Illuminating the Way - Priorities in Calling to the Message
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Creator: Abu `Abdil Kareem
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Identifier: http://www.islaam.com/Article.aspx?id=17
Language: en
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Subject: dawah
Title: Illuminating the Way - Priorities in Calling to the Message
Created on: Wed Jan 09 15:24:06 -0500 2008
Updated on: Wed Jan 09 15:24:06 -0500 2008
Version: 1
Abstract: ... ll as the whole of his being, thereby shaping him into a different person. It also shakes up the structure of the society and alters its inherited beliefs, well-established traditions, moral conventions, and prevailing systems." There is no doubt that all our shortcomings are related to our level of faith. Many consider unity of Muslims to be one of the most fundamental issues that we should concentrate our efforts on, since without strong unity Muslims are unable to face their problems. However, unity cannot be achieved through organizations or lectures, nor can it be achieved by spending money. We need to realize that it was Allah (subhanahu wa ta`ala) Himself who united the hearts of the Sahaba, once faith entered their hearts: "And He has united their (believers') hearts. If you had spent all that is in the earth, you could not have united their hearts, but Allah has united them. Certainly He is All-Mighty, All-Wise." [al-Qur'an, al-Anfaal(8):63] So there is no way for establishing unity, brotherhood or an Islamic society except through profound faith and righteous action. Consequently, the first step for us to take is to correct our faith. Anything else would be short-sightedness and lead to failure. We must learn and teach the true Islamic faith; its realities, signs and benefits. Learning the faith should be accompanied by learning about shirk and disbelief, so that Muslims safeguard from the disbelief and misguidance of the disbelievers. To strengthen our faith we must put the Qur'an back to its proper place in the Muslim's life. The Qur'an is a book of guidance that is to be understood and abided by. Not merely recited and used as a talisman. Cultivating one's personality and character should also come under top priorities. The Prophet sallallahu alayhe wassalam said, "The best believers are those with the best character." One of the duties of the Prophet sallallahu alayhe wassalam was purifying people around him, by helping them acquire noble character and leave any evil that was in their souls. Spirituality and piety also need to be developed. Muslim scholars must act as Rabbaaniyyoon, teaching Muslims simple things first, before proceeding to more complicated matters, while Muslims must turn to their scholars for guidance and leave interpreting religion without knowledge. This is a very grave matter which is one of the major causes of many problems that both Muslims and non-Muslims are facing today. Every innovation and act of shirk in its origin have speaking about Allah (subhanahu wa taصala) and His religion without knowledge. This is why it is such a great priority that Muslims learn to consult scholars in religious matters and speak only based on certain knowledge. Were Muslims to follow the way of Aboo Bakr as-Siddeeq, who said, "What earth will hold me, and what heaven will protect me if I say something concerning the Book of Allah which I do not know", there would probably be no secularism, modernism, feminism, rejection of the Sunnah and other deviations present among the Muslims. The concept of hijrah represents a major factor in the life of the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhe wassalam and a major struggle and effort to establish a community of Islam. This concept could be modified according to the situation in the West, to internal hijrah, whereby Muslims of all nationalities would gather themselves in various areas in the West, forming strong communities. Such communities do not exist today and due to that, protection and support of the Muslim community are lacking. Internal hijrah would provide easier circumstances for establishment of masaajid, Islamic schools and real institutions needed to satisfy the requirements of Islam on the personal, familial and societal level. While the priorities discussed more specifically refer to da`wah to Muslims, da`wah to non -Muslims is as important. The issue of priorities with regards to non-Muslims is clear: The most important matters are bringing the disbelievers away from their shirk to belief in Oneness of Allah (subhanahu wa ta`ala) and Messengership of Muhammad sallallahu alayhe wassalam, and teaching them the true purpose of their existence. Lastly, it is important to mention that the first ones that Muslims should call to Allah (subhanahu wa ta`ala) and warn are their families. Allah (subhanahu wa ta`ala) says in the Qur'an: "O you who believe! Protect yourselves and your families from the Fire whose fuel will be people and stones (idols). " [al-Qur'an, at-Tahreem(66):6] Family is the basic nucleus of the society and when that institution is healthy, all of the society will be alike The situation resulting from not giving necessary attention to priorities and concentrating on less central issues has serious consequences. Doing the wrong things, in the wrong place, at the wrong time can result in placing efforts in activities that can often be delayed or even eliminated, while those that have the strongest impact and that are most urgent are forgotten and neglected. Less central issues have been given a great deal of importance, while the fundamental ones have been neglected. Muslims even spend a lot of time arguing over subsidiary matters. Muslims have also given more attention to some voluntary forms of worship, and even those that have no basis in the Sharee`ah, over those that are obligatory. That is how dhikr became more important than enjoining good and forbidding evil. Ibn ul-Qayyim explained this as follows: "The Shaitan has misled most people by beautifying for them the performance of certain voluntary acts of worship such as voluntary prayers and voluntary fasting while neglecting other obligatory acts of worship such as enjoining the good and eradicating the evil, to the extent that they do not even make the intention of performing them whenever they are able to". This neglect with regards to priorities has resulted in Muslims losing their faith, the source of their strength. The present weakness is used by the enemies of Islam to further prolong the current state of affairs. Dr al-Qaradaawee says, "The only form of Islam allowed by the enemies of Islam is that upheld by the dervishes and the professional traders in religion; the 'Islam' which only celebrates occasions, supports despotic rulers, and prays for them to have a 'long life.' It is an 'Islam' based on Divine pre-determination and 'no-choice' in belief, sanctions Islamically condemned bid`a (innovati... [Full Article...]
