The Ruling on Means of Da'wah
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Honorable Shaykh! Some schools, during the summer vacation, open summer centers to occupy the time of young people who are lost in the streets with good things, such as lectures, seminars, competitions, and other beneficial matters. Perhaps they occupy the young people in these camps with playing football and with theaters,Then some of the youth objected and said: This is not befitting and is not permissible, and this is not the way of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), for it is obligatory that these lessons be in the mosques,And they say: The means of da'wah are based on divine text, and then many of the young people are confused about that.
So we ask you for a clear and sufficient guidance in that matter to distinguish between the means and the objectives, so that the matter becomes clear. May Allah reward you, and may Allah reward you with good.
In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and his Companions, and those who follow them with excellence until the Day of Judgment.
There is no doubt that the government, may Allah guide it, is to be thanked for what it establishes of these summer centers; because they prevent a great evil and a major fitnah through these centers. If these young people, and these large crowds, were to roam the markets lengthwise and breadthwise, or go out to the parks, or to the deserts, or the valleys, or the mountains, what do you think would happen from them in terms of evil? I believe that every rational person who knows the reality would assume that a disaster would happen to the young people in terms of deviation, corruption of morals, bad ideas, and so on; but these centers—praise be to Allah—have come to preserve many of the young people,And we do not say: They preserve most of the young people, not all of them, as is the reality, and much good happens in them, such as inviting scholars to deliver lectures that contain much knowledge, beneficial admonition, and familiarity between the young people and the sheikhs. There is no doubt that this contains great benefits.
As for what happens in them of entertaining the soul with football, plays, and the like, this is wisdom; because if the souls were given seriousness in every state and at every time, they would become bored, weary, and disgusted.So the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) said: (O Messenger of Allah! When we are with you and you mention to us Paradise and the Fire, it is as if we see them with our own eyes; but when we go to our homes and mix with our families and children, we forget,So the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said: for a while and a while) meaning: that a person is like this at one time and like that at another time.
And he (peace and blessings be upon him) said to 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr ibn al-'As when he said (may Allah be pleased with him): (I will surely stand in prayer at night as long as I live, and I will surely fast during the day as long as I live,He said to him: Did you say this?He said: Yes, O Messenger of Allah,He said: Your Lord has a right over you, and your soul has a right over you, and your family has a right over you, and your guest—Meaning: your visitor—has a right over you, so give every right-holder his right) .
And the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) heard of a group who said—when they asked about his (peace and blessings be upon him) work in private in his home, and were informed about it,And it seemed they considered this action too little, so they said: The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) has been forgiven by Allah for what has passed of his sin and what has come, and we are not like that,So one of them said: I do not sleep at night—Meaning: he stands in prayer at night and does not sleep—,And the second said: I fast and do not break my fast,And the third said: I do not eat meat,And the fourth said: I do not marry women. So when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) heard that,He said: (What is the matter with a group who say this? I fast and I break my fast, I pray and I sleep, and I marry women. Whoever rejects my Sunnah is not from me) .
So giving the soul its share of permissible pleasure is undoubtedly the height of wisdom. Then, football, along with what it contains of amusement and removing mental fatigue, has a benefit for the body; because it activates it and strengthens it;But the following is required in it: First: that the players should avoid what some of the foolish do, which is wearing short trousers. This is not permissible. It is not permissible for the Islamic youth to wear short trousers;Because if we say: The thigh is 'awrah, so the matter is clear; the 'awrah is not permissible to expose, nor to look at,And if we do not say: It is 'awrah, so if the thighs of the young people are exposed, it is a fitnah in which some of them are tempted by others, and this is a harm that must be averted.
Second: Does it not lead to foul speech, such as cursing or insulting or the like? For what leads to foul speech that goes beyond decency is not permissible.
Third: Does it not lead to actions that contradict decency, as some players do? When one of them overcomes the other, they come running to him, embracing him, kissing him, and carrying him on their shoulders, and the like of these actions that contradict decency; because these actions, even though they came to us from countries that have no decency and no religion, we are the first to disapprove of them. Even small children who are below the age of puberty and who are around ten years old, if they did this, it would be necessary to guide them to leave this action.
