The Meaning of Allah's Saying: "Call to the Path of Your Lord" and What Is Required in Calling to Allah
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The Shaykh : And on this basis, we say: The saying of the Exalted, , includes the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) and others.
And His saying: And His saying: What is the Path of Allah? The Path of Allah the Exalted is His Shari'ah, because it is a road that leads to Allah the Glorious and Majestic, and because Allah the Exalted is the One who legislated it, so it is attributed to Him. Thus, the Shari'ah is attributed to Allah for two reasons:
The first reason: What is it? It is that which leads to Allah.
And the second reason: It is that He is the One who legislated it for His servants and explained it to them so that they may reach Allah, Mighty and Majestic.
Here, if we reflect on the word "Path," we find that it is sometimes attributed to Allah, as in this verse, and sometimes attributed to the believers, as in His saying: [An-Nisa 4:115] So here He attributed the Path to the believers. How do we reconcile the two verses? Sometimes it is attributed to Allah, and sometimes to the believers. We say: Reconciling them is easy. It is attributed to the believers because they are the ones who walk upon it, and it is attributed to Allah because He legislated it and it leads to Him. The same applies to the word "Sirat": [Ash-Shuraa 42:52-53] [Al-Fatihah 1:6-7] So sometimes He attributed the Sirat to Allah, and sometimes He attributed the Sirat to the believers upon whom Allah has bestowed His favor. How do we reconcile this? Is this a specific question?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Okay, take a break, please?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : It is attributed to the believers upon whom Allah has bestowed His favor because they are the ones who walked upon it, and it is attributed to Allah because He legislated it and it leads to Him.
In this is evidence for the obligation of sincerity (ikhlas) in calling to the Path of Allah. This is sincerity, because callers have various intentions. Some call to the Path of Allah, but out of revenge against the one being called, or to vindicate their own opinion. Is the one who calls out of revenge against the one being called, or to vindicate his own opinion, a caller to Allah or to the Path of Allah? No. There are people today who call to Allah, but they want to vindicate their own statement, and therefore it is very difficult for them to retract it, even if it is contrary to the truth, because they want the words to be theirs, or for the authority of opinion to be theirs. This is undoubtedly far from sincerity. This is calling to desire (hawa), not calling to guidance.
Another person calls out of revenge against the individual; this is also wrong. It is obligatory to call to Allah, to the path of Allah, to reform the servants of Allah, not out of revenge against them, nor to vindicate your opinion, but to reform them. And if that is the case, meaning for the reform of creation, the person will take the closest paths to achieving the intended goal.
And His saying, Glorious and Exalted is He: It becomes clear that knowledge is necessary. Why? You must know what you are calling to, that it is from the Shari'ah of Allah. So you learn first, then you call second. As for calling to the Path of Allah while you do not know the Path of Allah, how is this possible?! For this reason, Allah the Exalted said in another verse: With knowledge. So it is necessary that a person be knowledgeable about what he is calling to, and that it is truth and from the Shari'ah of Allah. As for merely having the idea arise in his mind that this is truth, without scriptural evidence, it is not permissible for him to speak, because Allah says: [Al-Isra 17:36] And Allah, Glorious and Exalted is He, says: [Al-A'raf 7:33] Recite the verse.
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Are you a memorizer of the Qur'an or not?[Al-A'raf 7:33].
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : What is the evidence from this verse for the prohibition of calling to Allah without knowledge?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Well done, may Allah reward you. It is necessary that a person be knowledgeable about the Shari'ah. So if you see a person praying but he does not settle in his prayer, saying: "Allahu ma' shakira li man hamidah, Rabbana wa lakal hamd," and then immediately prostrates without settling, is it permissible for you to say to him: "Your prayer is invalid" without knowledge? Answer? It is not permissible. How can you call to something you do not know about? But if you know that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to the one who was praying but did not settle:Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2692Sahih (Darussalam) At that point, you have evidence and you can call to Allah.
