DA'WAH
Meaning of da’wah and da'iyah:
1- Language: to call, deliver, invite.
2- Juridical: to call people for Islam and good in general.
3- Who is the da'iyah?
Need for da’wah:
Everybody needs da’wah. All mankind: black and white, rich and poor, old and young, etc. need to fulfill their obligation to Allah, which is to worship Him; as He, the Exalted, mentioned in Quran, “I have not created Jin and Mankind except to worship Me.” (SuratAdh-Dhariyaat) Therefore, they all need to be invited to the path of Allah (Islam). They need guided to the right way. Moreover, everybody even Muslims need to be reminded and guided how to lead all aspect of their life according to Allah's will.
Virtues of da’wah and da'iyah:
The people who work in the Field of da’wah have many virtues, because of the nature of the mission they do. These include the following:
1. Mission of the Messengers: da’wah is the mission of the messengers of Allah. The messengers were selected by Allah and equipped specifically for the job of guiding humans to the path of Allah. Allah mentioned this in the Quran in:
a. Surat an-Nahl: 36.
b. Surat al-Ahzab: 45-46.
So the da'iyahs are the inheritors of the messengers.
2. Among the best deeds: There is no deed better than belief in Allah, making good deeds and making da’wah as in surat Fussilat: 33. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, “If Allah guides one person through you, it is better for you than the whole dunia (this world).”
3. Continuing Rewards for others good deeds: The da'iyah gets as much rewards as those who follow him without any decrease in their reward; as specified by the Hadeeth of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) in Saheeh Muslim.
4. Survival from punishment: The one who makes da’wah for the sake of Allah, commands good and forbids evil will be saved ــ by the Mercy of Allah ــ from punishment in this Life and the Hereafter. Allah told us about the story of the Jews who rejected His commands not to fish on Saturdays. Only the people who warned against disobeying Allah's command were save from punishment. Others, including those who did not commit the crime were punished because they stayed silent about it. [surat al-A’raaf: 165]
5. Salah of Allah, the Angels and the rest of creation: Allah's Salah is His Mercy. Angles' and other creation's Salah is prayers for forgiveness and good for the da'iyah who teaches people good as mentioned in the hadeeth narrated by at-Tirmidhi.
Responsibility of da'iyah:
It is important to understand the limits of the responsibility of the da'iyah and his role. This can be illustrated in the following points:
1- The responsibility of the da'iyah includes only delivering the truth and showing it to people in the best possible way using all valid means he can attain. This is the type of Guidance which lies under his domain.
2- The other type of guidance which is leading people to accept the truth lies under the Power of Allah; for He is the one who controls people’s hearts and fate.
3- Therefore, one should not be worried if his call for good is not accepted. Allah told the Messenger, “You cannot guide whom you love, but Allah guides whom He wills.”
4- Moreover, our concern should be about our role which is to deliver the da’wah with the best possible way even if others reject it, or some people make fun of our effort or try to ridicule it.
Requirements of da’wah:
There are many requirements for one to perform da’wah and carry out the mission to teaching people good, inviting them to accept it and warning them against evil and all that keeps them away from Allah. These requirements include:
1- Firm belief in Islam and sincerity for it, and that it is the religion of truth from Allah. One will not be able to call for this religion if he does not remind himself continuously with the basic facts of Tawheed and that the main purpose of life is to worship Allah and accept His commands which were conveyed by His Messenger (peace be upon him). Allah mentioned that His Messenger and the believers all had believed in Him, as in surat Al-Baqarah: 285.
2- Confirmation of belief by testimony of tongue, and call upon others to follow it. A natural consequence of belief of the heart is to declare it and reveal it to others. Allah mentioned that this is the covenant that He took upon the People of the Book but they did not keep it,surat Al-Imraan: 187.
3- To act upon the requirements of this religion and the call for it. It is not befitting to call for a concept, an idea, or an act but fail to act upon it. This is a great challenge, because it may be easy to speak the truth without having to stand by it. But only the sincere believer will stand firm by it and make it govern his actions and deeds even during the most difficult situations.
4- The da’wah for Islam and good should be above all interests, alliances and desires. Refer to surat Al-Maa’idah: 8.
5- One should be ready to sacrifice effort, time, money and even his soul for the sake of Allah and the call for His path. Refer to surat Al-‘Ankabut: 69, and At-Tawbah.
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