The priority of the da'wah today

The following is the transcript of a circle delivered by a brother. 

Allah (swt) says:
 

وَمَنْ أَحْسَنُ قَوْلًا مِّمَّن دَعَا إِلَى اللَّهِ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا وَقَالَ إِنَّنِي مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِين

"Who is better in speech than the one who calls (men) to Allah, works righteousness, and says I am one the Muslims?" (Quran, 41:33)

The Qur’an and Sunnah have expressed the idea of da’wah with the terms; tableegh (delivering the call), enjoining the good & forbidding the evil, recommending one another on the truth (tawaasi), being sent to give good tidings and to warn, clarifying the truth, advising (naseeha) and reminding the people, and debate and discuss with the people in the manner which is best and performing Jihaad in the path of Allah (swt), and the work to make the Deen prevail. There are many other examples of this in the text:

The Messenger (saw) is reported to have said: "Convey from me even if it is one ayah".[reported by Bukhari].

And the Messenger of Allah (swt) said: "Deen an naseeha’ ‘Verily, the deen is advice’. He was asked; to whom O Messenger of Allah (saw)? He said: for Allah, His Book, Messenger, imaams of the Muslims and the masses". [Agreed upon]

In origin the evidences that establish the obligation of Da’wah are general

When the Muslims are in their natural situation i.e. in a situation where the Islamic Khilafah exists, then carrying of the Islamic Da’wah internally would be represented in enjoining the Good and forbidding the evil and in inviting the non-Muslims who live inside the Islamic state to embrace Islam. And carrying the Da’wah externally would be represented in inviting the non-Muslims with proof and decisive evidence to enter into Islam. And this will be done through Jihaad when the Khalifah deems it appropriate.

As for when the Muslims are in an unnatural situation i.e. in a situation where the Khilafah does not exist, then the carrying of the Da’wa would be focused on resuming the Islamic way of life through the re-establishment of Khilafah

The obligation to re-establish the Khilafah as we know is established by various evidences:

-       The orders upon the Ummah as a whole to implement Islam and its ahkam, from the Quran.

-       The Ijma as-Sahaba establishing 3 days and 2 nights as a time limit for the election of a Khalifah for the Muslims, after which everyone is sinful unless they work to fulfil the obligation.

-       The individual obligation (Fard Ayn) to have a bay’ah on the neck to a Khalif, established by Hadith.

These evidences establish the Fard on the individual to engage in the da’wa to re-establish the Khilafah, how can he fulfil this practically?

1. It is impossible to fulfil as an individual – so he must join a group or establish a group to fulfil this

2. This group must fulfil the shar’a conditions for a group and must have its aim and methodology derived from legitimate ijtihad

3. The group must have an Amir who would determine the work for the people in the group to contribute towards achieving its aim

4. The individual must do his utmost to do whatever is in his capacity to contribute towards the work of the group

In order to understand the liability on the individual i.e. you and I – we need to understand 2 concepts clearly – 1) The Scale of values, 2) Partial actions lead to the whole.

These two concepts have been explained in a good manner by a leaflet issues by the pioneers in the Da'wah for Khilafah in the 1970’s entitled ‘As-Sulam al Qiyam’ ‘The scale of values’, I will quote extracts from it and elaborate:

The Scale of Values

“Since the human being would naturally evaluate things and actions according to the benefit obtained from them, and since the value of things and actions meant the society's estimation of those things and actions, likewise, the spiritual matters would be valued according to the benefit obtained from them if they were left to be naturally determined. Therefore, Allah (SWT) has left it to the human being to determine the value of the material things and the actions, and He (SWT) has predetermined the value of the spiritual matters, including the moral matters, and He (SWT) specified the aspects of preference between them.

