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Thursday March 09, 2006

 
 

 

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Da'wah and Interacting with the Ummah

 



The need for the Da'wah carriers (those who call for Islam) to live with the Ummah and interact with it in a natural way is something that need to be emphasised consistently. This should be done as one carrying the da'wah (calling for Islam). In addition, the Da'wah carrier who carries the da'wah has to apply the ideas on the events as they happen and he should not force the ideas or present them in a hypothetical way. Some Da'wah carriers took this to mean that there is a need to continuously approach the people & discuss the  ideas with them and to get the people to understand that the Islamic State is the way to solve all problems. The discussion would continue to the point that the people should not busy themselves in any other action such as building schools or mosques. Furthermore, few Da'wah carriers understood that it is the duty of the Da'wah carrier to attend meetings and lectures and to object to any issue that is being discussed and tilt the subject towards the concepts of Khilafah (Islamic ruling system) and render it as the dominant subject of discussion. In addition, some Da'wah carriers understood this as applying the ideas and rules on the events as they happen such that the Da'wah carrier should be waiting for others to commit a mistake in speech or action. Subsequently, the Da'wah carrier would hasten to correct the erroneous speech or action. Indeed, this is an understanding among a few Da'wah carriers that led them to carry the in such a manner. This resulted in the Da'wah carriers finding themselves isolated from the people, and the people view the Da'wah carrier as a theorist who does not talk about problems that the people face on a daily basis. Instead they keep talking about the issues that are not related directly to the daily life of the people, that is to keep talking about the Islamic State and the Da'wah carrier refuses to take part in the real daily issues and problems that face the people. This also resulted in some of the Da'wah carriers being ridiculed coupled with being prevented from interacting with the people or from presenting their viewpoints.


It is important that the Da'wah carriers live with the Ummah in a natural way. Living with the Ummah in a natural way means to live as a normal human being would. The person lives, gets married, gets sick, sends his
child to school, and goes for a picnic, builds a mosque or schools, gives a lecture, works, tries to solve his problems with others, and tries to take care of his own affairs. In other words, he practices different activities on a daily basis. This is the way a person lives, and this is the life that we were asked to live in a natural way. But we live with the people in a natural way as people who carry da'wah. This means that we engage in activities in our daily life with other people as Da'wah carriers who carry the da'wah. This leads the Da'wah carriers to live their lives and convey their ideas to the people in a natural way while living and interacting with them in order to change the society and raise its awareness of reestablishing the Islamic order. We can outline a particular mechanism for this strategy of da'wah, and what we need to talk about here is how to
live with the people in a natural way.


As mentioned before, people have different issues and problems in their lives. As an example, if the community desires to build a mosque, so if the Da'wah carrier lived with the Ummah in a natural way then the Da'wah carrier should deal with this issue and participate in building the mosque or collecting the funds for that purpose. Simultaneously, during this work, the Da'wah carrier should give the people the ideas about building mosques, the real role of the mosque in Islam and that it is the duty of the Islamic State to build the mosques and that the existing states, which impose themselves on the Ummah, are not doing their job in this regard. By doing this, the Da'wah carrier has lived with the Ummah in a natural way as a person who carries the da'wah. On the other hand, if the Da'wah carrier refused to participate with the people when they asked for his help in working with them in building the mosques and he explained to them that instead, they should work to build the state which will build the mosques, then the Da'wah carrier, by saying that and not participating with the people, would not have lived with the people in a natural way. If the people were kind to him by listening to him this time, they would not feel that the Da'wah carrier is one of them, and eventually this will put a barrier between him and the people.

Furthermore, if the community in a certain area needed money to build a school, and the Da'wah carrier participated by sharing his views on the issue or by collecting donations, or by approaching people to talk to them about such a cause, then he will be living with the people in a natural way. When discussing about building school the dawah carrier can enlighten the people about the unique features of the educational system of the Islamic state. But if the Da'wah carrier was asked to help and his
response was that the people should not put the effort and the money in building schools, instead they should invest it in establishing the state, he will be separating himself from the people. This is because people want the Islamic State for no other reason but to run their affairs according to Islam, and if they felt that the Da'wah carrier does not care about their own affairs, how can they have the confidence in the State when it is established, that it will take care of their affairs?

