A Word on the Importance of Calling to Allah and the Conditions of the One Who Calls to Allah
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The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and I send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, the Seal of the Prophets, and upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow them with excellence until the Day of Judgment.
As for what follows:
This is the ninety-fourth session of the gathering known as al-Bab al-Maftuh, or the Open Door Gathering. This takes place on the first Thursday of the year 1416, which is the third day of the month of Muharram. We ask Allah the Exalted to make it a blessed year for us and for the Muslims, and to make it accompanied by glorious victory and clear success, for He is Able to do all things.
In opening the new year, we wish to clarify that the Muslim community must call to the truth, because the Islamic religion did not become established except through calling. Allah said to His Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him):[An-Nahl 16:125], and Allah the Exalted said: [As-Sajdah 32:24].
The caller must necessarily observe certain matters:
The first matter: Sincerity of intention for Allah (Mighty and Majestic). This is the most important of the matters and the most difficult for souls. Some of the Salaf even said: "I have not struggled my self against anything as I have struggled it against sincerity". This is because a person is afflicted with looking at many things, whether it be fame, or closeness to people, or taking the lead, or many other worldly matters that scratch sincerity and compromise it. So what is sincerity in calling to Allah (Mighty and Majestic)? Sincerity in calling to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) is that the caller intends, above all else, that he is obeying the command of Allah, carrying out His command, and being obedient to Him, because Allah commanded him to do so:[An-Nahl 16:125]. If he intends this intention, his calling becomes worship, and no word is written for him without him having a reward in it, and no letter is uttered without him having a reward in it, and he does not walk without having a reward, and he does not sit without having a reward, and he does not stand without having a reward, as long as he is in this great task of calling to Allah. What is meant by this is that a person who performs the role of a caller among people intends to appear before them, that they revere him, honor him, and make him a leader. If so, this is a worldly intention lower than the Islamic religion. The Islamic religion must be the intended goal, and the intended goal must not be personal benefit, for that is a great deficiency.
Second: Among the matters of sincerity is that a person intends by calling to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) to establish the religion of Allah among His servants. This is because the religion is like the fertile land; the fertile land is capable of being planted, but it needs water. So calling to Allah is in the position of the water that descends upon the fertile land capable of sprouting. This revelation descends upon the hearts of men through this caller, so the religion is established and the community becomes upright. This is a good intention, that a person intends by calling to Allah to establish the religion of Allah among His servants. Related to sincerity is also that he intends to reform the servants of Allah, because three things afflict the servants:
The first matter: The desire of the self, the second: Satan, and the third: the environment and society. For this reason, it came in the hadith from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):Sahih al-Bukhari 1385 because the environment has a great influence.
The desire and Satan as well, so there must be a calling that helps the servants of Allah to fight these three enemies, which are: the self, Satan, and society—the environment. For this reason, you find a difference between a person who lives among two upright people and another who lives among two deviant people. So calling to Allah must be intended by a person to reform the servants of Allah.
Second: After sincerity, which includes these three matters, secondly: that his calling be with wisdom. Wisdom is: "placing things in their proper places". And among wisdom is knowledge: being knowledgeable about what he is calling to, and being knowledgeable about the state of those he is calling. As for being knowledgeable about what he is calling them to, he must have knowledge of the Shari'ah, knowing that this is truth so he calls them to it, and that this is falsehood so he warns against it. As for a man who is ignorant and does not know, yet he calls and claims that Allah inspires him in his speech and address, this is an error. Rather, he must first know, then call. Because if he does not know what he is calling to, he may misguide and also be misguided. And reforming people after they have been misguided by a person who claims to be a caller is difficult for a person to establish and to uproot this misguidance. And if he speaks about what he does not know, he has himself fallen into what Allah has forbidden him. Allah the Exalted said:[Al-A'raf 7:33], and He the Exalted said: [Al-Isra 17:36]. So how do you call with what you do not know?
Third: That he have knowledge of the state of the one being called, so that he may place him in his proper position. Because there is a difference between calling a person who is ignorant and simple, who knows nothing and is soft-tempered and good-hearted—his calling is easy, he submits to the slightest cause—and calling a man who is rebellious, who has argumentation and a eloquent tongue. This requires a strong calling, and it must be in a convincing, clear, and evident style, built upon evidence from the Book and the Sunnah, and upon evidence from reason as well. Because some people have weak faith in the Book and the Sunnah, but when you mention to them reasonable things, they submit and are unable to defend themselves.
