Dawah

Note: This is post #20 in our series on Tafseer of Juz ‘Amma (click the link to see all posts in this series).

In Surah Kafiroon, Allah says:

قُلْ يَا أَيُّهَا الْكَافِرُونَ

لَا أَعْبُدُ مَا تَعْبُدُونَ

وَلَا أَنتُمْ عَابِدُونَ مَا أَعْبُدُ

وَلَا أَنَا عَابِدٌ مَّا عَبَدتُّمْ

وَلَا أَنتُمْ عَابِدُونَ مَا أَعْبُدُ

لَكُمْ دِينُكُمْ وَلِيَ دِينِ

Translation: Say, “O disbelievers, I do not worship what you worship. Nor are you worshippers of what I worship. Nor will I be a worshipper of what you worship. Nor will you be worshippers of what I worship. For you is your religion, and for me is my religion.” [Surah Kafiroon]

The mushrikeen (polytheists) of Mecca tried many, many different techniques to get the Prophet (salallahu alayhi wa sallam) to stop spreading Islam.

Before this ayah was revealed, they decided to make a pact with him. They said, “Look, how about this–you worship our gods for one year, and we’ll worship your God for one year.” And to sweeten the deal: “And, we’ll go first.”

And they applied the Broken Record technique. Whenever the Prophet (salallahu alayhi wa sallam) would try to speak to them about Islam, they would only repeat this.

And he, salallahu alayhi wa sallam, refused.

Those of you who are wondering why–although it seems on the surface like a fair trade, it’s not. Allah does not forgive shirk, worshipping other than him; not even a single sujood, or a single du’a, none of it is acceptable.

So clearly, this is not a contract the Messenger of Allah could engage with. So he refused.

And he refused.

And he refused.

Then, the Mushrikeen said, “ok, how about this–just speak highly of our gods, and we’ll do the same for you.” A smaller compromise.

And whenever people approached them, they would say, “Well, we’re trying to compromise (like we’re the good ones in this deal–even though we kill our daughters and murder on whims and …), but he’s not agreeing.”

So the Prophet (salallahu alayhi wa sallam) went to the ka’bah.

Mushrikeen were there. And in front of everybody he said:

If you live in a western society, such as Canada, America, England, and so on, be aware that some scholars have said that, for people living in these societies, da’wa is fard ‘ayn–an obligation on each and every Muslim. But don’t be scared–because the Prophet (صلى الله عليه و سلم) said: “By Allah, if Allah were to guide one man through you, it would be better for you than a red camel.

From a lecture given at MIST Nationals 2006 by Abu Ammaar Yasir Qadhi Friday July 21st, 2006 Knowledge and Studying your Deen “I am here in front of you today, and if I were to choose again, I would go back and do the same thing and do religious studies. I can’t even remember what courses I took when I was at UH. My main motivation for choosing to do Islamic studies was that I realized I needed to do something for the ummah.

When you give da’wah to atheists, give them five minutes of your time, then move on. If you can’t convince them in five minutes, you won’t be able to in five centuries. As proof that you should focus your da’wah on other then atheists, consider the Qur’an. How many verses did Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) reveal to the Jews and Christians (People of the Book)? Countless. To the mushrikeen, the polytheistic Arabs?

When you seek knowledge, seek from the best sources–the most authentic, and those closest to the source. The companion Abdullah ibn Zubayr (رضي الله عنه) was 10 years old when the Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم) went on his farewell Hajj. Abdullah ibn Zubayr went, too, and witnessed the Prophet (sallalahu alayhi wa sallam)’s hajj first-hand. After the Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم) passed away, Abdullah ibn Zubayr became the definitive source of the fiqh of Hajj–starting at age 10–until he passed away at 73.

“Allah has sent us to deliver whomsoever chooses, from the ‘uboodiyyah of men to the ‘uboodiyyah of Allah, from the narrowness of this world to the vastness of this world and the Hereafter, and from the tyranny and oppression of (false) religions to the justice of Islam.” So said Rib’ee ibn ‘Amir (may Allah be pleased with him) to the Persian general Rustum, before the battle of Qadisiyyah. An explaination of the core of Islam.

Often, non-Muslims question us about aspects of our faith. “Why do you wear hijab” or “why don’t you eat pork” or “why don’t you drink or date”. And we get defensive and mangle our explainations. “Well alcohol’s not good for you” or “pigs are dirty” and so on. Which is not correct. The answer to all these questions is very, very simple: Because Allah or His Messenger (صلي الله عليه وسلم) said so.

The king asked the boy to renounce his religion, to which the boy refused. The king said “take him to the highest mountain and if he doesn’t renounce by the time you reach the top, throw him off.” Why not saw him in half? Because the boy’s useful. He has influence among the poeple. People love him, and if he joins the king, many will follow his example. So they took him up, and the boy said “O Allah, suffice me against them in whatever way You please”.

When you get involved in da’wah, don’t forget yourself. We see many examples of this–people join the local MSA, and spend 40 hours a week to keep it alive. And the next year, you see them in the bar, with their girlfriend or boyfriend. Or others spend months putting together The Biggest Conference Ever, and while it goes on, they miss all the lectures and mill around outside with their friends, or out in the parking lot arguing about lunches.

Familiarize yourself with Ar-Rajal, companion to the fake prophet Musaylimah. Many people believe that when you don’t practice Islam 100%, you’re not hurting anyone but yourself. But subhanallah, if you look at Ar-Rajal, how many people did he misguide by not practicing Islam? Howmany tens or hundreds or thousands joined Musaylimah because Ar-Rajal endorsed him? If you work or attend school, look around you. How many “Muslims” do you know who don’t wear a beard, don’t observe hijab, they drink, they go clubbing, they have a girlfriend or boyfriend.