence the Shaykh’s opinion on this?

The Shaykh:
It needs a call from those in charge of them. The call encourages the da'wah workers to attend. Our Shaykh, His Highness Prince Faisal ibn Fahd, told me that he desires this. I believe we sent him a group of da'wah workers from time to time, and some of them did what was required. I have done this more than once as well, but I do not remember the statistics of it now. What I hope for from those in charge of the clubs is that they write to us, and they are ready to send someone to give lectures and guidance at any time. I myself am also ready to attend if it is in Riyadh, because traveling to distant countries may prevent me from doing many works here. But if it is in Riyadh, I am ready. And, praise be to Allah, there are many sheikhs and brothers among the official da'wah workers and other scholars who desire this, praise be to Allah. If the call comes from these clubs and they desire the tongue of the one who lectures, I am ready for that.

The questioner:
Why should not the initiative come from the da'wah workers and scholars?

The Shaykh:
It is necessary that the call to Allah may be occupied with his call here and there, in the mosques or schools he goes to, or the prisons he goes to. But if the call comes, it is a reward for him. He may see that going to them without a call might be a hardship for him, or a stumbling block for him, or there might be no response. He may fear this. But if it is a call from them, he comes with insight, receives it with insight, knows his worth, and they seek to open the field for him so he can speak. The point is that a call from them is more appropriate in any case; it is more appropriate.

The questioner:
Your Eminence the Shaykh, we are returning to the clubs. I feel that we need gatherings of the youth. I mean, it was my fate to see in the southern region some summer programs held for the youth, cultural programs. And I saw that almost all the entities in the region help in supervising these cultural, literary, and intellectual gatherings. But I did not see a clear impact of the da'wah centers in this matter. So we return to this matter again and say that I see it is the duty of the da'wah workers to break into such places.

The Shaykh:
This is, in any case, as I said before, if they did it, it would be good. Perhaps they will do it. I do not know. Perhaps they will do it. But I see that calling them and encouraging them to this thing by those responsible for the clubs is what is required. Yes. So that the one who is not active becomes active, and the one who has not paid attention to it pays attention. And I see that it is not limited to the known official da'wah workers, but it is obligatory for those in charge of these clubs to ask the scholars, even if they are judges, even if they are teachers, to ask them to attend to participate in this good if they are in the town or near the town. The call should be from the scholars who are judges, and from the scholar teachers, and from the official da'wah workers. It is not limited to the judge da'wah workers, but for the clubs and non-clubs, in any gathering that takes place at a wedding or a feast gathering or in any place where a gathering takes place for an occasion, it is recommended for the one in charge of it to seize the opportunity and ask the scholars he has to participate in this good with a word or a group, one after another, two or three scholars. This one delivers a word, and this one delivers a word. All of this benefits the gathered people, whether in the clubs or in other gatherings. This is what I see in this, and it is what concerns the Muslims and also concerns the clubs. And although it is obligatory for the scholars to break into these matters and hasten to them, they may be occupied. They may not pay attention to these clubs. They may have other engagements that prevent them from attending. They may attend for other reasons. Some of them may say there is smoking in it, or there is such and such, or there are images, or there is such and such. Some people may refrain from this because of the images or because of the smoking. But if those in charge of these clubs ask them and remove what they dislike—if the lecturer does not desire the presence of images, no, not images, if the lecturer is averse to the presence of smoke and is not pleased to be in a place with smoke, the smokers are prevented during his presence, and he is informed that the club is free from this, so that he becomes active and attends, or similar to this that the scholars desire to attend. Because some scholars may delay for reasons he believes are present or not present, or present but if he responded to the call, he would remove it from himself and attend and benefit. Yes.