What are the matters or priorities that a student of knowledge and a caller to Allah should focus on?

The questioner : two: What are the topics or priorities that a student of knowledge must focus on and prioritize over others? And what is the best method in calling to Allah the Exalted?

The Shaykh : I think part of this question has been addressed before, but perhaps something else will become clear in the answer to this question. So I say that the Muslim must focus on what is most important, as it was said:
"Knowledge, if you seek it, is abundant, *** And life is short in acquiring it."
"So prioritize the most important of it, then the most important."
We must not yield to our emotions, or to the desires of the people or the youth who live around us, and present to them whatever rulings of the Shari'ah please them. Rather, it is upon us to focus on what we must teach them, following the guidance of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), whom we were commanded to follow in His saying, Mighty and Majestic: Therefore, it is not permissible for us to remain silent about the deviation that has affected the Islamic world for a long time in understanding the creed related to a single verse, namely His saying, the Exalted: We must make them understand that faith in the unseen is the first pillar of the pillars of faith, and that the first thing included in this pillar is faith in Allah, Mighty and Majestic, His angels, and His books, as mentioned in the well-known hadith. However, general faith is not sufficient; detail is necessary.
Faith in Allah, Mighty and Majestic, as we all know, is shared by all followers of religions, whether they are Jews or Christians. But the call of Islam differs from them completely in that they understand faith in Allah, Mighty and Majestic, as He said in the well-known verse: Along this path, we must call Muslims to faith within the limits of what came in the Book and the Sunnah first, and away from the science of theology (kalam) that dominated some Islamic schools of thought, such as the Asha'irah and the Maturidiyyah. Although these people are on great good in some aspects of faith, unfortunately, they deviated in some other aspects from the methodology of the righteous Salaf.
This is what the caller should focus on in calling the Muslim youth to. Then, as we said, the most important, then the most important: they should be taught and made to know about the prayer, what makes it valid, what invalidates it, and the like.
As for the style in calling: Our Lord, Mighty and Majestic, did not leave any room for anyone after His saying, the Exalted: This undoubtedly requires the caller first to be merciful, to be compassionate, and not to be harsh with those who differ, especially if they are with him in the original call—namely, the Book and the Sunnah—but they have deviated somewhat in some aspects. Gentleness with them is necessary, as came from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in the well-known hadith from A'ishah. Sufficient for us now is his saying to her:
But I want to mention here something that many people overlook—and I mean some callers. Although gentleness is the principle in calling, this does not mean that the caller should not use severity sometimes, placing it in its appropriate place. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), who was addressed by His saying, Blessed and Exalted is He: Nevertheless, we find that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was sometimes harsh with some of those who differed, even if these people did not intend the error. But because the error related to a vital matter concerning faith, and especially concerning the Lord of all people, he (peace and blessings be upon him) used some severity.
All of you know what Imam Ahmad narrated in the Musnad with a valid chain from Abdullah ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) gave a sermon to the Companions one day, and a man stood up to say to him: "What Allah wills and what you will, O Messenger of Allah!" He said to him, peace and blessings be upon him: This severity, when placed in its place, is part of wisdom. Therefore, we should not be deceived and say that softness must always be the characteristic and attribute of the Muslim. No, this is the predominant characteristic, but sometimes severity must be placed in its appropriate place.
Finally: I bring an example from the hadiths of the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, which is his saying: This is an expression that many people may not find pleasant, but whoever truly believes in Allah and His Messenger, and knows that this hadith was spoken by the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), then this hadith will be among the evidence that severity, when in its place, is the very essence of wisdom. What is the meaning of the hadith: ?
That is, whoever boasts of his fathers in the pre-Islamic age of ignorance who were in associating partners with Allah and died in associating partners with Allah, then say to him: "Bite such and such, bite such and such," meaning the limb. This is the "han" (jaw/neck) referred to by this gentle expression in the hadith of the Messenger. But he tells us: This is severity without a doubt, but it is wisdom. This is what I also wanted to add to this question. Is there anything else?

The questioner : There is a question, O Shaykh.

The Shaykh: Go ahead.