So you must know the state of those you are calling to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) so that you are aware of the matter in how to call them. For this reason, when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sent Mu'adh to Yemen, he said to him:Sunan an-Nasa'i 2435Sahih (Darussalam): He clarified their state to him so that he would have the capacity to confront them and how to address them.
And if the caller has knowledge of the state of the one being called, he will place him in his proper position. If he is one of those with soft speech, he softens his speech to him. And if he is one of those with harsh speech, he harshens his speech to him, and there is no harm in that. For Allah says:[Al-'Ankabut 29:46]. These are the ones who have wronged, and they are treated in a manner befitting their wrongdoing. And wrongdoing here means opposing the truth and evading it.
Fourth: And among what must be attended to regarding the caller is that he be a good example, having worship, good dealings, and also morals by which he calls people. In the hadith from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):. Good character is attractive. How many a person with little knowledge guides nations through him because of his good character. And how many a person with vast and much knowledge, but he is dry, dry, and of bad character, so people turn away from him. And Allah reminded His Prophet of this, saying: [Ali 'Imran 3:159]. And this mercy is mercy for the caller and for the one being called. So it is mercy from Allah for His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), and mercy from Allah to the creation whom the Messenger calls, because if he had been rough and hard-hearted, they would not have been guided through him.
Therefore, the caller should be broad-chested and expansive, taking and giving, and not being disdainful. For this reason, he said:[As-Sajdah 32:24]. And among their patience is that they are patient with the harm of the people they are calling, because harm is inevitable, so patience is necessary.
Fifth: And among the etiquettes of the caller is that he should restrict himself to what he says according to what the situation requires. There are people with whom it is not good to speak about social matters that cause their understanding and thoughts to be scattered, and perhaps cause enmity between them. And there are specific people with whom you can speak about social matters in an attempt to reform them. So people differ.
For this reason, I urge myself and you not to belittle ourselves, but to call to Allah with all our ability and in every manner and in every situation, because that is better for us and for those we call to Allah. Indeed, whoever calls to guidance will have a reward like that of whoever acts upon it until the Day of Resurrection.
I ask Allah the Exalted to make me and you guides and guided, and leaders and reformers, and to bestow upon us from Him mercy, for He is the Bestower.
And now to the questions. We start with the right, and each person has only one question.
As for what follows:
This is the ninety-fourth session of the gathering known as al-Bab al-Maftuh, or the Open Door Gathering. This takes place on the first Thursday of the year 1416, which is the third day of the month of Muharram. We ask Allah the Exalted to make it a blessed year for us and for the Muslims, and to make it accompanied by glorious victory and clear success, for He is Able to do all things.
In opening the new year, we wish to clarify that the Muslim community must call to the truth, because the Islamic religion did not become established except through calling. Allah said to His Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him):
Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good instruction, and argue with them in a way that is best
ادع إلى سبيل ربّك بالحكمة والموعظة الحسنة وجادلهم بالتي هي أحسنAnd We made from among them leaders guiding by Our command when they were patient and [when] they were certain of Our signs.
وجعلناهم أئمّة يهدون بأمرنا لمّا صبروا وكانوا بآياتنا يوقنونThe caller must necessarily observe certain matters:
The first matter: Sincerity of intention for Allah (Mighty and Majestic). This is the most important of the matters and the most difficult for souls. Some of the Salaf even said: "I have not struggled my self against anything as I have struggled it against sincerity". This is because a person is afflicted with looking at many things, whether it be fame, or closeness to people, or taking the lead, or many other worldly matters that scratch sincerity and compromise it. So what is sincerity in calling to Allah (Mighty and Majestic)? Sincerity in calling to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) is that the caller intends, above all else, that he is obeying the command of Allah, carrying out His command, and being obedient to Him, because Allah commanded him to do so:
Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom
ادع إلى سبيل ربّك بالحكمةSecond: Among the matters of sincerity is that a person intends by calling to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) to establish the religion of Allah among His servants. This is because the religion is like the fertile land; the fertile land is capable of being planted, but it needs water. So calling to Allah is in the position of the water that descends upon the fertile land capable of sprouting. This revelation descends upon the hearts of men through this caller, so the religion is established and the community becomes upright. This is a good intention, that a person intends by calling to Allah to establish the religion of Allah among His servants. Related to sincerity is also that he intends to reform the servants of Allah, because three things afflict the servants:
The first matter: The desire of the self, the second: Satan, and the third: the environment and society. For this reason, it came in the hadith from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
Every child is born with a true faith of Islam (i.e. to worship none but Allah Alone) and his parents convert him to Judaism or Christianity or Magianism
كلّ مولود يولد على الفطرة فأبواه يهوّدانه أو ينصّرانه أو يمجّسانهThe desire and Satan as well, so there must be a calling that helps the servants of Allah to fight these three enemies, which are: the self, Satan, and society—the environment. For this reason, you find a difference between a person who lives among two upright people and another who lives among two deviant people. So calling to Allah must be intended by a person to reform the servants of Allah.
