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An examination of the issue of the Majaal (place of focus) of the Da’wah


The following is the translation of an Arabic article, the original has been included below.

The Majaal (place of focus to bring the change) of the Da’wah is a prisoner to the capability of carrying it and to where the Mana’ah exists, whilst it is not a prisoner to any particular land. Therefore, any land that does not possess the Mana’ah or it possesses it but it is not possible to carry the Da’wah within it, is not valid for any group to limit or restrict its Majaal to it. This represents a Hukm Shar’iy which is obligatory upon every Jamaa’ah (group) to adhere to. It does not fall under the category of evaluation and examination or the category of deciding by examination the designation of the Majaal of the work. Rather, it represents a Hukm Shar’iy which can be understood quickly by the one who reads the Seerah of the Nabi ﷺ before the establishment of the state.

That is because, when Allah ‘Azza Wa Jalla dispatched the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in Makkah (i.e. with the mission of Prophethood), Makkah was the state that he carried the Da’wah within. Makkah, at that time, was from the strongest states of the Arabian Peninsula and therefore it possessed the Mana’ah (protective force), and he was established with the capability to carry the Da’wah within it. He remained in it until the death of his paternal uncle Abu Taalib. Then when his uncle died and Quraish were able to afflict him in a manner that they were previously unable to, and oppressively harassed him and his companions, may Allah be pleased with them, he left Makkah seeking another land to carry the Da’wah in, like he had been carrying it within Makkah.

The following was recorded in the Seerah: “And when Abu Taalib died, the Quraish afflicted the Messenger of Allah ﷺ with harm in a way that they had previously been unable … And so, he departed for At-Taa’if seeking An-Nusrah (support) from Thaqeef …” Al-Haakim related in his “Al-Mustadrak” upon the “Two Saheeh’s”, from Jaabir, may Allah be pleased with him, that he said: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to present himself to the people at Al-Mawqif (a place) and say (to them): “Is there a man who will take me to his people, for verily Quraish have prevented me from conveying the speech (Kalaam) of my Lord?”. He said: A man then approached him from Bani Hamdaan and said: “I will”. He ﷺ then asked him: “And do your people possess Al-Mana’ah (protective force)?” He replied: “Yes”. He then asked him where he was from and he replied: “Hamdaan” …”.

Therefore, the Messenger ﷺ was carrying the Da’wah within a society possessing “Al-Mana’ah” (protective force) and in which there was the capability to convey, even if there were some obstacles within it. Then when it was not possible to carry the Da’wah like it had been, he resolved to depart from this land to another land possessing “Al-Mana’ah” like the land he was intending to leave. And all of his questions and research related to the new Majaal (place of work) was concerned with two matters: Al-Mana’ah (possession of a capable protective force) and the capability to undertake the conveyance (of the Da’wah).

As such, he went to At-Taa’if seeking these two matters there and when he returned from At-Taa’if he used to seek these two matters from all those whom he had heard that they possess order and standing, during the Hajj season. There is no need here to present all of the narrations related to that as they are from the most evident matters within the books of Seerah. His insistence upon these two matters indicates that they represent the condition in respect to the Majaal. Therefore, any Jamaa’ah (group) striving to establish the Khilafah is not permitted to be restricted or limited in its efforts, to a land that does not possess Mana’ah or a land that possesses Mana’ah but it is not possible to carry the Da’wah within it.

It is possible here, at this point to take note of the issue (Mas’alah) of An-Nusrah (the support). That is because the meaning of the Nusrah, within the Seerah, is not as some have suggested, in that it means be occupied with the people of power in a particular land to overthrow the ruling system within it. Rather, its meaning, is searching for a Majaal other than the Majaal (area or field) that the Da’wah had been carried in. That is very clear from the statement of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ: “Is there a man who will take me to his people, for Quraish have prevented me from conveying the speech (Kalaam) of my Lord?”. The ‘Illah (reasoning) here is very clear and the meaning of seeking the Nusrah is even clearer.

Consequently, the departure from Makkah, which was the Majaal, was only because its people had prevented him from conveying and had not provided support to him. The seeking of support (Talab un-Nusrah) means searching for a new Majaal which possesses Mana’ah (capable protective force) and where the Da’wah can be carried within it. His departure to At-Taa’if was only based upon this understanding and it did not represent a new kind of action which had not already existed amongst his actions ﷺ.

