Introduction To Da'wah Part III

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Obligation of Da‘wah

Calling to Allaah is generally considered by scholars of Islaam as an obligation on every Muslim according to their abilities.  It has been instructed  by Allaah in the Qur’aan and by Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in his Sunnah.


“Da‘wah is an obligation on everyone who has the ability, from scholars to Muslim rulers and missionaries, until the message of Islaam reaches every corner of the earth in the various languages of the people. This is the type of propagation that Allaah has commanded. He, Most High, instructed His Prophet (pbuh) [to disseminate the message of Islaam as follows]:



يَأَيُّهَا الرَّسُولُ بَلِّغْ مَآ أُنْزِلَ إِلَيْكَ مِنْ رَّبِّكَ
“O Messenger, convey what was revealed from your Lord.”
(Soorah al-Maa’idah, 5: 67)Thus, it was obligatory on the Messenger (pbuh) to deliver the message in the same way that it was obligatory on all the messengers of God – peace and blessings of Allaah upon them and upon all who follow them in conveying the message.
…Therefore, it is obligatory on the whole nation, from rulers and scholars to businessmen and others to convey this religion from Allaah and His Messenger (pbuh), and explain it to people in their various languages.”
However, scholars have made a distinction between the individual obligation of da‘wah and the community obligation. Sh. Ibn Baaz stated the following:
There are two levels of Da‘wah to Allaah: The first is Fard ‘ayn (an individual obligatory duty) and the second is Fard kifaayah (a collective obligatory duty). It is Fard ‘ayn on you when no one in [your] country, region or tribe takes up the responsibility of enjoining good and forbidding evil, if you have knowledge. It becomes obligatory on you specifically to give da‘wah, to enlighten people to the rights of Allaah, to command what is good and prohibit evil. However, if there are present those who give da‘wah teach people and guide them, then it would be sunnah and not obligatory for others who also have knowledge of the Sharee‘ah.
Regarding the obligation of da‘wah in this age, Sh. Ibn Baaz also said:
“At a time when there is a shortage of callers, when evil is prevalent and ignorance dominates, da‘wah becomes fard ‘ayn on everyone according to their ability.”
Proof for the community obligation of da‘wah can be found in the following verse and others similar to it:



وَلْتَكُنْ مِنْكُمْ أُمَّةٌ يَدْعُونَ إِلَى الْخَيْرِ وَيَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَأُوْلَئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ
“Let there arise among you a group inviting to all that is good, enjoining righteousness and forbidding evil. Those are the successful ones.”
(Soorah Aal ‘Imraan, 3: 104)Allaah states that a group of the believers should shoulder the responsibility of promoting virtue and prohibiting vice in the society. Because religion is not merely a personal affair as perceived in the secular West, it forms the very fabric of society. Policing the society should not be left up to the government alone but should be shared by members of the communities which constitute the society.
On the other hand, the individual obligation of da‘wah can be seen indicated in the following verse:



اُدْعُ إِلَى سَبِيلِ رَبِّكَ بِالْحِكْمَةِ وَالْمَوْعِظَةِ الْحَسَنَةِ
“Call to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good preaching.”
(Soorah an-Nahl, 16: 125)The Prophet (pbuh) is personally addressed in this verse and by extension all individual believers are instructed to invite people to Islaam. In case this instruction was perceived as limited to only certain individuals like scholars or groups, the Prophet (pbuh) himself broadened the scope of responsibility by making it the individual responsibility of everyone who had any knowledge saying:



بَلِّغُوا عَنِّي وَلَوْ آيَةٌ
“Convey from me, even if it be only a single verse.” Every Muslim must learn some verses or chapters of the Qur’aan for their daily prayers. Among the shortest and most popular chapters is Soorah al-Ikhlaas which states: “Say: He is Allaah the Unique, Allaah the Self-subsistent. He did not give birth nor was He born. And nothing is similar to Him.” Every one of these verses contains a crucial message about Allaah about which most religions are ignorant. Each verse clearly distinguishes God, the Creator, from His creatures. The vast majority of Muslims knows this short chapter and can share its messages to the idolatrous world around them. Consequently, virtually no one is excused from giving some da‘wah.
Furthermore, whenever the Prophet (pbuh) addressed people, he used to say:



لِيُبَلِّغ الشَّاهِدُ الْغَائِبَ فَإِنَّ الشَّاهِدَ عَسَى أَنْ يُبَلِّغَ مَنْ هُوَ أَوْعَى لَهُ مِنْهُ
“Let those present convey what they heard to those absent. For, perhaps he may inform one better able to understand it than him. ”

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