In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Among the best deeds that a person can do in this life for their benefit here and hereafter is the work of calling others to Allah (da'wah). All the Prophets and Messengers (peace be upon them all) were sent with the sole mission of proclaiming the Message of Allah to their people. Allah asked the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) to narrate to the world,
قُلْ هَـٰذِهِۦ سَبِيلِىٓ أَدْعُوٓا۟ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ ۚ عَلَىٰ بَصِيرَةٍ أَنَا۠ وَمَنِ ٱتَّبَعَنِى ۖ وَسُبْحَـٰنَ ٱللَّهِ وَمَآ أَنَا۠ مِنَ ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ ﴿١٠٨[Qur'an, Yusuf 12:108].
Say, "This is my way; I invite to Allah with insight, I and those who follow me. And exalted is Allah; and I am not of those who associate others with Him." (108)
So, then, how can calling people to Allah is not among the best of deeds?
The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said, “If Allah guides a person through you, it is better for you than all that is on the earth.” [Bukhari and Muslim]
The da'wah of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) is not based on some summary view of things, instead, it is the outcome of insight, reason and wisdom. In this act of 'full cognition," the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) has included his followers as well. According to 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas, it refers to the noble Companions (may Allah be pleased with them all). They are the soldiers of Allah. 'Abdullah Ibn Mas'ud said: The Companions of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) are the best people of this whole Ummah. Their hearts are pure and their knowledge is deep. They are far removed from formality. Allah has chosen them to accompany and serve the Messenger (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam). We should learn their morals, habits and ways because they are the ones who are on the straight path.
It is also possible to take the expression: "I and those who follow me" in the general sense whereby it would mean every person who is doing the duty of conveying the da'wah of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) to his Ummah right through the last Day. According to Kalbi and Ibn Zayd, this verse also makes it necessary for one who claims to follow the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) that he should spread his da'wah among people and make the teaching of the Qur'an available to all. (Mazhari)
You should always have this in mind, especially when you are with your family, friends and other circles of influence, and use that opportunity to do some form of da'wah.
For many of us da'wah seems like a very difficult task. But if we use the methods that Allah Himself used, and utilize the Qur'an to give da'wah, things will become a lot easier insha Allah.
This will also make us part of the hadith of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), “The best of you are those who learn the Qur'an and teach it.” [Bukhari]
Let's look at Surah Al-Ikhlas which most of us already know by heart.
قُلْ هُوَ ٱللَّهُ أَحَدٌ ﴿١
Say: He is Allah, One and Only
The first point of dawah that we always need to focus on, regardless of what we are talking about is that Allah is One. Allah is free of any partners or intermediaries both physically and metaphorically. For non-Muslims it is important to use this to make it clear to them that God cannot have a son, and that there can be no other “demi-gods” besides God. God is One, and He is the Only one. Many of the disbelievers believe in Allah, but they believe in other gods as well. This teaches us that Allah is One. He is the One and only God worthy of our worship and devotion. He is the One who is above everything and should be above everything in our lives as well. Our life should be devoted to Allah, because it is He who is deserving of it. The Creator, the Sustainer, the Nourisher is One and Only, al-Ahad, and so the first part of da'wah is clarifying to the people the importance of placing Allah as the most important Being in our lives. No one- parent, child, spouse, idol, Jesus or anything else is more important or as important as He is. And so who is He?
ٱللَّهُ ٱلصَّمَدُ ﴿٢
He is as-Samad
He is as-Samad, the One who is free of any need but upon whom all of creation depends on. Many a times many people understand that Allah is One, and that He is deserving of worship, but then say “Oh well, what is the point? I don’t need God in my life at the moment.” For them, it is important to remind them, and to remind ourselves that He is as-Samad. He is not in need of us, but we are fully dependent on Him. For whatever we want in this world, Allah is all that we have. Everyday, every second, we are in deep need of Him. It is important to make people understand the necessity of obeying Allah, and to love Him and worship Him. It is important to understand not only the necessity for this life but also for our eternal hereafter.
لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ ﴿٣
He begets not, nor is He begotten
Many religions and ideologies, even among so-called Muslims have attributed sons and daughters to Allah. This one verse nullifies that. It is a clear indicator that Allah is separate from His creation. He doesn’t have a father or mother, and He doesn’t have a son or a daughter. He is separate from His creation, and He is independent of any human-like properties.
وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُۥ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌۢ ﴿٤
And He is incomparable to anything
This is the last verse of the Surah and is an emphatic denunciation of any and every comparison made about Allah. He is not like anything or anyone we compare Him to. He is not like Jesus, He is not like any idol, not like any saint or a rock or a tree. He is not comparable to what is on the Earth (and the entire Universe), and in any of His creation. Allah is the One and only, who is free of need, and incomparable to anything and everything else. Because the world and all of creation depends on Him. That is a short message and a short introduction to who Allah is. Surah Ikhlas is a very easy and quick way of giving da'wah to the general masses of the people, regardless of their knowledge.
So, learn the Qur'an, and find the time to learn Arabic so you can delve into more depth of each Surah in the Qur'an. If you can't travel, this is a good resource to learn Arabic online for free. (Download classes here)
May Allah make learning Qur'an and Arabic easy for us and grant us sound understanding of the Qur'an, and enable us to call others to Him. Ameen.
Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wasallam.
And Allah knows best and is Most Wise, and He alone grants success, and to Him is the final return of all.
Wassalaam
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