That is because the Messenger ﷺ was seeking the rule before that and the evidence for that was his statement to Quraish whilst making Tawaaf around the Ka’bah when they were winking (in a disparaging manner) at him: “Know that verily I have come to you only with slaughter”, his statement to his uncle Abu Taalib: “O uncle, if they placed the sun in my right hand and the moon in my left, for me to leave this matter, I would not leave it until Allah makes it prevail or I perish in its way”, and his statement to Abu Dharr: “If or when the news of our prevalence reaches you, come to us”. All of that indicates that he ﷺ used to seek the rule in Makkah before what has been called the seeking of Nusrah.

And the fact that the people of Seerah regarded a particular incident to be the Talab un-Nusrah (seeking or request of support), that doesn’t mean that what came under this heading or title, was the request or seeking of the rule or preoccupation with the people of power to overturn the ruling system in a particular land. That is because they did not say that and all that has been mentioned under this heading of title (i.e. of Talab un-Nusrah) was related to the searching of the Messenger ﷺ for a society other than the Makkiy society to carry the Da’wah in it, just as he had been carrying it in Makkah, and no more than this i.e. he was looking for a new Majaal.

In addition, there is nothing in the speech or action of the Messenger ﷺ indicating that what he undertook in what was called “Talab un-Nusrah” represented a new action which he had not been undertaking prior to that. His act of going out from Makkah to another land can virtually be reasoned with a Shar’iyah ‘Illah due to his statement in the previously quoted Hadeeth about the person from Hamdaan: “… For verily Quraish have prevented me from conveying the speech (Kalaam) of my Lord” in addition to his statement ﷺ made to those whom he was inviting to from the tribes: “That you provide security (safety i.e. Amaan), support me (Nusrah) and provide protective force (i.e. Mana’ah) to me”. All of these were matters which were understood to the people of Makkah and were well-known, whether the Messenger ﷺ (explicitly) stated them or did not, and the war against him conducted by the leaders was for no other reason except because it was well-known to them what this matter was leading to (i.e. the rule).

Also, what is the meaning of his statement: “Until Allah makes it prevail or I perish upon its way” and how could the Quraish possibly have understood his statement ﷺ: “Know that verily I have come to you only with slaughter”? The necessity of Al-Imaan (belief) and An-Nusrah (support) were matters that the people of Makkah fully comprehended just as those who became Muslim with him understood. That is because they went forth to provide support to him naturally with the capability that they possessed and even without being commanded to do so, which indicates that is had been an obvious matter for those whom the Messenger ﷺ was calling to Islaam, just as it was natural for the Messenger to make that clear to the people who were not aware from him and were not his people in origin, when he went outside of Makkah. However, this clarifying does not mean that it was a new action but rather the need for that clarification was only due to the fact that he was addressing different people and due to their ignorance of the matter of the person inviting them.

When the Messenger ﷺ was undertaking his search, he would go out sometimes outside of Makkah and on other occasions he would present himself during the Hajj seasons to the emissaries of the states which would come to the Hajj. He invited Banu Kalb, Banu Haneefah, Banu ‘Aamir Bin As-Sa’sa’ah and others, probing for the Mana’ah and capability to undertake the conveyance. That is indicated to due to the Majaal being a prisoner and dependent upon these two matters and when he used to invite any of them he was not insistent or resolved upon undertaking the work amongst them. By there mere refusal or rejection, that was enough for him to leave them and to continue the search for others, until Allah facilitated the Ansaar, all of which confirms that the Majaal is a prisoner to (or dependent upon) these two matters alone.

Probing and looking for these two matters does not mean the prohibition of carrying the Da’wah in a land which does not meet these two requirements. Rather, it means that is necessary for there to be at least one land which meets and fulfils these two conditions. This is what makes the Jamaa’ah fulfilling of its obligations whilst it is permissible for the Da’wah to be carried in other than it, because the Messenger ﷺ carried it to people who did not meet these conditions.

Based upon this, it is obligatory upon the Jamaa’ah (group) to continuously probe and inquire about a land that meets these conditions and to not limit itself to a matter that is (merely) named the Majaal, and to do exactly what the Messenger ﷺ did in terms of carrying the Da’wah to the people, whilst focusing on probing for and detecting these two conditions wherever they were to be found. Then if these two conditions were found in a particular land, then the Da’wah is focused upon it, exactly as the Messenger ﷺ did, when he focused upon Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah.