He (SWT) predetermined a value to the obedience of parents, However, He (SWT) gave the acts of Jihad a bigger value. He (SWT) predetermined a value to the providing for one's dependants, and He (SWT) placed a higher value on the repelling of the enemy from Muslim land. He (SWT) placed a value on the building of mosques, but he placed a higher value on the carrying of the Da'awa. He (SWT) says:

"Do you consider the providing of water to the pilgrims and the maintenance of Masjid al Haram as equal to the worth of those who believe in Allah and the last day, and strive hard and fight in the cause of Allah? They are not equal before Allah. And Allah guides not the Zalimun (Oppressors)" [TMQ 9:19]

Therefore, Allah (SWT) has predetermined the values of the actions and at the same time He (SWT) classified the scale of values in a specific manner. He (SWT) has made Islam, Jihad in the way of Allah and the defending of Islam at the top of the scale of values. Therefore Allah (SWT) says:

 

“Say if your parents, your children, your brethren, your wives, your tribe, the wealth you have acquired, a merchandise for which you fear that there would be no sale and dwellings you desire are dearer to you than Allah and His Messenger and Jihad in His way, then wait till Allah brings His command, and Allah would not guide the fasiqeen (wrong-doing folk)" [TMQ 9: 24]

The word "Amrihi" (His command) in the verse means His punishment, and it serves as a warning to those who prefer these matters to the love of Allah, His Messenger and Jihad in His way. Hence Allah (SWT) has classified and specified the values and warned against the violation of this order. Therefore, there is no excuse for the Muslim to place something at the top of the scale of values, different to the love of Allah, His Messenger and Jihad in His way, i.e. other than Islam and Jihad. Then the rest of the matters were put in their order according to what the Sharia'a rules had stated. Therefore, it would be forbidden for the Muslim to make his life at the top of the scale of values, then his wife and his children, then their wealth and well being, then Islam and Jihad, for if he did this, he would be sinful and would deserve the punishment of Allah (SWT) as clearly outlined in the Ayah. A Muslim should therefore place Islam, Jihad in the way of Allah, the Da'awa to the Deen of Allah and making the word of Allah reign supreme at the top of his priorities i.e. at the top of the scale of values. Then the rest of the matter would also be placed, however, not according to the benefit obtained from them, but according to their order which Allah (SWT) had predetermined and in relation to the other values.

Those who have taken it upon themselves to carry the Islamic Da'wah and to struggle in the way of resuming the Islamic way of life, they would have evidently added to their commitments the making of Allah (SWT), His Messenger and the Jihad in His way, better than their parents, their children etc... They would have added this to their commitment by actively working with a group gathered as a Kutla (bloc); they need not therefore to be reminded with the scale of values classified by Allah (SWT), because they have read it in the Qur'an and practically adhered to it by gathering in the Kutla or by joining forces with the Kutla, no difference between the Member or the student in this context, for if they did not take this order in values into consideration and if they suffered a confusion in the scale of values, they would undoubtedly not remain with the Kutla, for they would not be from its kind. What the Shabab should be reminded of would be the value of performing the partial activities of the Da'awa, not the carrying of the Da'wah itself. Some of the Da'wah carriers have become indifferent when it comes to gaining the reward, thus they would confine their work to merely relieving the sin off their necks. This led to a slackness in the duty and a neglect of the obligation.

Furthermore, this led to imperfection in the work and a tendency to simply establish the work rather than perfect it. This as a whole has affected the party forces, even though it has not affected its progression, and even though it managed to save those who suffered a confusion in the scale of values from falling; thus some honorary members remained in the party. Therefore, it has become imperative to remind the Shabab about the maintaining of the entire scale of values and not to restrict themselves to only what Allah (SWT) has made it the top of the scale of values, to remind them also that the particulars form the whole, and that which is necessary to accomplish a duty is in itself a duty; to remind them also that he who dedicates himself to gaining the pleasure of Allah (SWT) could not think of shunning His reward (SWT), and that the physical and mental laziness is one of the worst illnesses, and that the stinginess in spending the effort to remove the sin or accomplish a duty is to Allah (SWT) the worst type of stinginess. What would be painful for the believer is to hear that some of us tend to avoid distributing leaflets or tend not to carry out the distribution as they had been instructed, some do not compete over a larger number of leaflets. It would also be painful to find amongst us those who would prefer to take a circle rather than give it, even though they are capable of doing so, or to find amongst us those who try and stick to the minimum number of circles, or those who give a circle but not whole-heartedly, or to find amongst us those who do not establish contacts and discussions, or to find those who partly carry out their duties in the narrowest of scopes, and those who seek excuses to avoids establishing the contacts they had been ordered to establish them.

