The Salafi call is heavy on people's hearts because it is the call of truth, as is well known; so what is the way to convey it to people's hearts?
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The questioner : The call, as you know, O Shaykh, is generally heavy on people's hearts because it is the call of truth, and so is the truth itself; how do we convey it to the common people, let alone the elite?
The Shaykh : This is, of course, related to the style of the call. The style of the call is, first, explicitly stated in the Book and the Sunnah, and second, not everyone who is upon the truth has a truthful style; because this style is part of wisdom, and wisdom is only granted to a few of His servants—Blessed and Exalted is He. His saying—Mighty and Majestic—:[An-Nahl 16:125] is a point of agreement among all scholars and among all those affiliated with the various schools of jurisprudence and paths. However, I believe that we cannot say of everyone in all these groups that he has been granted wisdom in the call. Some may be good in their style, and some may be bad. This is the example mentioned earlier, that Bedouin who lifted his garment and began to urinate in the mosque. What was the Companions' stance toward him? They intended to strike him. Is this any part of wisdom? The answer is: No. Wisdom flowed from the Master of Wisdom, the Messenger (peace be upon him): . Let him finish his comfort by finishing his urination; where? In the mosque.
This wisdom, my brother, is one thing, and the call to truth is another. So we must distinguish the reality between the call being truth and the style not being truthful. Many people are overwhelmed by the bad style of the caller to truth to the point of obscuring the vision of the truth. For this reason, in some of the scholars' advice, it is said: "Take the scholar's words and leave his actions"; because the scholar is not infallible. So often, he says the word of truth but does not practice it. So you take his words and leave his actions. If you hear a person calling to the word of truth but with intensity and harshness, this caller is wrong in his style. But the one being called is also wrong when the bad style of the call to truth turns him away from accepting the call to truth. So both are at opposite extremes; both are wrong.
The questioner : Do you mean they must be partners in the call?
The Shaykh: Yes.
The Shaykh : This is, of course, related to the style of the call. The style of the call is, first, explicitly stated in the Book and the Sunnah, and second, not everyone who is upon the truth has a truthful style; because this style is part of wisdom, and wisdom is only granted to a few of His servants—Blessed and Exalted is He. His saying—Mighty and Majestic—:
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 أَحْسَنُLeave them alone, do not bother them
دعوه ، لا تضايقوهThis wisdom, my brother, is one thing, and the call to truth is another. So we must distinguish the reality between the call being truth and the style not being truthful. Many people are overwhelmed by the bad style of the caller to truth to the point of obscuring the vision of the truth. For this reason, in some of the scholars' advice, it is said: "Take the scholar's words and leave his actions"; because the scholar is not infallible. So often, he says the word of truth but does not practice it. So you take his words and leave his actions. If you hear a person calling to the word of truth but with intensity and harshness, this caller is wrong in his style. But the one being called is also wrong when the bad style of the call to truth turns him away from accepting the call to truth. So both are at opposite extremes; both are wrong.
The questioner : Do you mean they must be partners in the call?
The Shaykh: Yes.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.