It is also necessary that he be knowledgeable about the condition of the one being called, otherwise it is not permissible for him to speak. You must be knowledgeable about the condition of the one being called, that he needs to be called, and whether he is one who has knowledge or one who does not have knowledge. The evidence for this is the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to Mu'adh, when he sent him to the people of Yemen. He said:Sunan an-Nasa'i 2435Sahih (Darussalam) Why did he inform him of their condition? So that he would know how to address these people, because the address of the knowledgeable is not like the address of the ignorant. The address of the knowledgeable requires that you have the ability to debate him, because the knowledgeable person who was upon falsehood will not accept or receive the call easily, because he has knowledge. So you will find that when you call him to the truth, he debates to invalidate the truth and establish the falsehood he was upon. So you must know.
If you wanted to call a Christian to the Islamic religion, you need to know that he is a Christian and that his belief is the Trinity, for example, saying: "Allah is the third of three." You need to know how to respond to him if he argues with you using falsehood; otherwise, you will be defeated. The defeat of the one who calls to Allah (Mighty and Majestic), who built his call upon other than knowledge, is a calamity. It is not a calamity for him alone, but a calamity for what? For the religion to which he is calling. Therefore, you must be knowledgeable about the condition of the one being called.
Look at the story of the man who entered while the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was delivering the sermon on Friday, and he sat down. Did the Messenger (may Allah praise him and grant him peace) call him to pray two units before knowing his condition? Who knows? Please, I am asking you: Did he call him before knowing his condition, or did he not call him until he knew his condition?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : He did not call him until he knew his condition. Explain the aspect of that?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : The man sat down when he entered, sat down, and he said to him:Sahih Muslim 875c May Allah bless you. Rest.
I found a person eating in Ramadan here in the city. Do you rebuke him from the start? Brother
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : How?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Yes, but I found a person eating during the day of Ramadan in the city. What do you ask him about?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : You did well. Rest. May Allah bless you. I do not rebuke him until I say: Are you a traveler? Or are you one for whom it is permissible to break the fast? But if I found a person from the people of the town, and I know that he is from the people of the town and that he has no excuse for breaking the fast, then at that time I would rebuke him. I would remind him, perhaps he forgot. And it is amazing that some of the common people say: If you see a person eating in Ramadan, do not remind him. Why? Because the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sahih Muslim 1155 As long as Allah has fed him and given him drink, do not forbid it. Do not cut off his provision. Let him eat, let him drink. And this is wrong. It is obligatory that a believer remind his brother, because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), what did he do? When he made a mistake in his prayer, he said: Sahih al-Bukhari 401 So it is obligatory for a believer to remind his brother, and this is from the category of cooperating in righteousness and piety. As for the saying: This is provision that Allah has sent to him, let him eat and drink. This is wrong. We said it is necessary that he be knowledgeable about what he is calling to, and secondly, that he be knowledgeable about the condition of the one being called, so that he is upon clarity in how he calls him.
Call to the way of your Lord.
ادْعُ إِلَى سَبِيلِ رَبِّكَAnd His saying: And His saying:
to the path of your Lord
إِلَى سَبِيلِ رَبِّكَThe first reason: What is it? It is that which leads to Allah.
And the second reason: It is that He is the One who legislated it for His servants and explained it to them so that they may reach Allah, Mighty and Majestic.
Call to the way of your Lord.
ادْعُ إِلَى سَبِيلِ رَبِّكَAnd whoever opposes the Messenger after guidance has become clear to him and follows other than the way of the believers - We will give him what he has taken and drive him into Hell, and evil it is as a destination.
وَمَنْ يُشَاقِقِ الرَّسُولَ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُ الْهُدَى وَيَتَّبِعْ غَيْرَ سَبِيلِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ نُوَلِّهِ مَا تَوَلَّى وَنُصْلِهِ جَهَنَّمَ وَسَاءَتْ مَصِيراًAnd indeed, [O Muhammad], you guide to a straight path - (53) The path of Allah
وَإِنَّكَ لَتَهْدِي إِلَى صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ صِرَاطِ اللَّهِ(6) Guide us to the straight path - (7) The path of those upon whom You have bestowed favor, not of those who have evoked [Your] anger or of those who are astray.
اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْThe student: ... .
The Shaykh : Okay, take a break, please?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : It is attributed to the believers upon whom Allah has bestowed His favor because they are the ones who walked upon it, and it is attributed to Allah because He legislated it and it leads to Him.
Call to the way of your Lord.
