The Da’wah To Islam by Sheikh Ahmad Mahmoud

When we wish to follow the method which will establish the ruling by what Allah 􀀬 has revealed, we must search for the Shar’ee rules related to following this method, so that the Muslim proceeds with awareness, guidance and light from Allah 􀀬. He 􀀬 said; “This is my way: I invite unto Allah with awareness, I and whosoever follows me.” [TMQ 12:108] One should not say; “It is the nature of the Shar’a to clarify to the Muslim the rule of a thing and then leave to his mind, his condition and whatever is required by the benefit (maslahah) to follow the method which he sees appropriate.” This would mean that Allah 􀀬 has ordered the establishment of the Islamic State and made it fard. So the efforts of the Ummah must be focused on establishing the fard, however the method of its establishment is left to the Muslims. That should not be claimed since the Shar’a did not leave the matter (of the method) and did not give people a choice regarding it.

This is incorrect because it contradicts the nature of the Shar’ee rules.

There is not a Shar’ee rule that deals with the solution of a problem without the Shar’a clarifying the practical Shar’ee rule relating to it and completing it, by explaining the manner of implementing this rule and applying it in the reality of life.

Thus, the thoughts of Islam and its rules, if they lack a practical method, turn into ideals found in books, minds and imaginations of people, where everyone talks about them for intellectual enjoyment, but which bear no fruit.

Thus, Allah 􀀬 clarified in His Shar’a the solutions to the problems of people. Hence He has revealed systems for them, which touch upon all their affairs of life. He 􀀬 satisfied all the instincts and organic needs of man with the Islamic ‘Aqeedah, and whatever emanated from it in terms of systems. Thus, Islam is a clarification and a clear message. Thereafter, He 􀀬 was not content with that, rather he revealed other Shar’ee rules whose purpose was to make these solutions implemented in the reality of life and executed, so that Islam does not remain as a fanciful philosophy or mere admonition and exhortation. That is why the Messenger 􀁕 was not only someone who conveyed (the Message) from his Lord, but in addition to that he was a ruler and executer who implemented this message. The Messenger 􀁕 was not content just to make clear that Allah 􀀬 is the only God to be worshipped, rather he worked to establish this in the reality. Thus, he invited people to Allah 􀀬 and the kutla (group) of the Sahabah worked with him in Makkah to establish the Islamic State.

Finally he established this entity which, founded upon Imaan, worked to implement Islam and punish anyone who went against the ‘Aqeedah and system. He 􀁕 also worked to spread Islam via the method of da’wah and Jihaad. It is for this reason that we have the rules of the Islamic state, rules regarding the work to establish it, the rules of ‘uqubaat (punishments), Jihaad, rules of enjoining the good and forbidding the evil; all of them are from the practical Shar’ee rules which the Shar’a has laid down to protect the ‘Aqeedah and the system, to maintain them, and to work to spread them and call for them in order to make them universal.

If it was not for the presence of these Shar’ee rules which clarified the manner of protection, implementation, and spreading the rules of the ‘Aqeedah and system, Islam would have remained static without motion and would not have reached us and then spread. It would have remained as mere admonition and instruction like the Christian religion, which is content just to say; “Thou shall not commit adultery or covet the wife of your neighbour”, without containing at the same time that which makes this speech applicable in the reality. Islam would then have been destroyed and uprooted by other practical thoughts, which would execute what it could not execute, even if it was done in an incorrect manner. It would have remained in books like other fanciful thoughts for the purpose of historical presentation; like “The Republic”, of Plato.

Since zina (unlawful sexual intercourse) is haraam, what prevents the presence of this prohibited relationship in reality is another Shar’ee rule relating to it, which is the punishment of the one who commits zina, applied by the Islamic State. Thus, the Shar’a clarified the hukm of zina when He 􀀬 said:

“And come not near to the zina. Verly, it is a faahisha (a great sin), and an evil way.” [TMQ 17:32]. He 􀀬 also clarified the rule of the one who commits zina, when He 􀀬 said; “The women and the man guilty of illegal sexual intercourse, flog each of them with a hundred stripes.” [TMQ 24:2]. The Shar’a assigned the authority that assumes the responsibility of implementing it and maintaining its application, when the Messenger 􀁕 said:

“Avoid applying the Hudood on Muslims as much as you can. If you find a way off for the Muslim then let him go, for it is better for the Imaam to make a mistake in giving pardon than a mistake in the punishment.” [Reported by Tirmizi and al-Haakim]. Thus, the Shar’a made the Imaam responsible for undertaking it.

The same goes for the Salah (prayer). The Shar’a has clarified that it is fard and it clarified the rule regarding the punishment of the one who abandons prayer. It also assigned the one who would undertake the implementation of this punishment, which is the Islamic State. In this manner, for every order clarified by Islam, its method of implementation has also been clarified - by another Shar’ee rule - and the Imaam has been granted the authority of implementation in most of the matters.

Upon examination, we find that Islam has a fundamental creed from which other partial beliefs branch out and to which thoughts are related.

It also has thoughts that clarify the khayr (good) and sharr (bad), husn (beautiful and worthy) and qubh (ugly and reprehensible), the ma’roof and munkar, the Halaal (permitted) and the Haraam (prohibited). It also has Shar’ee rules which organise the ‘ibadaat (worships), mu’amalaat (transactions), mat’umaat (foodstuffs), malboosaat (clothing) and akhlaaq (morals). All of these are required to exist in the Islamic society, and in every human society. This gives a distinguished picture of the society that Islam calls to. These beliefs, thoughts and rules can be better called al-fikrah al-islamiyyah (the Islamic thought)

The Shar’ee rules which complete the Islamic thought, and whose aim is to establish it, protect it and propagate it, such as the rules of punishments, rules of Jihaad, rules of the Khilafah, rules of the manner in which the da’wah is carried to establish the Islamic State and the rules of enjoining the ma’roof and forbidding the munkar. These complementary Shar’ee rules can be better called the rules of at-tariqah al-islamiyyah (the Islamic method).