By: Sheikh Husayn al-Awaaishah

Who to start with?

In Da'wah (call to Islam), start with yourself before the members of your family and other people and look at what is lacking in you in order that you may start treating it.

So if there is a common deficiency between you and one of your companions or family members, then join him with you in resolving this problem because the Messenger of Allaah sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam  said: "Whoever from amongst you sees an evil he should change it with his hand and if he is not able to, then with his tongue and if he is not able to, then he should hate it in his heart, and that is the weakest level of faith." [Muslim and Ahmed]

How is your relationship with Allaah?

How is your humbleness in prayer?

Read about that which will better your condition and that of your prayer, increase your humbleness in it and soften your heart.

Are you one whose supplications are answered or do you notice most of your supplications not being answered?

Look into your Aqeedah (Faith) and the level of your certainty and reliance upon Allaah, and observe closely your food and drink - are they from that which is Halaal (lawful) or Haraam (unlawful), or is there some doubt about their source?

If the situation was one that requires enjoining good and forbidding evil, what would you do? Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam said: "By Him in Who's Hand is my soul, you will enjoin good and prohibit evil or (else) Allaah will soon send upon you a punishment from Him, then you will call upon Him and He will not answer you." [Ahmed and At-Tirmithi]

Maybe you would benefit from reading Hadeeths (Prophetic narrations) pertaining to the punishment of the grave and that of its bliss, about the terror of the Resurrection, and the torment of the Hell Fire. You could well continue reading for days, weeks or months, accompanying that with good actions and self-struggle.

It is imperative that a person takes his soul to account and treats his deficiencies. Match yourself against the Quran and the Sunnah (Prophet's, sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam, tradition) to know who you are, and look what you have set aside for Allaah to know what Allaah, the Almighty and Majestic, has prepared for you because of the saying of the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam: "Whoever wants to know what Allaah has prepared for him then he should look to what he has prepared for Allaah." [As-Silsilah As-Saheehah]

Are you prepared for the meeting with Allaah?

Have you fulfilled the rights of the creation, one to another? Or are you in a constant state of postponing and deferring?

Have you converted your knowledge of repentance into crying and penitence?

Have you turned whatever you have read about loving Allaah into real love for your Muslim brothers?

Do you often visit them, and overlook their faults? Do you aid the needy from amongst them, feel delight for their happiness and grieve for their sorrow?

Do you taste the sweetness and delight of Faith?

Are Allaah and his Messenger, sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam, more beloved to you than anybody else?

Do you give precedence to the love of Allaah over wealth, business, whims and desires?

Test yourself when you hear the call to prayer, if you notice a desire to delay answering it in order to pursue your interests in trade (for example) then know that Satan has succeeded in gradually leading you astray and that your love for Allaah is deficient. In this way it is upon you to consolidate yourself, giving precedence to the orders of Allaah over any other worldly matter.

How is your abhorrence of entering into disbelief? Do you abhor it as you would abhor being thrown into the Hell Fire?

Do you live this abhorrence and this feeling in you, so that your sincerity to Allaah is cultivated and that you may hasten to purify your soul?

Contemplate the Hadeeth of Umm Salamah may Allaah be pleased with her who said: '"Most of the invocations of the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam, used to be: "O Changer of the Hearts make my heart firm upon your religion." [Ahmed and At-Tirmithi]

Reflect upon how Ibraaheem (Abraham) may Allaah exalt his mention feared associating partners with Allaah, so he used to supplicate (what means): "And keep me and my sons away from worshipping idols." [Quran 14:35]

This is what Abu Ad-Dardaa' may Allaah be pleased with him used to fear hence his saying: 'Verily what I fear from my Lord on the Day of Resurrection is that He calls me in front of all creation and says to me "O 'Uwaymir (i.e., Abu Ad-Dardaa' himself)," so I say, "Here I am My Lord at Your service," so He says, "What did you act upon from the knowledge that you acquired?"

Don't forget the supplication of Yousuf (Joseph) may Allaah exalt his mention (which means): "Cause me to die as a Muslim and join me with the righteous." [Quran 12:101]

You should aid yourself through fear: living with the fear of eternal abode in the Hell Fire. Don't rest and sit around while the sweetness of Faith is missing or is weakened. How many people set out on journeys for the purpose of treating their illnesses and how many of them spend out of their wealth to treat these illnesses? Do not the souls and the hearts have more priority in being treated, as their matter is one of total eternity? Bring to mind the Hadeeth, "Every slave will be resurrected upon that which he died." [Muslim], then expect death at any moment.

