What is the obligation of da'wah workers toward the common people in teaching 'aqidah?
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Question:
A questioner asks: What are the authentic books of 'aqidah that you advise a student of knowledge to acquire and read? And how do you guide the da'iyah who calls people from the Bedouin, the common people who need to learn the fundamentals of 'aqidah?
Answer:
The greatest and most beneficial of the books of 'aqidah is the Book of Allah, "the Qur'an." It contains guidance and light. So we advise everyone, men and women, old and young, to take care of the Qur'an, to strive to memorize it, and to recite it frequently. It is the book of 'aqidah, the book of guidance, and the intercessor that is beneficial and useful, as the Exalted and Majestic said: [Al-Isra: 9], [Fussilat: 44].
It is the straight path. So we advise all Muslims everywhere: all men and women, Arabs and non-Arabs. We advise everyone to adhere to this Qur'an, to revere it and act upon it, and to recite it frequently wherever they are, from the mushaf or from memory. They should carry out its commands and refrain from its prohibitions.
It is the book of 'aqidah, the book of action, the book of guidance, and the book of happiness. It contains every good, and it calls to every good. It calls to the noble of character and the best of deeds. It contains stories about the past, about good and evil. It informs about the people of good from the past and the people of evil from the past.
So the believing man and woman should take from it what it indicates of good, and they should beware of what it warns against of evil.
Then the books of hadith: such as the two Sahihs, the Sunans, and the reliable Musnads. The scholars of knowledge extract the hadiths, teach the people, and spread them among them.
Then the well-known books of 'aqidah by the imams of the people of the Sunnah and the community. The good, well-known books are used as aids and are beneficial in teaching people good. The well-known books of the righteous Salaf, such as the books of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah and Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on them both), and others from the scholars of knowledge known for their sound 'aqidah. And such as the books of Shaykh Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab (may Allah have mercy on him), and the imams of the Islamic da'wah in Najd. When Allah facilitated this da'wah in the twelfth century, they wrote and compiled in it what benefits people through Allah. Such as the book "Al-Tawhid," "The Three Fundamental Principles," "Kashf al-Shubuhat" (Clarification of Doubts), "Adab al-Mashi ila al-Salah" (Etiquette of Walking to Prayer), and the letters of the shaykhs in "Al-Durar al-Saniyyah" (The Precious Pearls), and "Fath al-Majid Sharh Kitab al-Tawhid" (The Opening of the Majestic: Explanation of the Book of Tawhid) by Shaykh Sulayman. These are great books. And "Al-'Aqidah al-Wasitiyyah" (The Middle Creed) by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, and "Al-Tadmuriyyah," and "Minhaj al-Sunnah" (The Path of the Sunnah), and "Al-Humayyah," and "Al-'Aqidah al-Tahawiyyah" (The Tahawi Creed) and its explanation by Ibn Abi al-'Izz, and "Lumat al-I'tiqad" (The Essence of Belief) by the author of "Al-Mughni," and other good books. These are the books of the righteous Salaf that assist in good, spread the truth, and teach people good.
So the scholars of knowledge point to them and benefit people from them. But the origin of all of it, and the great origin, is "the Qur'an." It is obligatory for everyone to take care of the Qur'an. It is the first origin, and it is the one that holds guidance and good.
So Muslims should take care of the Qur'an with the greatest care, men and women, old and young. It is the Book of Allah, containing guidance and light, and containing the indication to every good and the warning from every evil.
Then the hadiths of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) and his authentic Sunnah: such as al-Bukhari, Muslim, and other authentic books compiled in this field, such as "Al-Muntaqa," "Bulugh al-Maram," and "Umdat al-Ahkam," and other books authored on hadith, in which their authors took care of authentic hadith and clarified what is weak and what is authentic among them. These benefit the ummah. So the student of knowledge should take care of them, benefit from them, and teach people good. He should teach the common people and lead the common people to the truth, guidance, and righteousness.