Do these Shabab not realise that the distribution of leaflets is Fard (obligatory) just like the Raka'a (prostration) in the Salat, and just like the striking of the enemy in the battlefield? When Allah (SWT) prescribed the Salat, His command (SWT) to perform the one Raka'a was included in this general command, and his command to strike once when fighting was included in the general command of Jihad. Also, when Allah (SWT) commanded the carrying of the Da'awa and the resumption of the Islamic way of life, his command to distribute the leaflets was included in that general command. Hence the distribution of leaflets is Fard just like the Salat, and just like the Jihad, without distinction. To neglect such a Fard would be regarded as sin just like not performing the Raka'a in the Salat without distinction. It is true that it is Fardu Kifaya (a duty of sufficiency), however, since the Kifaya has not been fulfilled yet, the performing of Fard-ul-A'yn (the individual duty) and that of sufficiency would become one and the same; the reward and the sin would include both of them, so when did the Kifaya get established so that a Shab could deem as the neglect of distributing leaflets etc? The Hukm of distribution is like that of the Halaqa (circle), the contacts and the discussions, for these form parts of the carrying of Da'wah, they are even the carrying of the Da'wah itself. Jihad is also Fardu Kifaya, but if the Kifaya is yet to be established, it becomes Fardu A'yn until it is established. Allah (SWT) did punish those who lagged behind in the battle of Tabuk and explained the importance of partial actions in Jihad. In His reprimand to those who remained behind He (SWT) says:

"It was not fitting for the people of Madina to refuse to follow the Messenger of Allah, nor to prefer their own lives to his, because whatever they suffer, be it thirst, fatigue, or hunger in the way of Allah, and whatever paths they may tread which would anger the disbelievers, or whatever gains they may achieve against the enemy, it would be recorded for them and Allah would reward them for their best deeds." [TMQ 9: 120]

Allah (SWT) has demonstrated to those who lagged behind what made feel sorry and heartbroken for this lagging behind. This demonstration came in the shape of the partial actions, He (SWT) demonstrated seven partial actions which happen in Jihad, and He (SWT) highlighted elaborately their importance. This should have established to the Muslims that the partial actions which occur when performing the whole task, do have a real value reflected in the reward of performing such action, that they do have an important effect and that Allah (SWT) does hold them in a great standing. Allah (SWT) reprimanded the believers for depriving themselves when they lagged behind rather than performed Jihad. The same applies to all the Da'awa actions such as the distribution of leaflets, giving a Halaqa, holding discussions etc.. Therefore, if the Muslim were to suffer of thirst, or fatigue, or hunger, or if he were to perform any action which would anger the disbelievers and the hypocrites, or spend something, or move from one place to another, Allah (SWT) would undoubtedly record it as a good deed in his favour in addition to the falling of the duty and the lifting of the sin off his neck. So how could the Muslim who has carried the Da'wah seeking the pleasure of Allah (SWT) bear the lagging behind when it comes to performing the partial actions which as well as lifting the sin, carry a great reward?

Therefore, the Da'wah carriers should realise that the value of what they spent in terms of physical and intellectual efforts, is less than the value of distributing leaflets, giving circles and holding discussions. In fact there is a wide difference between the two values, the value of rest and the value of what Allah (SWT) records as reward for this good deed. Therefore, the state of the value of partial actions should be redressed in a decisive manner, emanating from the Islamic Aqeeda, for this redress would have the desired effect upon our disposition and upon the party forces, this party which we believe that the Ummah is in the greatest need for it.”

·         Therefore we need to undertake the partial actions necessary in our reality – these are the actions required to fulfill the obligation of da’wa such as discussions with the ummah, the distribution of leaflets, the giving of halaqat, etc.

·         This practically means that we need to look to our own realities and think about whether we are fulfilling these partial actions to the best of our ability or not

·         We may be technically in an Islamic party, but if we do not fulfill these then the sin is not lifted from the neck

Reward

On the authority of Abu Musa (ra), the messenger (saw) said, "People of Ma'roof in the dunya (those who enjoin good) are people of Muroof in the Akhira (afterlife), and people of Munkar in the dunya are people of the Munkar in the Akhira". [Tabarani]

Anas narrated that Muhammad (saw) said "There is some people in my Ummah they are rewarded like the reward of the beginners of this Ummah; this is because they are forbidding what is wrong" [Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal]

AbuUmamah narrated that the Prophet (saw) said: “A learned person is as much above a worshipper as I am above the least of you. He added: Allah, His angels and all those in Heavens and on Earth, even the ants in their hills and the fish in the water, call down blessings on those who instruct people in beneficial knowledge.” [Transmitted by Tirmidhi]