In addition, the Mana’ah is not a set defined matter which is evaluated once and that’s it. Rather, it refers to the capability of the land to protect itself from the present and anticipated dangers in the circumstance of the establishment of the authority of Islaam. It represents a matter connected to the international and local (or regional) circumstances and it is necessary to be attentive to it always. There could be a relatively major state which does not possess the Mana’ah today because it is not powerful enough to repel a potential aggression or attack, whilst there could be a relatively minor state which possesses the Mana’ah in other circumstances because it is not expected to be exposed to any dangers … and so on. In this way, the matter returns back to an evaluation based upon defined or specified circumstances. However, it is not valid to base this evaluation upon imaginative perceptions or wishes. Rather, it is necessary to base it upon facts and truths which are actually are really present existing upon the ground reality. 

That is because knowledge about the land which meets these conditions cannot be known except by carrying the Da’wah within it and then knowing the extent of the response of the people to that Da’wah. This means, that the Da’wah is carried in every land which is thought or believed to possess the Mana’ah to discover the extent of the positive response of the people with it. If they respond positively to it (or harmonise with it) then that is what is required and if not, then it is necessary to look for another land to carry it in, even if the carriers of the Da’wah are compelled to look for that land within the lands of the disbelievers. This is what the Nabi ﷺ did, and so no land is exempted from the search, because the Messenger ﷺ did not exempt apart from the lands which did not meet the conditions.

نظرة في مجال الدعوة

 

مجال الدعوة أسير للمكنة من حملها والمنعة حيثما وُجدت ، وليس أسيرا لأي بلد كان ، فكل بلد ليس فيه منعة أو فيه منعة ولا يمكن حمل الدعوة فيه ، فإنه لا يصح لأي جماعة أن تقتصر عليه مجالا لها ، وهذا حكم شرعي يجب على الجماعة أن تتقيد به ، فهو ليس من باب التقدير والنظر ، ولا من باب التحكم في تعيين مجال الدعوة ، بل هو حكم شرعي يمكن فهمه بسرعة لمن  يقرأ سيرة النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قبل قيام الدولة.

 

 

فالرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم عندما بعثه الله عز وجل بمكة ، كانت هي الدولة التي حمل الدعوة فيها ، ومكة كانت من أقوى دول جزيرة العرب في ذلك الحين ، فكانت منيعة ، وكان صلى الله عليه وسلم متمكنا من حمل الدعوة فيها ، فبقي فيها حتى وفاة عمه أبي طالب ، فلما توفي عمه وصارت قريش تنال منه ما لم تكن تناله من قبل ، وتضيق عليه وعلى أصحابه رضوان الله عليهم ، خرج من مكة يلتمس بلدا آخر يحمل فيها الدعوة كما كان يحملها بمكة.

 

 

فقد جاء في السيرة ما نصه : (ولما هلك أبو طالب نالت قريش من رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم من الأذى ما لم تكن تنال... الخ ، فخرج رسول الله إلى الطائف يلتمس النصرة من ثقيف... الخ) . وروى الحاكم في المستدرك على الصحيحين عن جابر رضي الله عنه قال : كان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يعرض نفسه على الناس بالموقف فيقول : (هل من رجل يحملني إلى قومه فإن قريشا منعوني أن أبلغ كلام ربي ، قال : فأتاه رجل من بني همدان فقال أنا ، فقال : وهل عند قومك منعة؟ ، قال نعم ، وسأله من أين هو فقال : من همدان...).

 

فالرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم كان يحمل الدعوة في مجتمع فيه منعة وفيه مُكنة للتبليغ ، وإن وجدت فيه بعض العوائق ، فلما لم يعد التبليغ ممكنا كما كان ، عزم على الخروج من هذا البلد الى بلد فيه منعة كالبلد الذي ينوي الخروج منه ، وكل أسئلته وكل بحثه عن المجال الجديد كان هاجسه فيها هذين الأمرين : المنعة والمكنة من التبليغ.