A questioner asks: What are the authentic books of 'aqidah that you advise a student of knowledge to acquire and read? And how do you guide the da'iyah who calls people from the Bedouin, the common people who need to learn the fundamentals of 'aqidah?
Answer:
The greatest and most beneficial of the books of 'aqidah is the Book of Allah, "the Qur'an." It contains guidance and light. So we advise everyone, men and women, old and young, to take care of the Qur'an, to strive to memorize it, and to recite it frequently. It is the book of 'aqidah, the book of guidance, and the intercessor that is beneficial and useful, as the Exalted and Majestic said:
Indeed, this Qur'an guides to that which is most suitable
إِنَّ هَذَا الْقُرْآنَ يَهْدِي لِلَّتِي هِيَ أَقْوَمُSay, "It is, for those who believe, a guidance and cure."
قُلْ هُوَ لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا هُدًى وَشِفَاءٌIt is the straight path. So we advise all Muslims everywhere: all men and women, Arabs and non-Arabs. We advise everyone to adhere to this Qur'an, to revere it and act upon it, and to recite it frequently wherever they are, from the mushaf or from memory. They should carry out its commands and refrain from its prohibitions.
It is the book of 'aqidah, the book of action, the book of guidance, and the book of happiness. It contains every good, and it calls to every good. It calls to the noble of character and the best of deeds. It contains stories about the past, about good and evil. It informs about the people of good from the past and the people of evil from the past.
So the believing man and woman should take from it what it indicates of good, and they should beware of what it warns against of evil.
Then the books of hadith: such as the two Sahihs, the Sunans, and the reliable Musnads. The scholars of knowledge extract the hadiths, teach the people, and spread them among them.
Then the well-known books of 'aqidah by the imams of the people of the Sunnah and the community. The good, well-known books are used as aids and are beneficial in teaching people good. The well-known books of the righteous Salaf, such as the books of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah and Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on them both), and others from the scholars of knowledge known for their sound 'aqidah. And such as the books of Shaykh Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab (may Allah have mercy on him), and the imams of the Islamic da'wah in Najd. When Allah facilitated this da'wah in the twelfth century, they wrote and compiled in it what benefits people through Allah. Such as the book "Al-Tawhid," "The Three Fundamental Principles," "Kashf al-Shubuhat" (Clarification of Doubts), "Adab al-Mashi ila al-Salah" (Etiquette of Walking to Prayer), and the letters of the shaykhs in "Al-Durar al-Saniyyah" (The Precious Pearls), and "Fath al-Majid Sharh Kitab al-Tawhid" (The Opening of the Majestic: Explanation of the Book of Tawhid) by Shaykh Sulayman. These are great books. And "Al-'Aqidah al-Wasitiyyah" (The Middle Creed) by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, and "Al-Tadmuriyyah," and "Minhaj al-Sunnah" (The Path of the Sunnah), and "Al-Humayyah," and "Al-'Aqidah al-Tahawiyyah" (The Tahawi Creed) and its explanation by Ibn Abi al-'Izz, and "Lumat al-I'tiqad" (The Essence of Belief) by the author of "Al-Mughni," and other good books. These are the books of the righteous Salaf that assist in good, spread the truth, and teach people good.
So the scholars of knowledge point to them and benefit people from them. But the origin of all of it, and the great origin, is "the Qur'an." It is obligatory for everyone to take care of the Qur'an. It is the first origin, and it is the one that holds guidance and good.
So Muslims should take care of the Qur'an with the greatest care, men and women, old and young. It is the Book of Allah, containing guidance and light, and containing the indication to every good and the warning from every evil.
Then the hadiths of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) and his authentic Sunnah: such as al-Bukhari, Muslim, and other authentic books compiled in this field, such as "Al-Muntaqa," "Bulugh al-Maram," and "Umdat al-Ahkam," and other books authored on hadith, in which their authors took care of authentic hadith and clarified what is weak and what is authentic among them. These benefit the ummah. So the student of knowledge should take care of them, benefit from them, and teach people good. He should teach the common people and lead the common people to the truth, guidance, and righteousness.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.