Another example tells us that if the people decide to organize a picnic in a certain area, then it is the duty of the Da'wah carrier to participate and help them, whether by sharing his views or through his efforts or any other assistance he can provide. The Da'wah carrier, at the same time, should be conveying his ideas to the people while working with them. If the Da'wah carrier continues to live with the people in this way, then
the people will receive the idea from him in a natural way, and the people will have the feeling that the Da'wah carrier is an integral part of them and no force can separate him from the people. On the other hand, if the Da'wah carrier does not behave this way, he will be separating himself from the people and the Da'wah carrier, therefore, he does not understand what Islam is demanding from him. Sometimes, the Da'wah carrier may participate with the people in such actions; and it may not be possible for him to give the ideas. Under such conditions, he should not force the ideas on the people because people can't be forced to listen to him. So, if the opportunity does not arise or come up for the Da'wah carrier to convey his ideas to the people and discuss them, he should know that there will be many other opportunities later. On the other hand, it should be clear that carrying the da'wah is not only by discussion. The fact that the Da'wah carrier is present in an occasion of marriage or death is by itself a form of da'wah, even if he does not discuss any subject. Similarly, if the Da'wah carrier participates with the people in building a mosque or a school, he is doing da'wah even if he did not hold a discussion with them. Da'wah or Invitation to Islam, therefore, is carried out by discussion and other means, and we should not limit the means to discussion. An episode in the life of the Prophet (saw) illustrates that he helped a non-Muslim, Al-Arashi in getting his money from Abu Jahl. This is an example of living with the people in a natural way. Note that the Prophet (saw) did not tell that man that he should refrain from asking Abu Jahl for his money and that he should become a Muslim in order to change the society so that he eventually will get his money. We could only wonder the response of that Al-Arashi would have been if the Prophet (saw) had told him that. This is an excellent example from the life of the Prophet (saw) on the necessity to live this type of life with the people. This does not mean that the Da'wah carrier has to spend all his efforts in all these things. This is because nobody expects from a person to participate in everything that is happening; rather the person would help in certain events. Similarly, the Da'wah carrier will participate in certain events and therefore will be living with the people.


The other aspect that need to be redressed is applying the ideas on the events as they happen. This simply means that the Da'wah carrier discusses with the people on whatever subject they talk about and give
the Islamic viewpoint on that subject. If the people were discussing the issue of curricula, then he talks about curricula; if the people talk about the issue of collecting money, then he talks about this issue; if the people talk about Afghanistan, the Da'wah carrier should talk about Afghanistan. The Da'wah carrier should not talk about the problem of Palestine when the people are discussing collecting money to do a certain project. Similarly he should not talk about collecting money if people are talking about the problem of Palestine. Similarly, if people are discussing the subject of Aqeedah, he should talk only about Aqeedah, but if he can move the discussion in a natural way (need to emphasize in a natural way) without alluding to the subject of the state, then he can do that. But he should not force this subject on the people.

It should be clear that applying the ideas on the events as they happen does not mean that the Da'wah carrier becomes a policeman on people's views and ideas. He should not jump to correct others whenever they talk, and he should not stand to respond whenever somebody gives an opinion that differs from ours. Indeed, this is not what is meant by applying the ideas on the events as they happen. The verse that dealt with stealing talked about stealing when the action occurred, and did not talk about a different subject. Similarly, the verses that dealt with fornication dealt only with this subject and nothing else. This is what is meant by applying the ideas to the events as they happen. However,
this does not mean that the Da'wah carrier should remain passive when kufr ideas are injected. But our response should be different on issues where more than one Islamic idea is mentioned as a solution. It should be clear that if these things are followed accordingly, the Ummah will adopt the ideas from the Da'wah carriers in a natural and practical way, and not in an artificial theoretical manner. This natural transfer of ideas permits the Da'wah carrier to project a good image of himself in the minds of the
Muslims, an image of a person who is aware and care, about the affairs of the people and carries his responsibilities towards them and shares their problems. The natural result of here would be that the Ummah will support the Da'wah carriers.


But if we refuse this, this will result in separating ourselves from the people, and project a negative image of ourselves in the mind of the people, an image of a philosopher and theorist whose main concern is research, discussion, objection, and correction. People, then, will not support the Da'wah carrier because people will not support this type of people. It is reported that Imam Sha'fee (ra) used to tell others not to criticize him in front of the people, so how about people who are even below the level of Sha'fee like the ordinary people.

Therefore, we should see the people in the mosques and in the places where they gather to live with them in a natural way, take the initiative to do the work instead of talking, and we should realize that telling others that any other understanding or action besides political Islam is a waste of time will help in widening the gap between da'wah carieers and the Ummah. Each one of us should ask himself if he wants to be a factor that helps the people to turn their back away from the Da'wah carriers or the ideas of Islam. Rather, each one should be looking for ways and means to help consolidate the Ummah around the Da'wah carriers.


This question needs an answer from everyone of us, and each one should realize that the future of this da'wah depends on the answer. So let us give a good answer because this is a part of our responsibility and part of the trust that Allah has placed upon our shoulders. Therefore, we should
fulfill our obligations, and we should realize that each one of us is a front  in the defense of Islam.


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