Which categories of people are most in need of da'wah? And with what should one begin their da'wah?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : First, we convey to you the greetings of the beginner students.
The Shaykh : Peace and mercy of Allah and His blessings be upon you and them.
The questioner : And we give you the situation in Azerbaijan.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : There, the people are divided into three groups: Shi'ah, Sufis, and the third type: they do not care about anything regarding religion, and we are there.
The Shaykh : Excuse me, what is the third type?
The questioner : The ignorant.
The Shaykh : The ignorant, yes.
The questioner : They do not know anything.
The Shaykh: Allah is the Greatest!
The questioner : So we are present there and are confused about whom to call to da'wah: the Sufis, or the Shi'ah, or these ignorant people? So we hope you will benefit us?
The Shaykh : But I believe, may Allah reward you, that this question is theoretical, not practical. A Muslim, wherever he settles, must perform the obligation of da'wah, each according to his ability, as he (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2669Sahih (Darussalam), Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2669Sahih (Darussalam) We must understand this hadith correctly. The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) did not mean "convey from me even a verse of the Qur'an," no. The indication of the hadith is broader than that Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2669Sahih (Darussalam), whether it is from the Qur'an or from his words (peace and blessings be upon him). So the intended meaning of "verse" here is the original meaning of the word "verse," which is a complete sentence. The complete sentence may be in the Qur'an, or it may be in a hadith of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). So the Muslim who memorizes a verse and masters it well, or a hadith likewise, must convey it in any occasion or in any gathering. So I do not think you, or anyone else, is always sitting with the Sufis, always, always, and is not tested by sitting with a Shi'i, for example. This is not reasonable. And it is not conceivable that you never sit once with the third group, who are not of these and not of those, [Al-Furqan 25:44]. It is impossible that you are not also tested by such people. So you call all people to da'wah, and you must focus, above all, on detailing the creed, because the creed is what saves its owner from eternal abode in the Fire. As for one who drinks intoxicants, commits zina, steals, etc., but he testifies to the truth, he is as he (peace and blessings be upon him) said in the authentic hadith: Sahih al-Bukhari 5401. So you must call all these groups you mentioned to correcting the creed, to understanding the true meaning of "La ilaha illa Allah" and the true meaning of "Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah" (peace and blessings be upon him). We summarize these two realities in two similar words that differ by what is added to them. The meaning of "La ilaha illa Allah" is the oneness of Allah in worship, and the meaning of "Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah" is the oneness of the Messenger in following. Is this clear?
The questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : And this is a field in which its explanation is much, and very much, for one who has knowledge of the Book and the Sunnah. This is the answer to the question.
The Shaykh : Peace and mercy of Allah and His blessings be upon you and them.
The questioner : And we give you the situation in Azerbaijan.
The Shaykh: Yes.
The questioner : There, the people are divided into three groups: Shi'ah, Sufis, and the third type: they do not care about anything regarding religion, and we are there.
The Shaykh : Excuse me, what is the third type?
The questioner : The ignorant.
The Shaykh : The ignorant, yes.
The questioner : They do not know anything.
The Shaykh: Allah is the Greatest!
The questioner : So we are present there and are confused about whom to call to da'wah: the Sufis, or the Shi'ah, or these ignorant people? So we hope you will benefit us?
The Shaykh : But I believe, may Allah reward you, that this question is theoretical, not practical. A Muslim, wherever he settles, must perform the obligation of da'wah, each according to his ability, as he (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
Convey from me, even if it be an Ayah, and narrate from the Children of Isra'il, and there is no harm, And whoever lies upon me purposely, then let him take his seat in the Fire.
بلِّغوا عني ولو آية ، وحدِّثوا عن بني إسرائيل ولا حرج ، ومَن كَذَبَ عليَّ متعمِّدًا فليتبوَّأ مقعده من النارConvey from me, even if it be an Ayah
بلِّغوا عني ولو آيةConvey from me, even if it be an Ayah
بلِّغوا عنِّي ولو آيةThey are not except like livestock. Rather, they are [even] more astray
إِنْ هُمْ إِلَّا كَالْأَنْعَامِ بَلْ هُمْ أَضَلُّNarrated 'Urban bin Malik: who attended the Badr battle and was from the Ansar, that he came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said, "O Allah's Apostle! I have lost my eyesight and I lead my people in the prayer (as an Imam). When it rains, the valley which is between me and my people, flows with water, and then I cannot go to their mosque to lead them in the prayer. O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! I wish that you could come and pray in my house so that I may take it as a praying place. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Allah willing, I will do that." The next morning, soon after the sun had risen, Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) came with Abu Bakr. The Prophet (ﷺ) asked for the permission to enter and I admitted him. The Prophet (ﷺ) had not sat till he had entered the house and said to me, "Where do you like me to pray in your house?" I pointed at a place in my house whereupon he stood and said, "Allahu Akbar." We lined behind him and he prayed two rak`at and finished it with Taslim. We then requested him to stay for a special meal of Khazira which we had prepared. A large number of men from the adjoining area gathered in the house. One of them said, "Where is Malik bin Ad-Dukhshun?" Another man said, "He is a hypocrite and does not love Allah and His Apostle." The Prophet said, "Do not say so. Do you not think that he has said: "None has the right to be worshipped but Allah," seeking Allah's pleasure? The man said, "Allah and His Apostle know better, but we have always seen him mixing with hypocrites and giving them advice." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Allah has forbidden the (Hell) Fire for those who testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah, seeking Allah's pleasure. "
مَن قال : لا إله إلا الله ؛ نَفَعَتْه يومًا من دهرهThe questioner: Yes.
The Shaykh : And this is a field in which its explanation is much, and very much, for one who has knowledge of the Book and the Sunnah. This is the answer to the question.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.