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"And who is
better in speech than he who invites to Allah and does righteous
deeds, and says: 'I am one of the Muslims.'" [Qur'an 41:33]
Understandably,
Muslims in North America are asking questions about strategies for
improving the society and bringing about order and sanity to replace
the chaos that surrounds them. Particularly, in the backlash of
September 11, 2001, Muslims have become desperate to find acceptance,
approval, and protection. Muslims have suffered significant
discrimination and provocation from misguided individuals who blame
all Islam for the terrible tragedies. Unfortunately, such individuals
have become confused by the sensationalism and stereotypes propagated
by the media. They do not realize that the slaughter of innocent human
beings is clearly condemned by Islam. Actually, this is one of several
essential reasons that Muslims absolutely must become involved in
da'wah (inviting others to Islam): to clarify and delineate what Islam
is and what it is not. However, instead of realizing that da'wah is
the best strategy, regrettably, far too many naïve Muslims are being
convinced to participate in America's so-called democracy by running
for political office, voting, and struggling to attain positions of
influence within the political and economic system of the established
government. Clearly, such advice is misguided. Apparently, these
individuals have completely forgotten about the absurd farce of the
most recent U.S. presidential elections. Perhaps, they should be
reminded that during that sham, thousands upon thousands of votes were
simply discarded and not counted in order to put George W. Bush into
office, despite the existence of sufficient votes (particularly in
Florida) to the contrary. This episode alone should be a clear lesson
about the futility of such actions. Moreover, huge sums of money were
donated by Muslims to support the candidacy of Hillary Clinton in the
New York senatorial elections. Yet, because Mrs. Clinton wanted to
maintain the support of the Zionist factions in New York, she curtly
and publicly returned the Muslim contributions. These are just two
examples that demonstrate how pointless and ludicrous it is for
Muslims to pursue direct involvement in the American political arena.
In addition to being an enormous waste of time, energy, and resources,
all such tactics are guaranteed to result in the frustration,
humiliation, assimilation, and corruption of Muslims. We should not be
spending our time campaigning for the American Democratic, Republican,
or Independent Parties. Instead, as Muslims, we must follow the
example of our beloved prophet, Muhammad (peace be upon him). While
living among the non-Muslims in Makkah, he never attempted to become
part of their government. Nor is there any indication that Prophet
Muhammad (peace be upon him) campaigned in behalf of or contributed
funds for any of the pagan leaders of his time. Instead, he fully
recognized that his sole mission was to deliver Allah's Message, to
invite the people to the Deen of Islam, and to direct them to
establish a society that would comply with Allah's Guidance. There is
clear evidence, (from ahadith and seerah), that Prophet Muhammad
(peace be upon him) bluntly refused to choose political power and
economic advantages for himself. Instead, he focused all of his
efforts on spreading the word of Islam and guiding others to the
Message of Truth. Rasulullah (peace be upon him) is our role model;
thus we must concentrate on the duty of da'wah and forget all other
measures of changing the society because they are delusive.
The purpose of
da'wah is to effect change and transformation in the individuals who
accept it, and, ultimately, in the society as a whole. With Allah's
Will, effective da'wah advances human beings from selfish,
materialistic, hedonistic priorities to reasoning that is centered on
seeking Allah's pleasure through behaviors that reflect integrity,
altruism, and concern about consequences. Inevitably, as increasing
numbers of individuals in a society sincerely embrace Islam, that
society will experience challenges to all that it its values,
traditions, and moral parameters. In other words, da'wah is a
subversive activity that brings about a genuine overthrow in the
hearts and minds of those who accept it. The individuals who accept
da'wah refocus their attention from avarice to righteousness. Thus,
eventually, correctly performed dawah has a revolutionary impact on
society. Much more powerful than any weapons or instruments of
violence that humans can devise, da'wah actually frustrates
governments that seek to oppress, repress, or manipulate the behavior
and thinking of their constituents.
What is powerful about effective da'wah is that it reminds the
human beings of their purpose in life, i.e., to serve and worship only
Allah, so that His Word will be obeyed, glorified, and acknowledged as
Supreme. As Allah Subhannahu Wa Ta 'Ala tells us in the Qur'an:
"And I created not the Jinns and men except that they may worship
Me." [Qur'an 51:56]. By the same token, the Qur'an tells us,
"There is not a thing but glorifies His praise. But you
understand not that glorification." [Qur'an, 17:44] Effective
da'wah provides Divine Guidance and a moral compass to clearly
delineate what is right and what is wrong. Terms like
"situational ethics" "humanism", and "moral
relativity" become meaningless gibberish to anyone who has fully
understood the message of da'wah. Consider the potential impact of an
intensive, effective da'wah program on a corrupt society. People who
fully understand the full message that da'wah teaches simply can no
longer resort to evil practices such as gay and lesbian conduct,
"swinging open marriages," prostitution, pornography, drug
addiction, alcoholism, domestic violence, unwed mothers, child abuse,
gambling, exploitative usury and interest, theft, random murder, hate
crimes, gang activity, and sexual assault. A society that has received
adequate da'wah, properly administered, will neither select nor
tolerate corrupt governmental leaders or officials.