It is better for you if you were to meet death whilst trying to improve your own condition than to die whilst striving to improve others', being held accountable at the same time for leaving off obligatory actions just like the lantern that burns itself out and gives light to others, as in the Hadeeth: "The example of the scholar who teaches the people good things but forgets himself is that of a lantern, it gives light to the people but burns itself out." [At-Tabaraani]

Source: www.islamweb.net

By Muhammed alShareef

Ashaab As-Sabt - the people of Saturday. They were a townsfolk from Bani Israeel who were tested with the Sabbath, the day when they were to leave their worldly affairs and be devout to Allah. All week long they would go fishing with scant return. But on Saturdays, when they were required to put aside their activities, the fish would come in abundance. A test from Allah!

And ask them (O Muhammad) about the town that was by the sea; when they transgressed in the matter of the Sabbath (i.e. Saturday): when their fish came to them openly on the Sabbath day, and did not come to them on the day they had no Sabbath. Thus We made a trial of them for they used to rebel against Allah's command (disobey Allah) (Al-A’raf 7/163).

A group of the townsfolk transgressed, not satisfied with Allah’s commandments devising a scheme to by-pass the commandment. They would put out their fishing nets on Friday, and then on Sunday they would come and pick the nets up. Now all the Saturday fish would be caught.

The townsfolk divided into 2 groups when they saw the grave evil and sin that was befalling. The first group tried to advise the transgressors and warn them of the horrific consequences of their action – commanding the good and forbidding the evil.

Thinking they had no responsibility for what was taking place, the other group just went about minding their own business, holding that Allah would eventually destroy the sinners.

And when a community among them said, "Why do you preach to a people whom Allâh is about to destroy or to punish with a severe torment?"

Listen carefully to the reply of the first group.

(The preachers) said, "In order to be free from guilt before your Lord (Allâh), and perhaps they may fear Allah" (Al-A’raf 7/164).

So the first group spoke out against the disobedience that was taking place for two reasons: One, so that they would be pardoned before Allah because they tried to hold back the transgressors. And two, so that perhaps the transgressors may hear the reminder and turn back to Allah. It was only this group that survived.

So when they forgot the reminders that had been given to them, We rescued those who forbade evil, but We seized those who did wrong with a severe torment because they used to rebel against Allah's Command (disobey Allah). / So when they exceeded the limits of what they were prohibited, We said to them, "Be you monkeys, despised and rejected" (Al-A’raf 7/165-166).

In one sweeping night, the punishment rained down and they were transfigured into pigs and monkeys.

Dear brothers and sisters, it is the nature of a human being to feel the need to do good or feel the drive to indulge in evil. Even if we were to be alone, deserted and secluded, we would still feel a drive to do good or indulge in evil.

But as for our ummah, it should of our characteristic to only do good. And we should not only do good ourselves, but we must encourage others to do good; we must be the driving force. And we should not only distance ourselves from vice, but we must forbid others from doing it also, we must be the obstacle.

Dear brothers and sisters, if we all had Muslim identification badges, and the badge was valid, the description that would go on the badge would read: This man/woman commands the good and forbids evil, for this is how Allah described us.

You (true believers in Islam) are the best of people ever raised up for mankind. You enjoin al-ma'ruf (good) and forbid al-munkar (evil), and you believe in Allah (A’le-Imran 3/110) .

Good and evil. When it comes to encouraging one or the other, there are two groups of people. The first are those who encourage others to do good and advise them to stop the evil they may be committing. These are the mu’minoon and mu’minaat, the believing men and women, the ones that shall be favored by Allah’s Mercy:

The believers, men and women, are auliya' (helpers, friends, protectors) of one another. They enjoin (on the people) al-ma'ruf (good), and forbid (people) from al-munkar (evil). They perform as-salat (establish prayer), and give the zakah, and obey Allah and His Messenger. Allah will have His Mercy on them. Surely Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise (At-Taubah 9/71).

The second group of people are those who encourage others towards evil and stop them whenever they see them doing acts of virtue. These are the munaafiqoon and munaafiqaat, the hypocrite men and women who Allah shall shun.

The hypocrites, men and women, are from one another; they enjoin (on the people) al-munkar (evil) and forbid (people) from al-ma'ruf (good) and they close their hands (from giving alms in Allah’s cause). They have forgotten Allah, so He has forgotten them. Verily, the hypocrites are the fasiqun (rebellious, disobedient to Allah) (At-Taubah 9/67).

The Qur’an tells us that the winners, those that attain success, are those Muslim men and women who command the good and forbid the evil. And Allah teaches us that He cursed nations before us because they lost this characteristic of encouraging good and forbidding evil:

Those among the Children of Israel who disbelieved were cursed by the tongue of Dawud (David) and Eesa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary). That was because they disobeyed (Allah and the Messengers) and were ever transgressing beyond bound. / They used not to forbid one another from al-munkar (evil), which they committed. Vile indeed was what they used to do (Al-Ma’idah 5/78 -79).