Second: After sincerity, which includes these three matters, secondly: that his calling be with wisdom. Wisdom is: "placing things in their proper places". And among wisdom is knowledge: being knowledgeable about what he is calling to, and being knowledgeable about the state of those he is calling. As for being knowledgeable about what he is calling them to, he must have knowledge of the Shari'ah, knowing that this is truth so he calls them to it, and that this is falsehood so he warns against it. As for a man who is ignorant and does not know, yet he calls and claims that Allah inspires him in his speech and address, this is an error. Rather, he must first know, then call. Because if he does not know what he is calling to, he may misguide and also be misguided. And reforming people after they have been misguided by a person who claims to be a caller is difficult for a person to establish and to uproot this misguidance. And if he speaks about what he does not know, he has himself fallen into what Allah has forbidden him. Allah the Exalted said:
Say, "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."
قل إنما حرم ربي الفواحش ما ظهر منها وما بطن والإثم والبغي بغير الحق وأن تشركوا بالله ما لم ينزل به سلطانًا وأن تقولوا على الله ما لا تعلمونAnd do not pursue that of which you have no knowledge. Indeed, the hearing, the sight and the heart - about all those [one] will be questioned.
ولا تقف ما ليس لك به علم إنّ السّمع والبصر والفؤاد كلّ أولئك كان عنه مسؤولاThird: That he have knowledge of the state of the one being called, so that he may place him in his proper position. Because there is a difference between calling a person who is ignorant and simple, who knows nothing and is soft-tempered and good-hearted—his calling is easy, he submits to the slightest cause—and calling a man who is rebellious, who has argumentation and a eloquent tongue. This requires a strong calling, and it must be in a convincing, clear, and evident style, built upon evidence from the Book and the Sunnah, and upon evidence from reason as well. Because some people have weak faith in the Book and the Sunnah, but when you mention to them reasonable things, they submit and are unable to defend themselves.
So you must know the state of those you are calling to Allah (Mighty and Majestic) so that you are aware of the matter in how to call them. For this reason, when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sent Mu'adh to Yemen, he said to him:
You are going to some of the People of the book
إنّك تأتي قوما أهل كتابAnd if the caller has knowledge of the state of the one being called, he will place him in his proper position. If he is one of those with soft speech, he softens his speech to him. And if he is one of those with harsh speech, he harshens his speech to him, and there is no harm in that. For Allah says:
And do not argue with the People of the Scripture except in a way that is best, except for those who commit injustice among them
ولا تجادلوا أهل الكتاب إلاّ بالتي هي أحسن إلاّ الذين ظلموا منهمFourth: And among what must be attended to regarding the caller is that he be a good example, having worship, good dealings, and also morals by which he calls people. In the hadith from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
You will not make people strive for your provision, but Allah makes them strive for His provision
إنّكم لن تسعوا النّاس بأرزاقكم ولكن سعوهم بحسن الخلقSo by mercy from Allah, [O Muhammad], you were lenient with them. And if you had been rude [in speech] and harsh in heart, they would have disbanded from about you.
فبما رحمة من الله لنت لهم ولو كنت فظّا غليظ القلب لانفضّوا من حولكTherefore, the caller should be broad-chested and expansive, taking and giving, and not being disdainful. For this reason, he said:
And We made from among them leaders guiding by Our command when they were patient
وجعلناهم أئمّة يهدون بأمرنا لمّا صبرواFifth: And among the etiquettes of the caller is that he should restrict himself to what he says according to what the situation requires. There are people with whom it is not good to speak about social matters that cause their understanding and thoughts to be scattered, and perhaps cause enmity between them. And there are specific people with whom you can speak about social matters in an attempt to reform them. So people differ.
For this reason, I urge myself and you not to belittle ourselves, but to call to Allah with all our ability and in every manner and in every situation, because that is better for us and for those we call to Allah. Indeed, whoever calls to guidance will have a reward like that of whoever acts upon it until the Day of Resurrection.
I ask Allah the Exalted to make me and you guides and guided, and leaders and reformers, and to bestow upon us from Him mercy, for He is the Bestower.
And now to the questions. We start with the right, and each person has only one question.