Dawah Responsibilities

Blessed but Not Complacent

Building on the theme of thanking Allah, Ibrahim (AS) is described as shakiran li-an'umihi — grateful for the blessings granted by Him. We are indeed blessed in this land: wealth, education, healthcare, and so on. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "The one among you who wakes up secure in his property, healthy in his body, and has his food for the day, it is as if the whole world were brought to him" (Hasan, narrated by Salamah ibn 'Ubayd-Allah ibn Mihsan al-Khatmi from his father).

Most are content with worldly comforts — is that enough? Why were we brought here by Allah SWT, or born here? What are our responsibilities?

وَإِن تَعُدُّوا نِعْمَةَ اللَّهِ لَا تُحْصُوهَا إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَغَفُورٌ رَّحِیمٌ

“For, should you try to count Allah's blessings, you could never compute them! Behold, Allah is indeed much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace.”

An-Nahl 16:18

The Parable of the Ungrateful Town

وَضَرَبَ اللَّهُ مَثَلًا قَرْیَةً كَانَتْ آمِنَةً مُّطْمَئِنَّةً یَأْتِیهَا رِ زْقُهَا رَغَدًا مِّن كُلِّ مَكَانٍ فَكَفَرَتْ بِأَنْعُمِ اللَّهِ فَأَذَاقَهَا اللَّهُ لِبَاسَ الْجُوعِ وَالْخَوْفِ بِمَا كَانُوا یَصْنَعُونَ

“And Allah gives you a parable: a town which was once secure and at ease, its sustenance coming to it abundantly from every quarter, and which then refused to show gratitude for Allah's blessings, so Allah caused it to taste the misery of hunger and fear in result of what its people had brought upon themselves.”

An-Nahl 16:112

You Are the Best Community

We look for answers in Quran and Sunnah. Recall the Prophet's (PBUH) last sermon: "All those who listen to me shall pass on my words to others and those to others again; and it may be that the last ones understand my words better than those who listen to me directly. Be my witness, O Allah, that I have conveyed your message to your people."

كُنتُمْ خَیْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِ جَتْ لِلنَّاسِ تَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ وَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ

“You are indeed the best community that has ever been brought forth for mankind: you enjoin the doing of what is right and forbid the doing of what is wrong, and you believe in God.”

Al-Imran 3:110

Sent to Make the Truth Prevail

How does Islam prevail? It will not happen by itself — you and I have to put in the effort. It could take any form of service to Islam, not just going door to door inviting people, which is only one form. Look at service in masajid, prisons, teaching, the political arena, or elsewhere. If you seek good of this life and the Hereafter for your children, get busy in da'wah work. Scholars say this world is full of trials — solve one problem and another crops up — but if you get busy in da'wah and leave this world's problems to Allah SWT, He will take care of your problems.

هُوَ الَّذِي أَرْسَلَ رَسُولَهُ بِالْهُدَى وَدِینِ الْحَقِّ لِیُظْهِرَ هُ عَلَى الدِّینِ كُلِّهِ

“He it is who has sent forth His Apostle with the task of spreading guidance and the religion of truth, to the end that He may cause it to prevail over all false religion.”

As-Saff 61:9 (also in At-Tawbah and Al-Fath)

Calling with Wisdom and Good Speech

Wisdom and beautiful speech mean being truthful, sincere, and articulate, and always sensitive to the psychology of your audience — understanding their prejudices, fears, and anxieties. We must take an audience-centred approach, not a speaker-centred one: less concerned with what we want to say than with what our audience needs to know.

وَمَنْ أَحْسَنُ قَوْلًا مِّمَّن دَعَا إِلَى اللَّهِ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا وَقَالَ إِنَّنِي مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِینَ

“And who could be better of speech than he who calls his fellow-men unto Allah, and does what is just and right, and says, 'Verily, I am of those who have surrendered themselves to God'?”

Fussilat 41:33

• Ash-Shu'ara 26:214-215 — And warn whomsoever you can reach, beginning with your kinsfolk, and spread the wings of your tenderness over all of the believers who follow you.
• An-Nahl 16:125 — Call all mankind unto your Lord's path with wisdom and good speech, and argue with them in the most kindly manner.

Methodology of Dawah

Da'wah is declared an individual responsibility in the Quran, both for individuals and groups. It opens communication channels with other communities to inform them about Al-Islam, the religion of human dignity and honor, removing misunderstandings and spreading messages of peace, justice, and fairness.

Always be on the lookout for new ways — 'What have you done lately?' Talk to people who have come to Islam and learn what worked for them: Muslims simply being good Muslims, and unexpected da'wah stories, such as a Bangladeshi river taxi driver, a South African convert, or Omar the Monk.

Retaining New Muslims

Perhaps we can spend more time helping new Muslims to stay in Islam. One estimate is that 40% of those who take shahadah leave Islam again within 6 to 12 months. What happens to that 40%? Do they tell others that Islam doesn't work, that it's too difficult, or that Muslims talk beautifully about their religion but don't practice what they preach — that Muslims eagerly persuade people to take shahadah and then forget about them, or that Muslims can be exclusive and racist, not mixing with people outside their own tribal or ethnic group?

Our character, our behavior, and our masajid all matter. "But we are not bound to do more than clearly deliver the message entrusted to us" (Ya-Sin 36:17) — yet delivering it well, and following through, is still our responsibility.

The Situation in India

What we were witnessing in India was potentially the beginning of another state-sponsored mass atrocity, and Allah's help was sought. The government had actively riled up its population for years, and these riots taking place in Delhi — the intellectual and political capital — did not bode well for the rest of the country.

As usual, many of us show anger and frustration towards other governments who choose to ignore such events, forgetting that powerful nations have repeatedly failed to protect defenseless people throughout history — East Timor in 1975, Cambodia under the Khmer Rouge, Iraq's Kurds in the 1980s, Bosnia in 1993, Rwanda in 1995, Burma's Rohingya, and Syria. Superpowers only invade to 'protect' when there are gains to be had.

If you're waiting for a solution from world powers, there is none. Yes, be angry, but channel that anger into something productive: be a better person, take advantage of the opportunities given to you, raise awareness, help charities making a difference, and genuinely make dua for all who are suffering — taking solace in the Day of Judgment, when those wronged will face those who wronged them, and no soul will go unrewarded or unpunished. We ask for peace, O Allah — protect the Muslims of India, shelter the innocent from the brutality of heartless mobs, and show us Your power.

Being of the Hindu faith does not at all mean being pro-BJP; some of the strongest opposition to the BJP has come from other Hindus who are allies to all people in justice and harmony.

Practical Guidance on the Coronavirus

• Take appropriate measures — pray and trust God.
• About 80 percent of coronavirus cases are mild, but the virus is roughly 20 times more deadly than the seasonal flu, and the young and elderly are most at risk, so it should not be dismissed.
• Cleanliness of heart, mind, body, and environment are essential tools in disease prevention in Islam — the Prophet said cleanliness is half of faith. Making wudu five times a day is estimated to cleanse the skin and nose of many potentially pathogenic germs.
• Cutting the nails regularly, at least every 40 days, is a Sunnah and helps curb the spread of disease.
• Limit travel to or from places with many cases — the Prophet said, 'If you hear that it (plague) is in a land, do not go there, and if it breaks out in a land where you are, do not leave, fleeing from it' (Bukhari and Muslim).
• If you get sick, take doctor-approved medicine — the Prophet said, 'Make use of medical treatment, for Allah has not made a disease without appointing a remedy for it, with the exception of one disease, namely old age' (Abu Dawud).