 

فذهب إلى الطائف يلتمسهما هناك ، وعندما عاد من الطائف كان يلتمسهما من كل من يسمع أنه من ذوي الشرف والمكانة في موسم الحج ، ولا داعي لبسط الروايات كلها في ذلك فهي أظهر ما في كتب السيرة . وتصميمه صلى الله عليه وسلم على هذين الأمرين يدل أنهما شرط في المجال ، فأي جماعة تسعى لإيجاد الخلافة فإنه لا يجوز لها الإقتصار في سعيها على بلد ليس فيه منعة ، أو فيه منعة ولكن لا يمكن حمل الدعوة فيه.

 

ويمكن هنا ملاحظة مسألة النصرة ، فالنصرة التي في السيرة ليس معناها كما يطرح البعض ، بأنها الإشتغال بأهل القوة في بلد معين لقلب نظام الحكم فيه ، بل معناها البحث عن مجال غير المجال الذي كانت الدعوة تُحمل فيه . وذلك واضح جدا من قول الرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم : (هل من رجل يحملني إلى قومه فإن قريش منعتني أن أبلغ كلام ربي..) ، فالعلة واضحة ومعنى طلب النصرة أوضح.

 

فالخروج من مكة "المجال" إنما كان لأن أهلها منعوه من التبليغ ولم ينصروه ، وطلب النصرة معناها البحث عن مجال جديد فيه منعة ويمكن حمل الدعوة فيه ، وخروجه إلى الطائف إنما كان من هذا القبيل ، وليس نوعا جديدا من العمل لم يكن موجودا في أعماله صلى الله عليه وسلم.

 

فقد كان عليه الصلاة والسلام يسعى للحكم قبله ، بدليل قوله لقريش وهو يطوف الكعبة عندما غمزوه : (إعلموا أني إنما جئتكم بالذبح) ، وقوله لعمه أبي طالب : (والله يا عم لو وضعوا الشمس في يميني والقمر في يساري على أن أترك هذا الأمر ما تركته حتى يظهره الله أو أهلك دونه) ، وقوله لأبي ذر : (إذا بلغك ظهورنا فأقبل) ، وكل ذلك يدل على أنه صلى الله عليه وسلم كان يطلب حكما بمكة قبل ما سمي بطلب النصرة.

 

وكون أهل السيرة يعنونون حدثا معينا بأنه طلب النصرة ، لا يعني أن ما جاء تحت هذا العنوان معناه طلب الحكم ، أو الإشتغال بأهل القوة لقلب نظام الحكم في بلد معين ، فهم لم يقولوا ذلك ، وكل ما أوردوه تحت هذا العنوان هو بحث الرسولصلى الله عليه وسلم عن مجتمع غير المجتمع المكي يحمل فيه الدعوة كما كان يحملها في مكة ليس غير ، أي بحث عن مجال جديد.

 

ثم إن الرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم لا يوجد في قوله ولا فعله ما يدل على أن ما قام به "فيما سمي بطلب النصرة "هو عمل جديد لم يكن يقوم به من قبل ، ويوشك فعله بالخروج من مكة إلى بلد غيره أن يكون معللا بعلة شرعية لقوله في حديث الهمداني المار : "فإن قريشا منعوني أن أبلّغ كلام ربي" ، وقوله صلى الله عليه وسلم لمن كان يدعوهم من القبائل : "أن تؤمنوا بي وتنصروني وتمنعوني" كلها أمور كانت مفهومة لأهل مكة ومعروفة ، قالها الرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم أم لم يقلها ، وما حرب سادتها عليه إلا لأنه معروف عندهم بما سيؤول إليه هذا الأمر.

 

ثم ما معنى قوله الذي سلف لعمه : "حتى يظهره الله أو أهلك دونه" ، وكيف يمكن أن تفهم قريش قوله صلى الله عليه وسلم : "إعلموا أني إنما جئتكم بالذبح" . فضرورة الإيمان والنصرة أمور كان أهل مكة يدركونها وكذلك من كان يسلم معه ، فإنهم كانوا يندفعون لنصرته طبيعيا بالذي يقدرون عليه حتى من غير أن يؤمروا ، ما يدل على أنها كانت بديهية عند من كان صلى الله عليه وسلم يدعوهم للإسلام ، وكان طبيعيا أن يوضحها الرسول لناس لا يعرفونه وليسوا قومه أصلا عند خروجه من مكة ، إلا أن هذا التوضيح لا يعني عملا جديدا ، والحاجة إليه إنما كانت لاختلاف المخاطَبين وجهلهم بأمر من يدعوهم.