As for the statement of the one who says: The place of admonition is the mosques, so he was correct. But did the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) not admonish the people except in the mosque? No.
Rather, he used to admonish them in the mosque, and he used to admonish them in the market, and he used to admonish them on travel. He promised the women a day to admonish them, so he came to them in the house of one of them.
So the place of admonition is correctly the mosques, and this is the original rule; but whenever the need calls for admonition elsewhere, admonition is given there.
And if we were to say about these young men: Bring them centers in the mosques, and cook lunch for them there, and make coffee there. That would also be an innovation, more disapproved of than their sitting in a specific place.
And I say to this brother who objected with this objection: A person must have understanding and awareness, and he must place matters in their proper places, and not be superficial, seeing from above the roofs, but rather be an aware person who probes the depths of matters and looks at what benefits and harms result from actions. The broad, wide, and comprehensive rule of the Islamic Shari'ah is: bringing benefits and repelling harms. The centers have brought benefits and repelled harms. And no one doubts that if we said to the visitors of the summer centers: come to the mosques, the people would not bear this, not even the common people would bear this thing.
So we say: These places; the school buildings, which are the place of knowledge from long times ago, and the Muslims do not disapprove of them, rather they studied in them and built them, and built hostels for them, and printed books for them. All of this was not known in the time of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). The most that can be said is that it is possible to infer the hostels from the people of the Suffah; but did the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) prevent that? Absolutely not.
He did not prevent this. So schools now are a place of knowledge, where the Book of Allah the Exalted and the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) and the sayings of the scholars are studied, as well as the supporting means of knowledge, such as grammar and the like.
So we say to the brother who made this objection: Think about the matter, and know that the religion is broader than your thinking, and broader than your intellect, and that it brings benefits wherever they are, as long as they do not contain harms that are equal or predominant, in which case they are prevented.
As for his statement: The means of da'wah are based on divine text: the word "means" indicates that they are not based on divine text. As long as it is a means, we follow it, unless it is forbidden. We follow it even if its type is not mentioned in the Shari'ah; as long as it is not forbidden; because the means have the rulings of the objectives. Are we not now conveying to the people through the loudspeaker? This is a means. Was this means present in the time of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him)?Answer: It was not present! Are we not reading books wearing glasses in order to enlarge the letters or clarify them? This is a means for reading books and acquiring knowledge. Was this present in the time of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him)?Answer: It was not present! Are we not putting a hearing aid in the ear of the deaf or hard-of-hearing person so that he can hear what is delivered of good?Answer: Yes! And was this present in the time of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him)? As long as we have agreed that it is a means, we look at the goal. If the means is forbidden, it is forbidden in itself.
If people came and it was said to you about them: These people do not approach you unless you play musical instruments for them,And they dance on it! We would say: We do not use this; because it is a forbidden means.
Or if it was said: These people do not accept the call to Allah unless the caller is a young, beautiful woman! So do we bring a young, beautiful woman? No.
So the means are permissible, and according to what they are a means to, as long as they are not specifically prohibited by the Shari'ah, in which case they are prevented.
I prefer summer camps, and I consider them one of the government's good deeds. I urge parents to enroll their children in them; however, one must be cautious about certain matters.and she: The first is that young boys should not be mixed with adolescents and older men, due to the fitnah (trial, discord or temptation) to be feared from that.
Second: Those in charge of these centers must be people of knowledge, trustworthiness, righteousness, and good character.To the extent of one's ability, and we do not say: It must be so; because it is a matter that may be impossible to achieve perfectly, for perfection belongs to Allah alone; but to the extent of one's ability. For this reason, when the scholars spoke about judges and that it is obligatory for a judge to be just,They said: if a just judge is not found, then the best of the two open sinners, and the one closest to trustworthiness, is appointed;Because Allah says: [al-Taghābun: 16] .
Third: It is incumbent upon those in authority, if they enroll their children in these centers, to keep track of the news of these centers and look into how things are, for example, the students' outings to the open desert, and who takes them out, and so on, so that they may protect their children.
So we ask Allah for success for everyone.