When a nation fails in their duty to command the good and forbid the evil, their invocations will cease to be accepted. Rasul Allah sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam said:

“(I swear) by He who holds my soul in His Hands, you shall indeed command the good, and you shall indeed forbid the evil, otherwise Allah shall rain down upon you a punishment. Then you shall attempt to invoke Him and your (invocations) shall be unanswered” (An authentic hadith narrated by Ahmad and At-Tirmidhi).

Our Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam, lived his entire life commanding the good and forbidding evil. Abdullah ibn Salam narrates the scene of when he, sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam, first arrived in Madinah and the very first words he said to the Ansar and Muhaajireen as they gathered to see his noble face sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam:

“When Rasul Allah sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam came to Madinah, the people raced to greet him. I went in the crowd to see him and when I saw his face I knew that that face was not the face of a liar. The first thing he said when he spoke was, ‘O people, spread salam, feed the hungry, and pray at night when others are sleeping - you’ll enter Jannah in peace’” (An authentic hadith narrated by Ibn Majah).

Our Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam would command the good and forbid the evil in all categories of the community. We see him with the young Muslims advising them, as in the following hadith where Umar ibn Abu Salamah said, “I was a young boy under the care of Allah’s Messenger sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam when my hand was jumping here and there in the (food) plate. Allah’s Messenger sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam said to me, ‘O young boy, say bismillah (first), eat with (your) right hand, and eat from what is in front of you.’”

Ibn Abu Salamah continued, “After that I always ate in that manner (which I was taught)” (Bukhari and Muslim).

And our Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam would encourage good amongst the Muslim women. As Zaynab, the wife of Abdullaah ibn Mas’ood said, “Allah’s Messenger addressed us, ‘O women! Give charity, if even with your jewelry’” (Bukhari and Muslim).

Even if it came to his own wives, our Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam would forbid. Aisha radi Allahu anha herself narrates that she once said to him, sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam, “Watch out for Safiyyah!” Meaning that she was short.

So Allah’s Messenger sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said, “You said a word that if it were to be mixed with (all) the water of the sea it would overcome (the water)” (Narrated by Abu Dawood).

Aisha said that after that that she would never have loved to mention someone (in a manner that they would dislike) no matter what anyone would give her.

This is what the deen is all about – encouraging the good and forbidding the evil. This is what the early Muslims pledged allegiance to. Ubaadah ibn As-Saamit radi Allahu anhu said, “We pledged allegiance to Allah’s Messenger sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam to listen and obey in what we like or dislike, and that we would not fight the people of authority, and that we would stand for the truth wherever we may be, fearing not – for the sake of Allah – any criticism of those who would criticize” (Bukhari and Muslim).

PART II

The scholar Kirz Al-Haarithee rahimahullaah used to go out unto the doers of evil and warn them of the sin they were doing. They would rain down upon him with their fists until he would fall unconscious in a pool of blood, but he would never pass them without advising them (From Siyar Al ‘Alaam by Imam Adh-Dhahabee).

I remember once when I was teaching in Islamic school a young boy came up and told me what he was going to get for his birthday. I was kind of surprised since birthdays are not something we find in our complete way of life in Islam and they are something we should not participate in. The classmates knew the ruling on birthdays so they started chanting loudly, “No more birthdays! No more birthdays!”

I was very pleased at the class reaction and it brought back memories of myself growing up in a non-Muslim school. In that non-Muslim school there was no one to forbid the evil. Rather, it was the evil that everyone, including the teacher, was encouraging. If you didn’t have a birthday you were the dork in the class, and if you didn’t get invited to this classmate’s party or that one, you weren’t one of the ‘cool’ kids.

May Allah ta’aala show His mercy to those parents who are saving their young Muslim children from such an environment.

Allah’s Messenger sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam gave us a parable that we should never forget in this issue of commanding the good and forbidding the evil. As An-Nu’maan ibn Basheer radi Allahu anhu narrates, the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam said:

“The similitude of the one who is steadfast on the borders of Allah and the one who has fallen over it is that of a people that come upon a boat. Some of them go to the top and the others go to the bottom. Those on the bottom – in order for them to drink – have to disturb those on top. So they say to themselves, ‘Let us make a hole in the bottom of the boat in this portion of ours, so as not to disturb those above.’”

The Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam continued, “If those above leave those below to what they want to do, they will all perish. But if they hold their hands they’ll save the people on the bottom, and all of them will be saved” (Bukhari).

When someone encourages good and forbids evil he should have certain characteristics:

1. Knowledge
2. Patience, as Luqman taught his son.
3. Hikmah – having widom
4. Kindness to those whom they are advising.
5. They should be just, not forgetting the good that that person still has.

The point of commanding good and forbidding evil is not to release some anger in our hearts or to revenge an insult to us. In the end we want the person to receive guidance, something which may require us to swallow our personal pride sometimes. Other times – when the situation calls for it – we may have to hurt someone’s feelings if that is the only way they can be guided. But it is only the person of ‘ilm (knowledge) and hikmah (wisdom) who can properly measure the situation.

Hurting the feelings of the lay Muslim is not a first resort, nor is public humiliation of someone who came to the masjid for the first time. These are methods of those who have not schooled themselves well in the characteristics of those who call to Allah.

In conclusion, there are many ways that one can encourage good and forbid evil, try some of the following:

- With an encouraging speech or lecture
- With a booklet highlighting what needs to be encouraged or a general e-mail
- With an Islamic tape given as a gift
- With an Islamic Magazine or newspaper
- With an e-mail or letter addressed specifically to the person who needs to be encouraged or needs advice in abstaining from sin.

And the list goes on.

About those who encourage good and forbid evil. Allah says:

Let there arise out of you a group of people inviting to all that is good (Islam), enjoining al-ma'ruf (good) and forbidding al-munkar (evil). And it is they who are the successful (A’le-Imran 3/104).

Let’s begin practicing the encouraging of good and the forbidding of evil today. Let’s begin with that Muslim in the mirror.

Source: www.khutbah.com
Re-published with Permission

To read the previous part: Click Here 

1.Advice

2.Enjoining good and forbidding evil

3.Distributing materials (pamphlets, booklets, Cd’s)

4.Lectures, khutubah and classes

5.One- on- one street Da’wah

6.One- on-one sit down Da’wah

7.Internet Da’wah

8.Indirect Da’wah

The wording of the hadith shows the importance of advice.

Advice is more specific than Enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil, because it even includes advices in issues of dunya.

These days giving advice is difficult; people don’t like to be corrected and make numerous excuses to justify their faults, so the Da’iyah will have to jump through hoops in order for his advice to be accepted.

Some manners of giving advice:

·  If possible, don’t offer your advice to someone publicly.

·  Make an agreement that the two of you will exchange advice freely.

·  Be gentle in offering your advice.

·  Start with the more important things first.

·  Be the mirror to other believers.

·  By pass the ego or avoid hurting their pride.

·  Offer yourself up for advice first.

Points to Ponder: "A believer covers up and gives naseehah, whereas an evil doer exposes and humiliates."

ENJOINING GOOD AND FORBIDDING EVIL

"Whoever sees a Munkar (reprehensible act) then let him change it with his hand, if he is not able then with his tongue, and if he can`t then with his heart and that is the weakest of Iman." (Muslim)

· Do not change the evil if that leads to destruction of property or bodily harm.

· The order of the instruments of change depends on the evil itself.

· Do not expose yourself to harm in the process.

DISTRIBUTING MATERIALS

·  Know what you are handling out.

·  Prepare a plan to cover the area.

·  Hand out as much material as possible.

·  No talking amongst the du’at.

·  Have a catch phrase to arouse interest. "Take it or hear it!"

Points to Ponder: "Not every pamphlet is good, and not every good pamphlet is appropriate."

LECTURES, KHUTUBAH, CLASSES AND WRITING ARTICLES

·  Make sure you have a take-home message.

·  Do not go over the time allotted.

·  Do not make the khutubah too long.

·  Keep your audience interested.

INTERNET DAWAH

We are specifically referring to reaching people through email, websites and videos. Da’uat is still slow in keeping up with Da’wah through available technology:

·  The rules of Da’wah will remain the same.

·  Avoid the opposite sex if possible especially in chat rooms, etc.

If you are making videos to put on- line:

·  Present a quality video: have good lighting, and audio.

·  Stay with your topic.

·  Avoid debates and arguments.

ONE-TO-ONE STREET DAWAH

·  Be efficient

·  Take security into consideration.

·  Have a partner with you.

ONE-TO-ONE SIT DOWN DAWAH

·  Find out how much they know about Islam.

·  Listen to find the obstacle.

·  Use your time wisely.

·  Write down points as you go along.

INDIRECT DA’WAH

Many times you can influence people, alter behavior and invite someone to Islam without speaking to them directly. Some examples are:

·  Da’wah through good manners and behavior. Set example for others.

·  Performing acts of worship in public.

·  Leaving Da’wah materials in public places.

·  T shirts, bumper stickers, signs, etc