The Da’wah To Islam by Sheikh Ahmad Mahmoud

Since the Islamic ‘Aqeedah is the incentive for the work of the group or party, and since establishing the ruling by what Allah 􀀬 has revealed is the objective, then it is obligatory that the culture, which has been adopted by the group, is taken in a way that firmly links it to the ‘Aqeedah.

The purpose is to create a sense of responsibility, concern, seriousness, blazing passion, zeal and readiness to sacrifice, amongst those who are working. It will also enable the Muslim to bear the hardships and difficulties of the path. It will make the da’wah carrier not wait for the people to thank him. Rather he would fear his Lord 􀀬, and a Day when faces shall frown from worry. He will accept the hardship of the worldly work and being deprived of the joys and pleasures of the dunya, just to attain the good pleasure of his Lord, and to enjoy the bliss and happiness of the Aakhirah. The purpose of making the adoption of the ‘Aqeedah the basis of the culture is to use the ‘Aqeedah as the basis of initiating change in the people, and not the hatred of the injustice that falls upon them, the liberation from ignorance or the improvement of the circumstances. Rather what pushes the Muslim to do the da’wah and makes the other Muslims accept it is the thoughts of the Imaan, and this is the original way in Islam.

Moreover, the thoughts of Imaan (that are taken as the basis for the culture of change) together with the culture, must be given in a manner that aims towards achieving the objective.

The ‘Aqeedah must be given in manner that aids the realisation of this objective.

The adopted Shar’ee rules must be given in a manner that shows the aim of giving them.

The study of the reality must be given in a manner that serves the realisation of the aim as well.

In short, the party culture must be linked with the Islamic ‘Aqeedah. It must be supported by the Shar’ee evidences, and given from the angle that achieves the Shar’ee aim. This is the realisation of the servitude to Allah 􀀬 practically, via the establishment of the Islamic State, ie the realisation of the sovereignty of Allah 􀀬. The Shabab of the group must be raised on this understanding.

Since the Islamic ‘Aqeedah is like the head to the body, and the heart to the organs; since it is the foundation of the whole matter, and everything depends upon it, then when it is given it should achieve the following.

- It must lead to making Allah 􀀬 the sole object of worship and source of legislation. No one else has this right except Him. He is the only Rabb (Lord). He is the only Khaaliq (Creator). He is the All-Knowing, All- Aware and the Legislator, the only One who manages the affairs. Since man, by his very nature feels weak, limited, needy and dependent, then he will refer to this Ilah (deity) to guide him to the correct path and bring him out from the depths of darkness into the light. Allah 􀀬 has sent a Messenger from amongst His servants and has chosen him 􀁕 to convey the Message, with which He guides those who follow His Good Pleasure in the paths of peace. He 􀀬 has ordered us to follow what he 􀁕 has conveyed to us from His Lord. He 􀁕 is ma’sum (infallible). Allah 􀀬 revealed the Qur’an to him, as a Message to the whole of mankind. As guidance, light, mercy, admonition and healing for what is in the hearts.

He 􀀬 promised them the everlasting Bliss if they believed and obeyed and he warned them with Jahannam if they rejected. Thus, man has been created to worship Allah 􀀬 alone, according to the Message brought by the Messenger of Allah 􀁕.

- It should be clear to the Muslims that Islam ties the human being to Imaan in what came before this life, which is the belief in Allah 􀀬 the Creator and Manager of affairs. It also ties him to the Imaan in what comes after life, which is the belief in the ba’ath (resurrection), nushoor (gathering), hisaab (reckoning), thawaab (reward) and ‘iqaab (punishment).

This should be given in a manner that shows this relationship. The one who severes this relationship and separates it, his words will not be based on a clear proof or authority. Rather they will be words of kufr.

- It must be given in a manner that leads to reviving the Ummah and driving her to carry Islam as a Message to the world.

- Muslims should understand its correctness in confronting the contemporary kufr thoughts. This is achieved by clarifying the falsity of the current thoughts coming from Capitalism, nationalism or patriotism.

This is done by establishing an intellectual comparison between Islam and these thoughts, to arrive at a twofold result: firstly the refutation of the other thoughts and everything built upon them, and secondly clarifying that Islam is the only truth that is suitable for the whole world (due to the universal nature of its ‘Aqeedah and system) and then establishing the State in which Islam will be represented. The group works in this field to eliminate the slogans, flashy propaganda and billboards and the false claims placed in the minds of the Muslims by the kaafir colonialists. For example slogans such as: ‘freedom of thought and culture’, ‘Give to Caeser what belongs to Caeser and give to God what belongs to God’, ‘My homeland shall always be on the truth’, ‘Help your brother whether he is oppresser or oppressed’ (according to the pre-islamic concepts).

The effect of the western thought must be removed from the minds of the Muslims and from their life. This is done by refuting the thoughts based on ideas such as ‘developing the Sharee’ah’, ‘modernising the Sharee’ah’, ‘flexibility of the Sharee’ah in meeting the needs of the age’ (according to the western concept), and ‘separation of deen from life’, ‘there is no politics in the deen’, ‘It is not rejected that rules change according to the change of the time and place.’ In addition to eliminating all of these slogans, the group works to implant the alternative thoughts, which are built upon and emanate from ‘There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.’ It is known in the Shar’a that the meaning of the words, ‘There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah’, will not be pure in a person as knowledge and action, until every thought or belief other than it is discarded. He 􀀬 says; “Whosoever disbelieves in Taghut and believes in Allah, then he has grasped the most trustworthy handhold that will never break.” [TMQ 2:256]. Allah 􀀬 mentioned the disbelief in Taghut first, so that no shirk or kufr stain can touch the mind, and Imaan comes after that, pure in the mind, which is the situation of someone who holds onto the trustworthy handhold. He 􀀬 said; “So know (O Muhammad 􀁕) that there is no god but Allah.” [TMQ 47:19].

So ‘there is no god’ means, after study and thought, one acquires the knowledge that there is no god existing as a god who consequently deserves worship. And His 􀀬 saying:

‘but Allah’ affirms the deity of Allah 􀀬. It negates the deity to anyone else, and establishes it for Allah 􀀬. This is the strongest type of affirmation in the Arabic language and it gives the meaning of restriction.

Thus, neither the thought of socialism, nationalism or patriotism will save us, nor is it correct. Rather they are corrupt and false. They cause misery for man and cannot ensure his happiness. There can be no guidance, light or healing other than the deen and Shar’a of Allah 􀀬.

The group proceeds to build its individuals and form their Islamic personality, by giving them the correct Islamic criteria and filling them with the love to adhere to the Shar’a and hatred of whatever contradicts it, and the love to refer to it for judgement and the hatred of referring to anything other than it. As a result, their understanding of things becomes governed by the criteria and thoughts of the Shar’a, and their inclinations follow Islam, the way it decides. Thus they like what Islam likes and hate what Islam hates.

The group proceeds to concentrate this culture in its Shabab via concentrated circles, whose purpose is to prepare the Shabab for leadership and undertake the work of the da’wah after carrying it in reality in order to convince the people of adopting it. The group would understand the reality using the mind, and explain to the Shabab the intellectual process through which it arrived at its definition of the mind.

This would serve as a guide for them regarding how to deal with reality, and how to arrive at a set of intellectual definitions that are explanations of reality and are the Manaat to which the shar’ai rules apply. When the group defines the mind, instincts, organic needs, revival, society, and culture and civilisation, it defines them because the group needs to understand their reality, and because many Shar’ee rules are related to these things.

The group proceeds to derive the Shar’ee rules via the Shar’ee evidences. It will deduce those things that relate to the problem or provide solutions for the reality. This requires that the group adopt all the disciplines that will enable it to understand the Shar’ee texts, and through which they would reach an understanding of the rules of Allah 􀀬 that were necessary for the group. The group must conduct the method of istidlaal (deduction) openly for the Shabab and Muslim to see, so that it teaches them about it and builds the correct Islamic method of understanding the Shar’a and deducing its rules in their minds.

The group must strive, when giving this adopted culture to its Shabab, to adhere to the practical aspect, which is the aim. For this culture is not for the purpose of knowledge, increasing information or to make the shabab attain a solid academic level. Rather, it is there to generate an intellectual and political struggle, and to be conveyed as an intellectual leadership in the Ummah to establish an entity that represents her.

The group must endeavour to represent this culture in a practical and precise manner. It should not say one thing and do another. It would anger Allah 􀀬 greatly if the group taught the truth and then acted contrary to it.

Indeed, the group must adopt this culture and build its Shabab and establish them upon it, such that it becomes consolidated in their minds.

Thereafter, the group takes the fundamental thoughts of Islam and gives them to the Ummah in a manner that produces the ra’i ‘aamm (public opinion) for the fikrah (idea), which emanates from the wa’i ‘aamm (general awareness) about it. Thus, it takes the thoughts of the ‘Aqeedah and principle Shar’ee rules to the Ummah, in a manner that unites the Ummah on one objective, which is the sovereignty of the Sharee’ah of Allah 􀀬. In this manner the Ummah will acquire the correct orientation, and that is considered the beginning of the return of her personality, which she had lost a long time ago.

These fundamental thoughts, and principle Shar’ee rules are thoughts that lead to assigning the legislation and worship to Allah 􀀬 alone, and assigning the right to be emulated to the Messenger 􀁕 alone. These fundamentals make the people yearn for the Paradise and fear the Fire, and make the people understand that the work to establish the Islamic State is one of the most important obligations in Islam, owing to the fact that many fara’id depend on it. They make the Ummah understand that they are one Ummah to the exclusion of all other people, and neither race nor regime separates them. The Muslims are one brotherhood and no nationalistic or patriotic bond shall separate them. Neglect of Allah’s Shar’a is what has caused the Muslims’ humiliation and disgrace. The Muslims must adhere to the Shar’a of their Lord; they should not do an action except after knowing the evidence for it.

Such thoughts prepare the fertile ground on which the rules of Islam will grow and bear fruit.

Everything we have mentioned must be included in the culture of this group. Our concern is to develop the sound way—which has been ordered by the Shar’a—to outline the culture, and the basis upon which the culture is adopted.

The group will have the great mass of thoughts, opinions and Shar’ee rules, that are necessary for the group to plunge into the intellectual struggle and political strife, and to generate the concentrated culture in those who will bear the responsibility of the da’wah. These thoughts are also necessary to produce the public opinion in the Ummah. That will make her accept the fikrah (idea) upon which the group is established.

This is the framework to which the group must adhere. If the group succeeded in outlining it, then the group would not be harmed if afterwards it made a mistake in some of the peripheral rules, or it disagreed with other groups or they disagreed with her. This is an inevitable and unavoidable matter.

This is the culture that the group requires to acheive its goal, which is making the sovereignty for the Shar’a of Allah 􀀬 and spreading the da’wah to the rest of the world. Indeed, Allah 􀀬 is the one who grants the success.