And I repeat—especially with students of knowledge—it is necessary that the student of knowledge have a broad mind and deep thinking, and not take matters by their appearance and superficiality, and that he look at the objectives of the Shari'ah and what it aims at in reforming people, and not prohibit what is a reform or what is a prevention of a greater harm, unless the Shari'ah has come with its prohibition.
So we ask you for a clear and sufficient guidance in that matter to distinguish between the means and the objectives, so that the matter becomes clear. May Allah reward you, and may Allah reward you with good.
In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy. Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and his Companions, and those who follow them with excellence until the Day of Judgment.
There is no doubt that the government, may Allah guide it, is to be thanked for what it establishes of these summer centers; because they prevent a great evil and a major fitnah through these centers. If these young people, and these large crowds, were to roam the markets lengthwise and breadthwise, or go out to the parks, or to the deserts, or the valleys, or the mountains, what do you think would happen from them in terms of evil? I believe that every rational person who knows the reality would assume that a disaster would happen to the young people in terms of deviation, corruption of morals, bad ideas, and so on; but these centers—praise be to Allah—have come to preserve many of the young people,And we do not say: They preserve most of the young people, not all of them, as is the reality, and much good happens in them, such as inviting scholars to deliver lectures that contain much knowledge, beneficial admonition, and familiarity between the young people and the sheikhs. There is no doubt that this contains great benefits.
As for what happens in them of entertaining the soul with football, plays, and the like, this is wisdom; because if the souls were given seriousness in every state and at every time, they would become bored, weary, and disgusted.So the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) said: (O Messenger of Allah! When we are with you and you mention to us Paradise and the Fire, it is as if we see them with our own eyes; but when we go to our homes and mix with our families and children, we forget,So the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said: for a while and a while) meaning: that a person is like this at one time and like that at another time.
And he (peace and blessings be upon him) said to 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr ibn al-'As when he said (may Allah be pleased with him): (I will surely stand in prayer at night as long as I live, and I will surely fast during the day as long as I live,He said to him: Did you say this?He said: Yes, O Messenger of Allah,He said: Your Lord has a right over you, and your soul has a right over you, and your family has a right over you, and your guest—Meaning: your visitor—has a right over you, so give every right-holder his right) .
And the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) heard of a group who said—when they asked about his (peace and blessings be upon him) work in private in his home, and were informed about it,And it seemed they considered this action too little, so they said: The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) has been forgiven by Allah for what has passed of his sin and what has come, and we are not like that,So one of them said: I do not sleep at night—Meaning: he stands in prayer at night and does not sleep—,And the second said: I fast and do not break my fast,And the third said: I do not eat meat,And the fourth said: I do not marry women. So when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) heard that,He said: (What is the matter with a group who say this? I fast and I break my fast, I pray and I sleep, and I marry women. Whoever rejects my Sunnah is not from me) .
So giving the soul its share of permissible pleasure is undoubtedly the height of wisdom. Then, football, along with what it contains of amusement and removing mental fatigue, has a benefit for the body; because it activates it and strengthens it;But the following is required in it: First: that the players should avoid what some of the foolish do, which is wearing short trousers. This is not permissible. It is not permissible for the Islamic youth to wear short trousers;Because if we say: The thigh is 'awrah, so the matter is clear; the 'awrah is not permissible to expose, nor to look at,And if we do not say: It is 'awrah, so if the thighs of the young people are exposed, it is a fitnah in which some of them are tempted by others, and this is a harm that must be averted.
Second: Does it not lead to foul speech, such as cursing or insulting or the like? For what leads to foul speech that goes beyond decency is not permissible.
Third: Does it not lead to actions that contradict decency, as some players do? When one of them overcomes the other, they come running to him, embracing him, kissing him, and carrying him on their shoulders, and the like of these actions that contradict decency; because these actions, even though they came to us from countries that have no decency and no religion, we are the first to disapprove of them. Even small children who are below the age of puberty and who are around ten years old, if they did this, it would be necessary to guide them to leave this action.
As for the statement of the one who says: The place of admonition is the mosques, so he was correct. But did the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) not admonish the people except in the mosque? No.
Rather, he used to admonish them in the mosque, and he used to admonish them in the market, and he used to admonish them on travel. He promised the women a day to admonish them, so he came to them in the house of one of them.