Of course, cynics
will quickly point out that not everyone who receives da'wah will
respond favorably to it. Even the most eloquent and wise da'ee will
not have a one hundred percent acceptance rate. This point is is
acknowledged by the Qu'ran itself: "Allah guides whom He wills.
And he knows best those who are guided." [Qur'an, 28:56].
However, the sweet irony is that effective da'wah totally eliminates
the opportunity for excuses and rationalizations from those who refuse
to take heed of it. Da'wah offers proof that such individuals actually
made a conscious choice to disregard and to disobey Allah. Thus, such
reckless individuals will no longer have a chance to plead ignorance
when they are questioned in the Hereafter. As the Qur'an warns,
"Say: Obey Allah and obey the Messenger, but if you turn away, he
is only responsible for the duty placed on him (to convey the Message)
and you for that placed on you. If you obey him, you shall be on the
right guidance…." [Qur'an 24:54] Thus, as was the case of the
prophets (peace be upon them), the sincere da'ee (person administering
the da'wah and inviting the people to Islam) is absolved of any
culpability for the obstinate refusals to accept the Truth.
Most essential is
that the person who offers da'wah should avoid becoming either
defensive or aggressive. Rather, it is crucial for the da'ee to be
kind, gentle, and to reason in a respectful tone. The Qur'an advises
Muslims to be harsh and resolute without compassion only in instances
of war and military maneuvers: "Fight the unbelievers who gird
you about and let them find firmess in you" [Qur'an 9:123].
However, for the task of giving da'wah, Allah Subhannahu Wa Ta 'Ala
specifically recommends a gentle tone and reasonable approach:
"Invite them to the Way of your Lord with wisdom and beautiful
discourse, and argue with them in ways that are best and most
gracious." [Qur'an 16:25]. Wonderful examples of patient da'wah
are provided in the Qur'anic descriptions of Prophets Musa, Shu'aib,
Ibrahim (alayhee salaam) when they were appealing to their people [Qur'an
36:20].
To be honest, not
only is it beneficial for the society to receive da'wah, but the act
of giving da'wah also is a source of many rewards for the da'ee. For
example, if performed correctly, insha'Allah, one's neighborhood will
become more amicable, more decent, and safer for raising a family. If
we simply consider the enormous transformation of Makkah in the time
of Rasulullah (peace be upon him), we can begin to understand the
magnitude of the benefits of da'wah. The ignorance and licentiousness
of the early Makkan pagans is comparable to what one finds in the
streets of many western societies today. As the Qur'an describes those
who had not yet received the blessing of da'wah, "And verily,
they had been before in manifest error." [Qur'an, 62:2].
Moreover, the person who gives effective da'wah is accumulating good
deeds for the purpose of reaping blessings in the Hereafter. The
inducements for giving da'wah are clearly explained in the Qur'an:
"Allah has promised those among you who believe, and do righteous
good deeds, that He will certainly grant them succession to (the
present rulers) in the earth, as He granted it to those before them,
and that He will grant them the authority to practice their religion,
that which He has chosen for them. And He will surely give them, in
exchange, a safe security after their fear (provided) they (believers)
worship Me and do not associate anything (in worship) with Me." [Qur'an,
24:55]
In view of all of
the evidence, it seems clear that the solution to many of the ills we
see in contemporary society, the best stratagem for making the world a
better place for our children and grandchildren, and the action that
will bring us the most benefits both in this life and the Next, is
performing da'wah, i.e., inviting others to Islam by conveying its
beautiful Message and the clear Guidance that Allah in His Mercy
offers to all humanity.
The Message of
Islam is far superior to any platform offered by any contemporary
political parties. History bears witness to the efficacy of the
solutions that Islam offers. Any cursory study of what happened to
Makkah under the guidance of Islam provides abundant proof that Islam
is not just an abstract theory about how to improve humanity. It
actually works. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) did not have to
harm one soul when he opened Makkah. He did not storm doors, because
effective da'wah had already conquered the Makkan hearts. That is what
the enemies of Islam are so afraid of. Islam can completely overturn
their way of life and wreak havoc on their wicked, evil schemes. It
will not allow them to continue to exploit and oppress the poor and
deprived peoples of the world. That is why the enemies of Islam are
trying, in every imaginable way, to divert the Muslims from the duty
of da'wah. They do not want this Message to be delivered. They want to
water it down, modify it, and neutralize it. They want to preoccupy
the Muslims with other agendas, with fitna (disputes among the ranks),
and contain the advance of Islam.
Therefore,
dear brothers and sisters, let us not be manipulated by our enemies.
We do not have to look for a political or social theory to improve
society. We already have the best one, and it is Divinely inspired
from our Creator. We do not have to re-invent the wheel; we simply
need to use it! In other words, we must understand and commit
ourselves to do what Allah Subhannahu Wa Ta 'Ala has commanded. Da'wah
(inviting others to Islam) is the duty that He has placed upon the
Muslims, with the following promise of ultimate success and rewards:
"Let there
arise out of you a group of people inviting to all that is good,
enjoining what is Ma'rouf (right) and forbidding what is Munkar
(wrong).
And it is they who are the successful." [Qur'an 3:104]
June
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July 2002
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