Explanation of the words of Imam al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) regarding what he quoted: "
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The Shaykh : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
The author (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "The chapter on guiding to good and calling to it" Guiding to good means that a person clarifies to another person the good that they benefit from in their religious and worldly affairs. Whoever guides to good is like the one who does it. As for calling to it, it is more specific than guiding, because a person may guide by clarifying without calling. If he calls, that is more complete and better. A person is commanded to call to good, to call to Allah the Mighty and Majestic, as Allah the Exalted said: and the end of the verse is And Allah the Exalted said: [An-Nahl 16:125] And Allah the Exalted said: [Ali 'Imran 3:104-105] These verses and their like all indicate that a person should be a caller to Allah. However, calling cannot be accomplished except with knowledge, with a person's knowledge of what he is calling to, because an ignorant person may call to something he thinks is true but is false, and he may forbid something he thinks is false but is true. So knowledge is necessary first; a person must learn what he is calling to. It does not matter if he is a scholar who is deeply versed and understands all the branches of knowledge, or if he is a scholar in the specific issue he is calling to. That is, it is not a condition that a person be a scholar deeply versed in everything. Rather, suppose you want to call people to establishing the prayer. If you understand the rulings of the prayer and know them well, then call to it, even if you do not know the other branches of knowledge. This is based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2669Sahih (Darussalam) But it is not permissible to call without knowledge ever, because that is dangerous for you and for others. As for its danger for you, it is because Allah has forbidden you to say about Allah what you do not know. Allah the Exalted said: [Al-A'raf 7:33] And Allah the Exalted said: [Al-Isra 17:36] meaning: do not follow what you have no knowledge of, for you will be held accountable for it. [Al-Isra 17:36] It is also necessary that a person be wise in his calling, placing things in their proper places and putting them in their proper positions. He calls the one who turns to Allah the Mighty and Majestic with what suits him, he calls the one who turns away with what suits him, and he calls the ignorant person with what suits him. Every group of people has a specific calling according to what befits their condition. The evidence for this is So he informed him of their condition so that he would prepare for them and place them in their proper station. Because if they are People of the Book, they have, by virtue of the knowledge they possess, a capacity for argumentation that others do not have. So the polytheists are ignorant and misguided, but the People of the Book have knowledge and require full preparation. They are also confronted with what befits them, because they see themselves as People of the Book and people of knowledge, so the matter requires that they be considered in the manner of calling. For this reason, he said to him: Sahih al-Bukhari 1496 Let us give a practical example of this: If an ignorant man speaks while he is praying, thinking that speech does not harm, we do not rebuke him, we do not scold him, and we do not be harsh with him. Rather, we say to him when he has finished his prayer: This prayer is not valid with any of the speech of people; it is only glorification, saying Allahu Akbar, and reciting the Qur'an. But if we know that a person knows that speech in prayer is forbidden and invalidates it, but he is a reckless person, refuge in Allah, who speaks and does not care, and his brother comes next to him and hears him saying "do such and such" or "I did such and such," then we address him with what befits him, we are harsh with him, and we scold him. For every occasion has its appropriate speech. For this reason, Allah the Exalted said: [An-Nahl 16:125] Wisdom is that you place things in their proper positions and place people in their proper stations. Do not address people with one type of speech, and do not call them in one manner. Rather, give each person what befits him. The rest of the discussion regarding the verses will come, if Allah wills.
The reader: The author (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "The chapter on guiding to good and calling to guidance or misguidance. Allah the Exalted said: And He said: [An-Nahl 16:125] And Allah the Exalted said: [Al-Ma'idah 5:2] And He said: [Ali 'Imran 3:104] ".
The author (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "The chapter on guiding to good and calling to it" Guiding to good means that a person clarifies to another person the good that they benefit from in their religious and worldly affairs. Whoever guides to good is like the one who does it. As for calling to it, it is more specific than guiding, because a person may guide by clarifying without calling. If he calls, that is more complete and better. A person is commanded to call to good, to call to Allah the Mighty and Majestic, as Allah the Exalted said:
And call to your Lord
وادع إلى ربكIndeed, you are upon a straight path
إِنَّكَ لَعَلَى هُدىً مُسْتَقِيمٍInvite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good instruction, and argue with them in a way that is best
ادْعُ إِلَى سَبِيلِ رَبِّكَ بِالْحِكْمَةِ وَالْمَوْعِظَةِ الْحَسَنَةِ وَجَادِلْهُمْ بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ(104) And let there be [arising] from you a nation inviting to [all that is] good, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong, and those will be the successful. (105) And do not be like the ones who became divided and differed after the clear proofs had come to them. And those will have a great punishment.
وَلْتَكُنْ مِنْكُمْ أُمَّةٌ يَدْعُونَ إِلَى الْخَيْرِ وَيَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ وَلا تَكُونُوا كَالَّذِينَ تَفَرَّقُوا وَاخْتَلَفُوا مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا جَاءَهُمُ الْبَيِّنَاتُ وَأُولَئِكَ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌConvey from me, even if it be an Ayah
بلغوا عني ولو آيةSay, "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 تَعْلَمُونَAnd do not pursue that of which you have no knowledge
وَلا تَقْفُ مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِ عِلْمIndeed, the hearing, the sight and the heart - about all those [one] will be questioned.
إِنَّ السَّمْعَ وَالْبَصَرَ وَالْفُؤَادَ كُلُّ أُولَئِكَ كَانَ عَنْهُ مَسْؤُولاًThat the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), when he sent Mu'adh to Yemen, said to him: You will come to a people of the Book
أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم لما بعث معاذًا إلى اليمن قال له: إنك تأتي قومًا أهل كتابYou will go to the people of the Scripture
إنك ستأتي قومًا أهل كتابInvite to the way of your Lord with wisdom
ادْعُ إِلَى سَبِيلِ رَبِّكَ بِالْحِكْمَةِThe reader: The author (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "The chapter on guiding to good and calling to guidance or misguidance. Allah the Exalted said: