In the name of Allāh, ar-Raḥmān (the most merciful), ar-Raḥīm (the bestower of mercy).
The Prophet ﷺ was sent by Allāh to humanity to guide them. Allāh described him in the Qur’ān:
{يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ إِنَّا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ شَاهِدًا وَمُبَشِّرًا وَنَذِيرًا * وَدَاعِيًا إِلَى اللَّهِ بِإِذْنِهِ وَسِرَاجًا مُّنِيرًا} الأحزاب: ٤٥ – ٤٦
{O Prophet, we have sent you as a witness, and a deliverer of good news, and a warner, and a caller to Allāh by his command, and a beacon of light} [33:45-46]
If a person considers the life of the Prophet ﷺ as a caller to Allāh, he will see how the Prophet ﷺ employed specific methodologies in Da’wah. The success of our da’wah therefore depends on how closely we adhere to the guidance and methodologies set out by the Prophet ﷺ.
It should also be noted “that the disagreements and disunity that have occurred among many of those who call to Allāh, is only due to ignorance of the fiqh of da’wah, derived from the Qur’ān and Sunnah, upon the understanding of the Salaf of this Ummah.”[1]
It is therefore important to know the methodology of da’wah as found in the Prophetic Sunnah. Mentioned below are five Prophetic methodologies we should adhere to in our da’wah:
First: Actions speak louder than words
Before a Muslim calls other people to Islām with words, they must first demonstrate Islām through good actions and beautiful manners. Before calling people to implement the laws of Islām, a Muslim must first demonstrate them within their own actions. People are influenced by actions and behaviours more than they are influenced by mere words and statements.
Allāh censured the Bani Israel for commanding others with goodness and yet ignoring their own actions:
{أَتَأْمُرُونَ النَّاسَ بِالْبِرِّ وَتَنسَوْنَ أَنفُسَكُمْ وَأَنتُمْ تَتْلُونَ الْكِتَابَ ۚ أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ} البقرة: ٢٢
{Do you order righteousness of the people and forget yourselves while you recite the Scripture? Then will you not reason?} [02:44]
He, the exalted, also directly addressed the believers:
{يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لِمَ تَقُولُونَ مَا لَا تَفْعَلُونَ * كَبُرَ مَقْتًا عِندَ اللَّهِ أَن تَقُولُوا مَا لَا تَفْعَلُونَ} الصف: ٢-٣
{O you who believe, why do you say what you do not do? How despicable it is in the sight of Allāh that you say what you do not do} [61:02-03]
“The scholars of evil sit at the doors of Paradise; they invite the people to it with their statements, but their actions call the people to the Fire. Every time their statements proclaim to the people: ‘Come [to Paradise]’, their actions reply: ‘Do not listen to him.’ If what he called to was the truth, he himself would be the first person to act according to his own words. Such people appear as guides; however, their reality is that they are thieves.”[2]
Second: Combine between at-targhīb and at-tarhīb.
Targhīb refers to encouraging good actions by mentioning their rewards.
Tarhīb refers to discouraging sins by mentioning their punishments.
Whoever contemplates the Qur’ān, will find that both above matters are often combined. Allāh will mention his attributes of mercy and forgiveness, and then his attributes of might and anger; He will mention Paradise, and the Fire; he will give glad-tidings of rewards as well as threats of punishment. He even described his Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ as being:
{وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ إِلَّا كَافَّةً لِّلنَّاسِ بَشِيرًا وَنَذِيرًا وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ} سبأ: ٢٨
{We have not sent you (O Muḥammad) except as a giver of glad tidings and a warner to all mankind, but most of men know not} [34:28]
When the Prophet ﷺ sent Abu Mūsa al-Ash’arī and Mu’ādh ibn Jabal to Yemen, he advised them by saying,
Make matters easy for people and do not make them difficult, give glad tidings to the people, and do not cause the people to flee away. [3]
So each Muslim who calls to Allāh should seek to attract people to imān by outlining the virtues of this religion; what Islām brings them in this life and the Hereafter, and the reward of doing good deeds. As Allāh said,
{مَنْ عَمِلَ صَالِحًا مِّن ذَكَرٍ أَوْ أُنثَىٰ وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ فَلَنُحْيِيَنَّهُ حَيَاةً طَيِّبَةً ۖ وَلَنَجْزِيَنَّهُمْ أَجْرَهُم بِأَحْسَنِ مَا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ} النحل: ٩٧
{Whoever does righteousness, whether male or female, while he is a believer – We will surely cause him to live a good life, and We will surely give them their reward [in the Hereafter] according to the best of what they used to do} [16:97]
In addition to this, a person should also rebuke kufr and sins, clarify their dangers, and their punishments in this life and the Hereafter. Consider how Allāh mentions the people of imān – and their reward – and then the people of kufr – and their punishment:
{إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُدْخِلُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ ۖ وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا يَتَمَتَّعُونَ وَيَأْكُلُونَ كَمَا تَأْكُلُ الْأَنْعَامُ وَالنَّارُ مَثْوًى لَّهُمْ} محمد: ١٢
{Surely Allāh will enter those who have imān and do good actions into gardens, under which rivers flow. As for the disbelievers, they enjoy themselves [to the fullest] and eat like cattle.1 But the Fire will be their home} [47:12]
When cultivating children upon righteousness, a similar method is used: encourage them to be pious with rewards; but mention the reward which is with Allāh in the Hereafter before rewarding them with gifts, and also make them aware of the consequences of sins – again, consequences with Allāh before you as a parent.
Third: Moderation in giving da’wah and being careful of going to extremes
Every caller to Islām should maintain moderation when giving da’wah. Both the extreme of exaggeration as well as the extreme of being too lenient and negligent will only harm the da’wah. Extremes include:
- Takfīr: Passing a verdict of disbelief upon a Muslim.
- Tafsīq: Accusing a Muslim of being a “Fāsiq” (a rebellious sinner).
- Tabdī’: Judging Muslims to as be innovators.
This phenomenon is something which has become common, perhaps due to the safety net of being able to speak being a screen and/or social media, and not referring back to the older, more senior scholars.[4]
“I advise with being upright, fair and upon moderation, and balance between excess and neglect, between the [extremes of] exaggeration and negligence; [5] for the Prophet ﷺ said: “Beware of exaggeration in religion, for those before you were only destroyed because of exaggeration in religion.”[6]
Our Da’wah must be based on a methodology which is apparent, fair and moderate; “we must maintain a moderate methodology in passing judgements on situations, people, ideologies, intentions, intended objectives, societies, scholars, preachers and people. This moderate and fair methodology must be implemented.”[7]
In addition, a student of knowledge makes a judgement upon actions and statements in light of Islamic proofs, whilst exercising caution in passing judgements on individuals and groups, leaving this to the firmly grounded scholars and judges who possess wisdom, age and knowledge to pass such verdicts.
Fourth: Small steps at a time.
The methodology of the Qur’ān and the guidance of the Prophet ﷺ is that da’wah is a gradual process; beginning with the most important affairs and moving on to more detailed affairs at a later stage.
Du’āt must therefore prioritise, “beginning with the most important matters and delaying other matters that are less important. We must be people of understanding because our Sharī’ah has ordered us to be people of understanding and vision; and that we should not be hasty and chaotic in our affairs.”[8]
This is clear in the advice of the Prophet ﷺ to Mu’ādh Ibn Jabal, when the Prophet ﷺ sent him to Yemen. He said to him,
You are going to people from the People of the Scriptures (i.e. Jews and Scriptures). Let the first thing that you call them to be the worship of Allāh alone. If they acknowledge this from you, inform them that Allāh has obligated upon them five ṣalāh during their days and nights. If they acknowledge this from you, inform them that Allāh has obligated Zakāh upon them… [9]
Also, the laws of Islām were revealed in stages and over a number of years. Most of the Islamic laws were revealed in Madeenah after the Prophet ﷺ had cultivated his companions upon the correct belief in Makkah for 13 years.
It is narrated that ‘Āishah, raḍiaAllāhu anhā, that the first ayāt which were revealed were regarding Paradise and the Fire, when people embraced this, and their imān was strengthened, the ayāt detailing ḥalāl and ḥarām were revealed. She said, “If the first thing revealed was: ‘Do not drink alcohol,’ people would have said, ‘We will never leave alcohol.’ If the first thing revealed was: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ they would have said, ‘We will never leave adultery…”[10]
In general, all the Prophets and Messengers, from the first to the last, focused in three core teachings[11]:
- Tawḥīd: The obligation of knowing Allāh, and worshipping him alone. The more people learn about Allāh, the greater their love and fear of him will be.
- Nubuwwāt: Prophethood; knowing that Allāh revealed revelation and sent Prophets to guide humanity. Allāh did not leave people to their own subjective understanding of morality.
- Maʿād: Information regarding the Hereafter, so people understand the reality of life, and make their aim Jannah. Through this, they will develop taqwa, and an aversion to sins.
“There are pillars, and foundations upon which their call was built, and these [three principles] should form the beginning of calling people to Allāh… These three foundations are the common message [of all the Prophets], and the reality of their da’wah. The Qur’ān gives utmost attention to them and has explained d them with utmost clarity. They are the most important objectives around which its message revolves.”[12]
Fifth: Connect people to the truth and do not connect them to individuals and personalities
It is said, “Truth is not known by men, rather men are known by the truth.”[13]
Therefore, let the da’wah be to connect people to the truth, to Allāh and his religion, not to personalities, groups or parties. Our da’wah should be based on the divine texts of the Qur’ān and Sunnah. This is because personalities and groups can – and will – err, but the Qur’ān and Sunnah have been protected. Contemplate how Allāh ordered his Messenger to say:
{قُلْ هَٰذِهِ سَبِيلِي أَدْعُو إِلَى اللَّهِ ۚ عَلَىٰ بَصِيرَةٍ أَنَا وَمَنِ اتَّبَعَنِي ۖ وَسُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ وَمَا أَنَا مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ} يوسف: ١٠٨
{Say, (O Muḥammad) this is my way: I call to Allah upon certain knowledge – I and those who follow me} [12:108]
In the above āyah, Prophet Muḥammad was ordered to proclaim that his way is to call to Allāh and not call to personalities or groups.
Having said this, the role of the scholars who call to the truth can never be diminished. The scholars, old and contemporary, are to be referred back to in understanding the Qur’ān and Sunnah, for they are the people who have inherited this knowledge from the Prophets by way of learning and studying.
May Allāh guide us to implementing the methodology of the Prophet in establishing da’wah in the correct manner.
Written by Abul Abbaas,
Tuesday, 11th Muḥarram, 1434h,
Corresponding to: 2nd March, 2013.
Footnotes
[1] Saʿīd ibn ʿAlī al‑Qaḥṭān in “Fiqh ad‑Daʿwah fī Ṣaḥīḥ al‑Bukhārī” (The Understanding of Da’wah in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī).
[2] Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah in “Al-Fawāid” p112.
[3] Narrated by Abu Mūsa al-Ash’arī; Collected by Abu Dawūd.
[4] Ṣāliḥ al-Fawzān, from an Arabic lecture entitled: “Ẓāhirat at‑Tabdīʿ wat‑Tafsīq wat‑Takfīr”, (The emergence of Takfīr, Tafsīq and Tabdī’).
[5] ‘AbdulMuḥsin al-‘Abbād in “Rifqan Ahlus Sunnah bi Ahlis-Sunnah.”
[6] “This is an authentic ḥadīth, recorded by an-Nasā’ī and others, and it is among the narrations of the Farewell Pilgrimage. See its authentication in al-Albānī’s al-Silsilah al-Ṣaḥīḥah (1283).” [Ibid].
[7] Ṣāliḥ Aal as-Shaykh, from a lecture in Arabic entitled: “al‑Wasaṭiyyah wal‑iʿtidāl wa Ta’thīruhā ʿalā al‑ummah”. (Moderation and Fairness; its effect on the Ummah’).
[8] Ibid.
[9] Narrated by Mu’ādh Ibn Jabal; Collected by al-Bukhāri & Muslim.
[10] Narrated by Yūsuf ibn Mahk, that a man asked ʿĀishah about the order of the Qur’ān, and she replied with the above. Collected by al-Bukhārī.
[11] Muḥammad Ibn ‘Alī ash-Shawkāni [d: 1250h] in “Irshād ath-Thiqāt ‘ilā ittifāq ash-Sharā’i ‘alā at-Tawḥīd wal-Ma’ād wan-Nubuwwāt, (Guidance for the Trustworthy to the Agreement of the Divine Legislations upon Tawḥīd, the Hereafter, and Prophethood).
[12] Rabī’ Ibn Hādi in Manhaj “al-Anbiyā fi-da’wah ‘ila Allāh”, (The Methodology of the Prophets in Calling to Allāh).
[13] This saying is often mentioned by the scholars; Ibn Jawzī attributes it to ‘Alī ibn ‘Abī Ṭālib, raḍiaAllāhu ‘anhu regarding which he said: “One should look at the saying and not the person who is saying it, as ‘Alī said to Ḥārith bin Hoot when he asked him: “Do you think that Ṭalḥa and Zubayr were upon falsehood?” So he replied to him: O Ḥārith, indeed you have been deceived, for the truth is not known by men, rather know the truth and you will know its people.” [Summarised from Talbīs Iblīs]
