"Dawah" through the Quran & Sunnah !!! (Part-4)

[YUSUF]

"Dawah" through the Quran & Sunnah !!! (Part-4)

Abdur Rahman Bin Ghanam (r.a.) and Asma Bint Yazid (r.a.) narrated that the Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said, “The best servants of Allah are those who, when they are seen, cause Allah to be remembered. The worst servants of Allah are those who go about slandering, who separate friends, and seek to distress the upright.” (Tirmidhi 4871 and Ahmad)

It is necessary that we behave in accordance with the Qur’an and the Sunnah. We should aim to reach the highest category of Muslims. We should try not only to be very good Muslims (those who perform the five pillars of Islam) or Mu’minoon (Faithful Muslims who believe in the six articles of faith); but also to be Mu’hsinoon or Muttaqoon (God-conscious, God-fearing Muslims who are righteous, pious and restrain as well as guard themselves from evil). We should remember that non-Muslims, in general, judge Islam according to the actual behaviors and conducts of the Muslims. Unfortunately, many Muslims do not follow the Qur’an and the Sunnah. Only a few are Muslimoon (practicing Muslims). Very few are Mu’minoon (Faithful Muslims) and Mu’hsinoon or Muttaqoon. Many fall into the category of Mushrikoon (polytheists or those who associate partners with Allah) and Munafiqoon (the hypocrites) out of ignorance or lack of knowledge of Islam (See illustration no. 2). This fact should be made known very clearly to the non-Muslims in our Da’wah so they will stop identifying Islam with those who are Muslims only in name. Our explanation of the levels of practicing Muslims must be based on the following Hâdîth:

Abu Hurairah (r.a.) narrated that one day while the Prophet (s.a.w.s.) was sitting in the company of some people, (The Angel) Gabriel came and asked, “What is faith?” Allah's Messenger (s.a.w.s.) replied, “Faith is to believe in Allah, His angels, (the) meeting with Him, His Messengers, and to believe in Resurrection.” Then he further asked, “What is Islam?” Allah's Messenger (s.a.w.s.) replied, “To worship Allah Alone and none else, to offer prayers perfectly to pay the compulsory charity (Zakat) and to observe fasts during the month of Ramadan.” Then he further asked, “What is Ihsan (perfection)?” Allah's Messenger (s.a.w.s.) replied, “To worship Allah as if you see Him, and if you cannot achieve this state of devotion then you must consider that he is looking at you.” … Then that man (Gabriel) left and the Prophet (s.a.w.s.) asked his companions to call him back, but they could not see him. Then the Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said, “That was Gabriel who came to teach the people their religion.” Abu ‘Abdullah said: “He (the Prophet (s.a.w.s.)) considered all that as a part of faith.” (Bukhari 1/47, 6/300 and Muslim 1)

We have to make it clear to the non-Muslims that the non-practicing Muslims destroy their lives by indulging in such immoral practices as adulteries and fornication, drinking intoxicants, drug addictions, gambling, usury, graft and corruption, stealing, swindling, abductions, rebellions and the like. With their non-Islamic behaviors they create very bad image not only for the Muslims but also for Islam as a whole. We have to stress that the “Muslims” they encounter or observe are actually non-practicing Muslims. If ever they dislike their behavior it is because they do not act in accordance with the teachings of Islam. Islam teaches righteousness and the best manners to the whole mankind. We should invite them to Islam through the Qur’an and the Sunnah. We should advise them not to judge Islam with the way non-practicing Muslims behave. They should not confine their knowledge of Islam to the negative propaganda of the anti-Islamic writers. It is for their divine guidance that they should read the Qur’an and the authentic Ahâdîth as well as books, articles and other reading materials written by Muslim scholars based on these two revealed authentic Islamic teachings. They should be objective and rational by learning and understanding the truth about Islam. What we are going to present to them is the Truth based on the Qur’an and the Sunnah. Thus, we should not only equip ourselves with the knowledge of the Truth according to the Qur’an and the Sunnah, but also do Da’wah according to the said revealed sources.