So the place of admonition is correctly the mosques, and this is the original rule; but whenever the need calls for admonition elsewhere, admonition is given there.
And if we were to say about these young men: Bring them centers in the mosques, and cook lunch for them there, and make coffee there. That would also be an innovation, more disapproved of than their sitting in a specific place.
And I say to this brother who objected with this objection: A person must have understanding and awareness, and he must place matters in their proper places, and not be superficial, seeing from above the roofs, but rather be an aware person who probes the depths of matters and looks at what benefits and harms result from actions. The broad, wide, and comprehensive rule of the Islamic Shari'ah is: bringing benefits and repelling harms. The centers have brought benefits and repelled harms. And no one doubts that if we said to the visitors of the summer centers: come to the mosques, the people would not bear this, not even the common people would bear this thing.
So we say: These places; the school buildings, which are the place of knowledge from long times ago, and the Muslims do not disapprove of them, rather they studied in them and built them, and built hostels for them, and printed books for them. All of this was not known in the time of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). The most that can be said is that it is possible to infer the hostels from the people of the Suffah; but did the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) prevent that? Absolutely not.
He did not prevent this. So schools now are a place of knowledge, where the Book of Allah the Exalted and the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) and the sayings of the scholars are studied, as well as the supporting means of knowledge, such as grammar and the like.
So we say to the brother who made this objection: Think about the matter, and know that the religion is broader than your thinking, and broader than your intellect, and that it brings benefits wherever they are, as long as they do not contain harms that are equal or predominant, in which case they are prevented.
As for his statement: The means of da'wah are based on divine text: the word "means" indicates that they are not based on divine text. As long as it is a means, we follow it, unless it is forbidden. We follow it even if its type is not mentioned in the Shari'ah; as long as it is not forbidden; because the means have the rulings of the objectives. Are we not now conveying to the people through the loudspeaker? This is a means. Was this means present in the time of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him)?Answer: It was not present! Are we not reading books wearing glasses in order to enlarge the letters or clarify them? This is a means for reading books and acquiring knowledge. Was this present in the time of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him)?Answer: It was not present! Are we not putting a hearing aid in the ear of the deaf or hard-of-hearing person so that he can hear what is delivered of good?Answer: Yes! And was this present in the time of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him)? As long as we have agreed that it is a means, we look at the goal. If the means is forbidden, it is forbidden in itself.
If people came and it was said to you about them: These people do not approach you unless you play musical instruments for them,And they dance on it! We would say: We do not use this; because it is a forbidden means.
Or if it was said: These people do not accept the call to Allah unless the caller is a young, beautiful woman! So do we bring a young, beautiful woman? No.
So the means are permissible, and according to what they are a means to, as long as they are not specifically prohibited by the Shari'ah, in which case they are prevented.
I prefer summer camps, and I consider them one of the government's good deeds. I urge parents to enroll their children in them; however, one must be cautious about certain matters.and she: The first is that young boys should not be mixed with adolescents and older men, due to the fitnah (trial, discord or temptation) to be feared from that.
Second: Those in charge of these centers must be people of knowledge, trustworthiness, righteousness, and good character.To the extent of one's ability, and we do not say: It must be so; because it is a matter that may be impossible to achieve perfectly, for perfection belongs to Allah alone; but to the extent of one's ability. For this reason, when the scholars spoke about judges and that it is obligatory for a judge to be just,They said: if a just judge is not found, then the best of the two open sinners, and the one closest to trustworthiness, is appointed;Because Allah says:
So fear Allah as much as you are able
فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْThird: It is incumbent upon those in authority, if they enroll their children in these centers, to keep track of the news of these centers and look into how things are, for example, the students' outings to the open desert, and who takes them out, and so on, so that they may protect their children.
So we ask Allah for success for everyone.
And I repeat—especially with students of knowledge—it is necessary that the student of knowledge have a broad mind and deep thinking, and not take matters by their appearance and superficiality, and that he look at the objectives of the Shari'ah and what it aims at in reforming people, and not prohibit what is a reform or what is a prevention of a greater harm, unless the Shari'ah has come with its prohibition.