ادْعُ إِلَى سَبِيلِ رَبِّكَAnother person calls out of revenge against the individual; this is also wrong. It is obligatory to call to Allah, to the path of Allah, to reform the servants of Allah, not out of revenge against them, nor to vindicate your opinion, but to reform them. And if that is the case, meaning for the reform of creation, the person will take the closest paths to achieving the intended goal.
And His saying, Glorious and Exalted is He:
Call to the way of your Lord.
ادْعُ إِلَى سَبِيلِ رَبِّكَSay, “This is my path; I call to Allah with insight,
قُلْ هَذِهِ سَبِيلِي أَدْعُو إِلَى اللَّهِ عَلَى بَصِيرَةٍAnd do not pursue that of which you have no knowledge
وَلا تَقْفُ مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِ عِلْمٌSay, "My Lord has only forbidden immoralities - what is apparent of them and what is concealed - and sin, and oppression without right, and that you associate with Allah that for which He has not sent down authority, and that you say about Allah that which you do not know."
قُلْ إِنَّمَا حَرَّمَ رَبِّيَ الْفَوَاحِشَ مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا وَمَا بَطَنَ وَالْأِثْمَ وَالْبَغْيَ بِغَيْرِ الْحَقِّ وَأَنْ تُشْرِكُوا بِاللَّهِ مَا لَمْ يُنَزِّلْ بِهِ سُلْطَاناً وَأَنْ تَقُولُوا عَلَى اللَّهِ مَا لا تَعْلَمُونَThe student: ... .
The Shaykh : Are you a memorizer of the Qur'an or not?
Say, "My Lord has only forbidden
قُلْ إِنَّمَا حَرَّمَ رَبِّيَThe student: ... .
The Shaykh : What is the evidence from this verse for the prohibition of calling to Allah without knowledge?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Well done, may Allah reward you. It is necessary that a person be knowledgeable about the Shari'ah. So if you see a person praying but he does not settle in his prayer, saying: "Allahu ma' shakira li man hamidah, Rabbana wa lakal hamd," and then immediately prostrates without settling, is it permissible for you to say to him: "Your prayer is invalid" without knowledge? Answer? It is not permissible. How can you call to something you do not know about? But if you know that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to the one who was praying but did not settle:
go back and pray for indeed you have not prayed.
ارجع فصلِ فإنك لم تصلِIt is also necessary that he be knowledgeable about the condition of the one being called, otherwise it is not permissible for him to speak. You must be knowledgeable about the condition of the one being called, that he needs to be called, and whether he is one who has knowledge or one who does not have knowledge. The evidence for this is the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to Mu'adh, when he sent him to the people of Yemen. He said:
You are going to some of the People of the book
إنك تأتي قوماً أهل كتابIf you wanted to call a Christian to the Islamic religion, you need to know that he is a Christian and that his belief is the Trinity, for example, saying: "Allah is the third of three." You need to know how to respond to him if he argues with you using falsehood; otherwise, you will be defeated. The defeat of the one who calls to Allah (Mighty and Majestic), who built his call upon other than knowledge, is a calamity. It is not a calamity for him alone, but a calamity for what? For the religion to which he is calling. Therefore, you must be knowledgeable about the condition of the one being called.
Look at the story of the man who entered while the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was delivering the sermon on Friday, and he sat down. Did the Messenger (may Allah praise him and grant him peace) call him to pray two units before knowing his condition? Who knows? Please, I am asking you: Did he call him before knowing his condition, or did he not call him until he knew his condition?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : He did not call him until he knew his condition. Explain the aspect of that?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : The man sat down when he entered, sat down, and he said to him:
Have you observed prayer? He said: No. He (the Holy Prophet) said: Stand and offer the two rak'ahs.
أصليت ؟ قال : لا، قال : قم فصل ركعتينI found a person eating in Ramadan here in the city. Do you rebuke him from the start? Brother
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : How?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : Yes, but I found a person eating during the day of Ramadan in the city. What do you ask him about?
The student: ... .
The Shaykh : You did well. Rest. May Allah bless you. I do not rebuke him until I say: Are you a traveler? Or are you one for whom it is permissible to break the fast? But if I found a person from the people of the town, and I know that he is from the people of the town and that he has no excuse for breaking the fast, then at that time I would rebuke him. I would remind him, perhaps he forgot. And it is amazing that some of the common people say: If you see a person eating in Ramadan, do not remind him. Why? Because the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said: