Da'wah and Politics
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Q3: Which is better: working for Islam through politics, or working for Islam by calling people to return to the way of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)?
A3: 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), following 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 words, his writings, and his actions, saying: Sahih Muslim 49a narrated by Ahmad and Muslim and the compilers of the Sunan, and he said to Mu'adh when he sent him to Yemen :
narrated by Ahmad and al-Bukhari and 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: narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim . And he (peace and blessings be upon him) wrote to the kings of the nations, calling them to Islam and commanding them to worship Allah alone. In his letters to the People of the Book, he mentioned: [Ali 'Imran 3:64]
And he promised them a doubled reward if they responded, and warned them of the punishment for their sins and the sins of their nations if they turned away. He called to Islam through his actions, being an example of perfection in the oneness of Allah and His worship, and in the highest degrees of noble character in his conduct and dealings with people. He did not become angry for himself nor take revenge for himself; rather, he became angry when the prohibitions of Allah were violated. He was as Allah described him in His Noble Book:[At-Tawbah 9:128] and His saying, Exalted is He: . In addition to this, there is his (peace and blessings be upon him) clarification of the methodology of da'wah through his words, his writings, and his actions. This is the sound, wise, and merciful politics of the Muhammadan da'wah, which the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) outlined for us. Therefore, the callers of the Islamic groups must follow its path, the path of wisdom, good admonition, and arguing in the best manner. They must treat everyone they call according to their status and address each person with what they understand, so that perhaps Allah will support His religion through them and direct their arrows toward the throats of their enemies, not toward their brothers, for He is the One who responds to supplication.
A3: 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), following 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 الإِيمانYou will come to a people from among the People of the Book, so 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. 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 إلاَّ 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 حجابProceed gently until you settle in their midst, then call them to Islam, and inform them of what is obligatory upon them of the right of Allah the Exalted in it. By Allah, it is better for you that one man be guided through you than that you possess red camels.
انفذ على رسلك حتى تنزل بساحتهم، ثم ادعهم إلى الإِسلام، وأخبرهم بما يجب عليهم من حق الله تعالى فيه، فوالله لأن يُهدى بك رجل واحد خير لك من حمر النعمO People of the Scripture, come to a word that is equitable between us and you - that we will not worship except Allah and not associate anything with Him and not take one another as lords instead of Allah.
يَا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ تَعَالَوْا إِلَى كَلِمَةٍ سَوَاءٍ بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكُمْ أَلا نَعْبُدَ إِلا اللَّهَ وَلاَ نُشْرِكَ بِهِ شَيْئًا وَلاَ يَتَّخِذَ بَعْضُنَا بَعْضًا أَرْبَابًا مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِAnd he promised them a doubled reward if they responded, and warned them of the punishment for their sins and the sins of their nations if they turned away. He called to Islam through his actions, being an example of perfection in the oneness of Allah and His worship, and in the highest degrees of noble character in his conduct and dealings with people. He did not become angry for himself nor take revenge for himself; rather, he became angry when the prohibitions of Allah were violated. He was as Allah described him in His Noble Book:
to the believers is kind and merciful.
بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ رَءُوفٌ رَحِيمٌAnd indeed, you are of a great moral character
وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلَى خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٍ
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.