Advice from the Shaykh to the people of Rafha and an explanation of the means of calling to Allah.
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The questioner : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
O Shaykh, we are young men from Rafha who came to visit some of the Shaykhs. We convey to you that the people of Rafha send their greetings to you and to all the young men, and we inform you that the da'wah is progressing. They say: "We love you for the sake of Allah and draw near to Allah through our love for you." The question, O Shaykh, is: If a man leads a congregation in prayer and remembers while in prayer that he is not in a state of wudu, and his wudu did not break during the prayer, but rather he was not in a state of wudu to begin with—meaning he performed wudu for the Zuhr prayer, for example—so when he reached the second or third rak'ah, he remembered that he was not in a state of purity. Does his prayer become invalid individually, or does it invalidate the prayer of the congregation?
The Shaykh : First of all, we ask you to convey our greetings to our brothers in Rafha and to inform them that we ask Allah for steadfastness for them in what you have reported to us regarding their uprightness and da'wah. We advise them, first, to fear Allah the Mighty and Majestic, to be sincere in their intentions, to be patient and steady, and not to grow weary of performing righteous deeds. They should not tire of calling to Allah, even if they suffer harm. However, let this be done with gentleness, an open heart, and a pleasant face. It is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): This is something reported by the Infallible (peace and blessings be upon him), and reality has confirmed it. Many young men whom Allah has blessed with guidance and uprightness want people to become upright overnight. You find their chests constrict when they see that people do not accept quickly. They may become angry with those they call, or perhaps curse them or describe them as misguided, or the like. All of this is contrary to the guidance of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
They should know that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) remained in Makkah for thirteen years, during which revelation was sent down to him, and he did not find complete response. In fact, he was compelled to leave Makkah as an emigrant to al-Madinah. So they should fear Allah the Mighty and Majestic, be patient in matters, be steadfast, await relief, and seek reward from Allah the Mighty and Majestic. They should increase in seeking forgiveness, advising one another to truth, advising one another to patience, and advising one another to mercy, so that their affairs may be completed. They should always ask Allah for steadfastness, for the hearts are between two fingers of the Merciful, and He turns them as He wills. If He wills, He turns the heart away, and if He wills, He makes it steadfast. We ask Allah the Mighty and Majestic to make us and you steadfast with the firm word in this worldly life and in the Hereafter.
They should strive to receive knowledge from the people of knowledge and not read every book that falls into their hands, for we observe in the present time a proliferation of writings by people who are not known for knowledge. This is a great danger. A person should not be a follower who follows every caller. Rather, they should rely only on books whose authors are known for knowledge, advice, and righteousness.
O Shaykh, we are young men from Rafha who came to visit some of the Shaykhs. We convey to you that the people of Rafha send their greetings to you and to all the young men, and we inform you that the da'wah is progressing. They say: "We love you for the sake of Allah and draw near to Allah through our love for you." The question, O Shaykh, is: If a man leads a congregation in prayer and remembers while in prayer that he is not in a state of wudu, and his wudu did not break during the prayer, but rather he was not in a state of wudu to begin with—meaning he performed wudu for the Zuhr prayer, for example—so when he reached the second or third rak'ah, he remembered that he was not in a state of purity. Does his prayer become invalid individually, or does it invalidate the prayer of the congregation?
The Shaykh : First of all, we ask you to convey our greetings to our brothers in Rafha and to inform them that we ask Allah for steadfastness for them in what you have reported to us regarding their uprightness and da'wah. We advise them, first, to fear Allah the Mighty and Majestic, to be sincere in their intentions, to be patient and steady, and not to grow weary of performing righteous deeds. They should not tire of calling to Allah, even if they suffer harm. However, let this be done with gentleness, an open heart, and a pleasant face. It is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
That Allah gives through gentleness what He does not give through harshness
أن الله يعطي بالرفق ما لا يعطي على العنفThey should know that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) remained in Makkah for thirteen years, during which revelation was sent down to him, and he did not find complete response. In fact, he was compelled to leave Makkah as an emigrant to al-Madinah. So they should fear Allah the Mighty and Majestic, be patient in matters, be steadfast, await relief, and seek reward from Allah the Mighty and Majestic. They should increase in seeking forgiveness, advising one another to truth, advising one another to patience, and advising one another to mercy, so that their affairs may be completed. They should always ask Allah for steadfastness, for the hearts are between two fingers of the Merciful, and He turns them as He wills. If He wills, He turns the heart away, and if He wills, He makes it steadfast. We ask Allah the Mighty and Majestic to make us and you steadfast with the firm word in this worldly life and in the Hereafter.
They should strive to receive knowledge from the people of knowledge and not read every book that falls into their hands, for we observe in the present time a proliferation of writings by people who are not known for knowledge. This is a great danger. A person should not be a follower who follows every caller. Rather, they should rely only on books whose authors are known for knowledge, advice, and righteousness.