The Da’wah To Islam by Sheikh Ahmad Mahmoud

Da’wah is an act of inclination and encouragement. If you call a person to Islam it means you incline him towards what you called him to and generate his interest in it. Therefore, the da’wah to Islam is not restricted to speech only, but includes whatever inclines and creates interest, of speech or action. Thus, the da’wah is conveyed in the form of actions and speech. The Muslim, by his own adherence, gives the living example of what he calls to with his tongue, and manifests the true image of Islam by adhereing to the truth.

He said:

“And who is better in speech than he who invites (men) to Allah and does righteous deeds, and says:’I am one of the Muslims.’” [TMQ 41:33]. And He the Sublime said:

“So unto this (deen) invite (O Muhammad ) and stand firm and straight (on this path) as you are commanded.’” [TMQ 42:15] The da’wah to Allah is obligatory and it is a worship with which the da’wah carrier seeks closeness to his Lord, and knows that its status is high, by which Allah raises him in this world and in the Hereafter.

The da’wah to Allah was the mission of the Prophets who undertook it and via it they established the deen of their Lord.

He said:

“And verily, We have sent among every Ummah a Messenger (proclaiming):

Worship Allah (alone), and avoid the Taghut (false gods, dieties etc).” [TMQ 16:36].

He said:

“O Prophet! Verily, We have sent you as witness, and a bearer of glad tidings, and a warner - and as one who invites to Allah by His Leave, and as a lamp spreading light.” [TMQ 33:45-46] Thus, our noble Messenger conveyed Islam and admonished the Ummah. He was a witness over people regarding what he called them to in the dunya, so he called them to bear witness and asked Allah to bear witness. This is what he did in the farewell pilgrimage when he said, “...have I conveyed. O my Lord, bear witness” [Reported by Bukhari]. Thus, the da’wah is the legacy of the Prophet to his Ummah, we must preserve it if we are to preserve Islam within us.

This is because one cannot imagine Islam to have an effective presence without a da’wah to bring it into existence.

Nor can one imagine that Islam will remain clear in the minds of its followers without a da’wah which purifies it of the darkness and the effect of deviant thoughts.

Nor can one imagine that Islam will be established without a da’wah to establish it.

Nor can one imagine that Islam will be spread in a strong manner without a da’wah to spread it.

If it was not for the Islamic da’wah the deen would not have become strong, it would not have spread, it would not have been protected and the hujja (proof) of Allah would not have been established against His creation.

Thus, by the da’wah to Islam, it returns to its former glory and powerful existence, and how urgently we need that today.

With the da’wah to Islam, Islam is disseminated amongst all peoples and the deen, all of it, will be for Allah. The world today is in urgent need of this da’wah.

With the da’wah to Islam the proof of the Muslim manifests, and the proof of the kaafir is cut and so he will not be excused for his abandonement of Islam. He says:

“Messengers as bearers of good news, as well as warners, in order that mankind should have no plea against Allah after the Messengers. And Allah is Ever All- Powerful, All-Wise.” [TMQ 4:165] For this reason, the da’wah to Islam gained its importance amongst Muslims, and the first early Muslims starting with the Prophet undertook it, and they gave it the same attention they gave to the deen.

Had there not been da’wah to Islam, Islam would not have reached us and hundreds of millions of people would not have embraced it; rather Islam would not have gone beyond the Messenger . So the first thing revelaed to the Messenger was His saying:

“Read!’ [TMQ 96:1]. He ordered him to read himself and to read it to the people. One of the earliest ayaat revealed to him was His saying:

“Arise and warn!” [TMQ 74:2] Thus, the Da’wah of the Messenger brought about Islam in all its aspects, and produced the first Muslims who were the best in carrying the Khayr (Islam) as a Message after the Messenger . The da’wah of those Muslims carried Islam to those who came after them. Thus, in this manner and our present time, the da’wah must continue until the Final Hour.

Therefore, the da’wah in relation to Islam is like the flow in relation to water; just as the water irrigates, quenches the thirst and gives goodness to the people, it needs someone to carry it. In the same way Islam, which is the true deen and the correct way of life, also needs someone to carry it, and carry its goodness, so as to irrigate and quench and guide the one who follows the good Pleasure of Allah .

Therefore, the strong relationship between Islam and the da’wah becomes apparent.

For this reason, the da’wah is a fundemental pillar and a vital matter in Islam. Islam needs the da’wah to generate influence with it, and it needs the da’wah to spread. The age of the da’wah is the age of Islam itself, ever since it started, until Allah inherits the earth and those inhabiting it.

Therefore, the da’wah must be given its due importance in the life of the Muslims. The Muslims must be preoccupied by the da’wah for which they must spend their time and exert their effort.