Manners of the
Callers
By the Noble Scholar, Imaam ’Abdul-’Azeez Ibn
Baaz (d.1420H)
Originally Published by:
al-Ibaanah[1]
Date Published : September 10th,
2001
----------------------------------------------------------------
The
etiquettes, manners and characteristics necessary for the du’aat
(callers to Islaam) has been duly explained by Allaah - the Mighty
and Majestic - in many aayaat and in many different places in the
Noble Qur‘aan. And from those necessary etiquettes are:
FIRSTLY
– SINCERITY:
So it is obligatory upon the daa’ee
(caller) to have ikhlaas (sincerity and purity of intentions and
actions) for Allaah - the Mighty and Majestic - neither desiring to
show off, nor desiring reputation, nor desiring the
praises
and the accolades of the people. Rather, the daa’ee should only
call to Allaah seeking the Face of Allaah, as He - the One free from
all imperfections – says,
“Say: This is my path, I
do call to upon knowledge.” [2]
And Allaah - the Mighty
and Majestic – said,
“And who is better in speech
than one who calls to Allaah.” [3]
Thus it is a must to
have ikhlaas and to call only to Allaah - the Mighty and Majestic -
and this is the most important etiquette and the greatest quality;
that you seek from your da’wah (call) the Face of Allaah and the
Home of the Hereafter.
SECONDLY – KNOWLEDGE:
To
call the people to upon ’ilm (knowledge), and not
ignorance,
“Say, This is my path, I do call to Allaah
upon knowledge.”[4]
So knowledge is an essential
obligation in calling to Allaah. So beware of calling to Allaah based
upon ignorance, and beware of speaking without due knowledge. Indeed,
ignorance destroys, it does not build; and it causes corruption, not
reformation and correction. So - O worshipper of Allaah - fear Allaah
and beware of speaking about Allaah without due knowledge, and do not
call to anything except after knowledge of it and having insight into
what Allaah and His Messenger (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam)
have said. So it is upon the student of knowledge and the daa’ee
to have knowledge of, and insight into that which they call to,
knowing its proofs and evidences.
THIRDLY – MILDNESS AND
GENTLENESS:
From the akhlaaq that it is necessary to have - O
daa’ee - is to be mild and forbearing in your da’wah, and
being gentle and patient in it, as were all the Messengers
’alayhimus-salaatu was-salaam. Beware of being hasty, harsh and
strict in your da’wah, rather be patient, mild and gentle. In
this regard, some of the proofs have already proceeded, such as the
saying of Allaah - the Mighty and Majestic,
“Call to the
way of your Lord with wisdom and beautiful admonition, and argue with
them in ways that are best.”[5]
And His - the Most
Perfect’s – saying,
“And by the Mercy of Allaah
you were able to deal gently with them. If you had been severe and
harsh-hearted they would have broken away from about you.”[6]
And
His - the Most Majestic’s - saying, with regards to Moosaa and
Haaroon - ’alayhimus-salaam,
“So speak to him
mildly, perchance he may take admonition, or that he may fear
Allaah.”[7]
And the Prophet (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa
sallam) said in the authentic hadeeth, “O Allaah! Whosoever is a
guardian over any of the affairs concerning my Ummah and he is gentle
with them, then be gentle with him. And whosoever is a guardian over
any of the affairs concerning my Ummah and he is harsh with them,
then be harsh with him.” [8]
So - O servant of Allaah -
it is necessary upon you to be gentle in your da’wah and not to
be harsh upon the people. Do not turn the people away from the
Religion due to your harshness, ignorance, or other such behaviour.
On the contrary, be mild, forbearing and patient; and be soft and
pleasant in speech, so your words may have an effect upon the heart
brother, or that it may have an effect upon the one you are
addressing the call to. Then the people will better appreciate your
call and invitation. So undue strictness
causes people to become
distant, not close; and it causes separation, not unity. Therefore,
it is a must to be gentle, as the Messenger - ’alayhis-salaatu
was-salaam – said, “Indeed gentleness does not enter into
anything except that it beautifies it, is it removed from
anything except that it disfigures it.” [9] And he -
’alayhis-salaatu was-salaam - also said, “Whoever is
prevented from gentleness, is actually prevented from all good and
excellence.” [10]
FOURTHLY – SETTING AN
EXAMPLE:
From the necessary or rather obligatory - etiquettes
and qualities that a daa’ee must possess is acting in accordance
to what he is calling to, and being a righteous example of what is
being called to. He should not call to do something and then not do
it himself, nor call to leave something, whilst engaging in it
himself. This is the condition of the losers - we seek Allaah’s
refuge in this! It is those Believers who call to the truth, act
upon what they call to the truth and
hasten to righteousness and avoid the prohibited, these are the ones
who will be successful and who will be rewarded. Allaah - the Most
Majestic – says,
“O you who believe! Do you say that
which you do not do. It is most hateful in the sight of Allaah that
you say that which you do not do.”[11]
Likewise, Allâh
- the One free from all imperfections said, whilst condemning
the Jews for ordering the people with righteousness whilst forgetting
it themselves:
“Do you enjoin righteousness upon the
people whilst you yourselves forget to practice it, and you recite
the Book? Have you no sense?”[12]
And it has been
established from the Prophet (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam)
that he said, “A man will be brought on the Day of Judgement and
he will be thrown into the Hellfire, so that his intestines will come
out and he will go around like a donkey goes around the millstone.
