The Real Objective Of Da'wah - Calling People unto Allah

The Real Objective Of Da’wah

…and who is better in speech than he who invites men to Allah  (41:33)

The  above  mentioned Quranic verse highlights another all  important aspect of  the religious duty of Da’wah, viz; people should be called to Allah and to Islam and not to a particular person, group, party, or sect. 

The chief aim and objective of Da’wah work should be that the largest possible number of men should recognize and confess the Lordship of Allah, and believe in Him wholeheartedly and with full conviction, should make only His obedience and worship obligatory upon themselves, should seek His pleasure as the chief aim of life, and for achieving that, they should adopt the pattern of behaviour prescribed and exemplified by the Holy Prophet (SAW). 

This idea has been expressed in this magnificent verse in two ways: 
(i) “He who invites men to Allah” lays down unambiguously that the call or invitation should be for Allah, not for a particular individual, party or sectarian group. 
(ii) In the words

…and he said, verily I am from amongst the Muslims (41:33)

It has been made emphatically clear that the caller (preacher) should proclaim himself only a Muslim and should not align himself to any particular group or sect. His call should only be to Islam alone in its pristine purity - and not to any biased or sectarian interpretation of it, because in the sight of Allah the true ‘Deen’ is only Islam.

Surely, the religion, with Allah is Islam (3:19)

Source: Calling People unto Allah (A Book by Dr Israr Ahmad)

To be continued....

Second Condition: Religious Action - Calling People unto Allah

Second Condition: Religious Action

The second pre-requisite of Da’wah is that the life of the preacher should be an embodiment of all the virtues and good deeds that Islam enjoins upon its followers. His whole personality and life should be enlivened by a true and passionate faith in Allah. That is exactly why in the above cited verse immediately after

…and who is better in speech than he who invites men to Allah  (41:33)

good and pious action has been mentioned. And this is quite understandable because without the example of good and pious practical life of the preacher himself the vocation of calling others to Islam will remain ineffective and empty. 

Mere teaching, pedagogy and research work, no doubt can all be carried out and pursued even by persons who do not themselves act upon what they profess. And of course all these activities are important in their own sphere and certainly not without utility so for as they go. 

But Da’wah work is of a totally different nature. It can be effective and truly useful only when it is supported and accompanied by the pious and righteous conduct of the preacher. 

The fact is that the requirement of good and righteous deed is such a challenge that many a Muslims cannot accept it. And they consequently make an illegitimate division of groups among Muslims: between those who earn money by Islamic or un-Islamic means and not engage themselves in Da’wah work and those who devote themselves exclusively to Islamic Da’wah or preaching and are patronized by the first group. No doubt this division of roles among Muslims is a clever move and prudently welcomed by most. But the fact is that there can be no greater revolt and subversion against Islam than this apparently gentlemen’s agreement between groups of Muslims.

Source: Calling People unto Allah (A Book by Dr Israr Ahmad)

To be continued....

The Most Essential Condition Of Da'wah: Faith In The Providence Of Allah

The Most Essential Condition Of Da’wah: Faith In The Providence Of Allah

One should not at all think that the obligation of inviting people to Islam requires very elaborate and thorough knowledge of the Islamic faith. I assure you that most of the Prophet’s companions possessed far less knowledge of which now passes as ‘Ilm-e-Deen’ and which most of  you  have  acquired so  laboriously. The  complete and  perfect  knowledge in  which they excelled was the knowledge of true faith and belief, as one of the companions reported:

We first learned the faith and then Qur’an.

It is also quite logical that the pre-requisite of Islamic Da’wah should be staunch and deep faith and belief in the Oneness of the Creator - Allah, that is the reason why the verse immediately before the verse quoted above mentions the highest pinnacle of faith i.e., steadfastness and resoluteness in the belief of Allah’s providence and sustenance:

Verily those who say ‘Our lord is Allah’ and then remain steadfast …..  (41:30)

Only those can fulfil the requirements of Islamic Da’wah who have full faith in Allah and remain firm in their belief.

Source: Calling People unto Allah (A Book by Dr Israr Ahmad)

To be continued....

The Reward Of Reviving The Sunnah - Calling People unto Allah

The Reward Of Reviving The Sunnah

I believe you must have heard several times the saying of the Holy Prophet (SAW) that 

“he who revives any of my sunnah, which has become obsolete and unknown on account of being out of practice for long, will get the reward of hundred martyrs.” 

The status of the hadith

I invite you most humbly today to revive and activate the Prophet’s sunnah of ‘calling people to Allah’. And this is possible only when each one of us resolves with all his heart and soul that he will be an ‘inviter’ to Deen, a ‘caller to Allah’, and humble follower of the Prophet’s tradition of the propagation and dissemination of Islam.

Source: Calling People unto Allah (A Book by Dr Israr Ahmad)

To be continued....