 

وقد كان صلى الله عليه وسلم في بحثه يخرج من مكة تارة ، ويعرض نفسه في المواسم على سفراء الدول الذين كانوا يأتون للحج إليها تارات أخر ، فدعى بني كلب وبني حنيفة وبني عامر بن صعصعة وغيرهم مستشعرا المنعه والقدرة على التبليغ ، ودل على ذلك  أن المجال أسير لهذين الأمرين ، ولم يكن صلى الله عليه وسلم حين يدعو أيا منهم يصمم على العمل فيهم ، وبمجرد رفضهم كان يكفي لأن يتركهم باحثا عن غيرهم إلى أن يسّر الله الأنصار ، ما يؤكد بأن  المجال أسير لهذين الأمرين فقط.

 

واستشعار هذين الأمرين لا يعني حرمة حمل الدعوة في بلد لا يتوفران فيه ، وإنما يعني أنه لا بد أن يكون هناك ولو بلد واحد تتوافر فيه هذه الشروط ، فذلك الذي يُجزئ الجماعة ، ويجوز حمل الدعوة في غيره ، لأن الرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم قد حملها لناس ليس عندهم هذه الشروط.

 

وبناء عليه فإن الجماعة يجب عليها أن تبقى دائمة التحسس والاستشعار لبلد تتوفر فيه الشروط ، ولا تقيد نفسها بشيء اسمه المجال ، وتفعل بالضبط ما فعله صلى الله عليه وسلم من حيث حمل الدعوة للناس ، مع التركيز على استشعار هذين الشرطين حيثما وجدا ، فإن وجدا في بلد معين فإنها تركز عليه ، تماما كما فعل صلى الله عليه وسلم عندما ركز على المدينة المنورة.

 

والمنعة ليست شيئا ثابتا محددا يجري تقديره لمرة واحدة والسلام ، وإنما هي قدرة البلد على حماية نفسه من الأخطار الحاضرة والمتوقعة في حال إقامة سلطان الإسلام ، وهو أمر مرتبط بظروف دولية ومحلية لا بد من الإنتباه لها دائما ، فقد تكون دولة كبرى نسبيا ليس فيها منعة اليوم ، لأنها لا تقوى على رد الإعتداء المحتمل ، ودولة صغرى فيها منعة في ظروف أخرى لأنه لا يتوقع تعرضها لشيئ من الأخطار.. وهكذا ، فالأمر راجع الى تقدير مبني على ظروف محددة ، لكن هذا التقدير لا يصح بناؤه على تصورات وأمنيات ، بل لا بد من بنائه على حقائق موجودة فعلا على أرض الواقع.

 

على أن معرفة البلد الذي تتوفر فيه شروط المجال لا يمكن أن تكون إلا بحمل الدعوة فيه ، ومعرفة مدى استجابة الناس لها ، ما يعني أن الدعوة تُحمل في كل بلد يظن فيه المنعة استكشافا لمدى تجاوب الناس معها ، فإن تجاوبوا معها فهو المطلوب ، وإن لا فهي الضرورة بالبحث عن بلد غيره ، حتى لو اضطر حملة الدعوة إلى البحث عنه في بلاد الكفار . هذا هو فعل النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم ، فلا يُستثنى أي بلد من البحث ، لأن الرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم لم يستثن إلا البلد الذي لم تتوفر فيه الشروط .


يوسف شريف شقيرو



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Q&A: Shari' rule on songs, music, singing & instruments?

The following is a draft translation from the book مسائل فقهية مختارة (Selected fiqhi [jurprudential] issues) by the Mujtahid, Sheikh Abu Iyas Mahmoud Abdul Latif al-Uweida (May Allah protect him) . Please refer to the original Arabic for exact meanings. Question: What is the Shari’ ruling in singing or listening to songs?  What is the hukm of using musical instruments and is its trade allowed? I request you to answer in detail with the evidences? Answer: The Imams ( Mujtahids ) and the jurists have differed on the issue of singing and they have varying opinions such as haraam (prohibited), Makruh (disliked) and Mubah (permissible), the ones who have prohibited it are from the ones who hold the opinion of prohibition of singing as a trade or profession, and a similar opinion has been transmitted from Imam Shafi’i, and from the ones who disliked it is Ahmad Ibn Hanbal who disliked the issue and categorised its performance under disliked acts, a similar opinion has been tran