The people of Hellfire will gather around him and say, ‘O so
and so! What happened to you? Did you not used to order
us with good and prohibit us from evil?’ He will say, ‘I
used to order you with good and not do it myself; and I used to
prohibit you from evil and do it myself.” [13]
This will
be the situation of the one who calls to Allaah, ordering the good
and prohibiting the evil; whilst acting contrary to one’s
saying, or saying things contrary to ones actions – we seek
refuge in Allaah from this. Therefore, from the most important
qualities and one greatest obligations upon the daa’ee is to act
upon what he calls to and abstain from that which he prohibits. The
daa’ee should have an excellent character and praiseworthy
conduct, being patient and inviting to patience. The daa’ee
should be sincere in his da’wah and strive in spreading goodness
to the people and keeping them away falsehood. At the same time the
daa’ee should supplicate for the guidance of others, saying, “O
Allaah! Guide him, and grant him the ability to accept the truth.”
So from the excellent manners of the daa’ee is supplicating,
guiding and being patient with the harms that come with this
da’wah.
When the Prophet (’alayhis-salaatu
was-salaam was informed that the tribe of Daws had become disobedient
he said, “O Allaah! Guide Daws and bring them.” [14] So the
daa’ee should supplicate for guidance and ability to accept the
truth for the one he is calling, and he should be patient and
encourage patience in this. He should not despair, nor feel hopeless,
nor say anything except good. He should not be harsh and strict, nor
should he say a word which may cause aversion to the truth. However,
if anyone commits aggression
and oppression, then a different
treatment is to be to such people, as Allaah - the Most Majestic -
says:
“And do not argue with the people of the Book
except in a good way, except those who do wrong.”[15]
So
a wrongdoer, who opposes the da’wah with evil and enmity
and seeks to cause harm, is to be dealt with in a different manner.
If possible such a person should be imprisoned, or something similar
to that - depending upon the nature of his to the da’wah.
However, as long as he causes no harm, then it upon you to be patient
and self-evaluating and to debate with him in ways that are
best. If any personal harm was caused by such a person, then such
harm should be borne with patience - as did the Messengers and those
who followed them in goodness and righteousness, patiently bear such
harms.
I ask Allaah to grant us all the well-being and
the ability to convey this da’wah in a wise manner, that He
corrects our hearts and our actions, and that He grants to us the
understanding of the Religion and firmness upon it making us of those
who are guided and guiding others, righteous and teaching others
righteousness. Indeed He is the Most Majestic, the Supreme, the Most
Generous.”
Footnotes:
[1] He is the exemplary
Scholar, the zaahid mild and forbearing in nature, the faqeeh the
muhaddith the Scholar of usool and Tawheed, Aboo ’Abdullaah
’Abdul-’Azeez Ibn ’Abdullaah Ibn Baaz. Born in
the year 1330H (1911CE) in the city of Riyaad. He memorized the
Qur‘aan before reaching the age of maturity and then went on to
study under some of the major Scholars of the time. He excelled in
the various branches of Islaamic sciences, even though he became
permanently blind at a young age. He has devoted all of his life to
the cause of Islaam and its people, authoring many books, teaching
and serving the masses, whilst also aiding the spread of correct
knowledge worldwide. May Allaah have mercy on him. This article
has been taken from his booklet, ad-Da’wah Ilallaah wa
Akhlaaqud-Du’aat (p. 37-43).
[2] Soorah Yoosuf
[12:108]
[3] Soorah Fussilat [41:33]
[4] Soorah Yoosuf
[12:108]
[5] Sooratun-Nahl [16:125]
[6] Soorah
Aali-’Imraan [3:159]
[7] Soorah Taa Haa [20:44]
[8]
Related by Muslim (12/212) from ’Aa‘ishah (radiyallaahu
’anhaa)
[9]
Related by Muslim (16/146) from
’Aa‘ishah (radiyallaahu ’anhaa)
[10] Related by
Muslim (16/145) from Jaabir Ibn ’Abdullaah (radiyallaahu
’anhu)
[11] Sooratus-Saff [61:2-3]
[12]
Sooratul-Baqarah [2:44]
[13] Related al-Bukhaaree
(6/331) and Muslim (18/118) from Usaamah Ibn Zayd (radiyallaahu
’anhu).
[14] Related by al-Bukhaaree (6/105) from Aboo
Hurayrah.
[15] Sooratul-’Ankaboot
[29:46]
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