Basic principles of sincerity in Da‘wah (Calling to Islam)

14-8-2011 | IslamWeb

Question:

I work as an Imaam. How can I call to Allaah sincerely?

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu 'alyhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.

Calling to Allaah The Almighty is one of the finest responsibilities as it was the task of the messengers, may Allaah exalt their mention. Allaah The Almighty Says (what means):

·        {And who is better in speech than one who invites to Allaah and does righteousness and says, "Indeed, I am of the Muslims."} [Quran 41:33]

·        {Say, "This is my way; I invite to Allaah with insight, I and those who follow me. And Exalted is Allaah; and I am not of those who associate others with Him.} [Quran 12:108]

It was narrated that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, ordered ‘Ali to call to Allaah The Almighty, and pointed out that guiding just one person to the right path is better than any amount of wealth a person might get. [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

It was narrated on the authority of Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, told us that the one who guides people to the right path will get the same reward as those who would follow him (i.e., in the path that he is calling to) without their own reward being decreased. [Muslim]

There is no doubt that the one who would obtain all these rewards has to be a sincere caller to Islam, while the one who calls to Allaah The Almighty for the sake of money, fame, power or any other worldly benefit would receive no reward at all. The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, pointed out that anyone who learns something that should be learned for the sake of Allaah The Almighty but he learned it to get some worldly gain, he would be punished and deprived of entering Paradise. [Abu Daawood, Ibn Maajah, Ahmad, Al-Albaani: authenticated]

Allaah The Almighty Says (what means):

·        {Say, [O Muhammad], "I do not ask you for the Quran any payment, and I am not of the pretentious.} [Quran 38:86].

·        {And there came from the farthest end of the city a man, running. He said, "O my people, follow the messengers. Follow those who do not ask of you [any] payment, and they are [rightly] guided.} [Quran 36: 21,22]

·        {O my people, I do not ask you for it any reward. My reward is only from the One who created me. Then will you not reason?} [Quran 11:51]

Thus, it is the duty of the one who calls others to Allaah The Almighty to be sincere so that he would receive the reward and be useful to others. He should not waste his time or fail to fulfill his duty which is guiding people to the right path.

We pray to Allaah The Almighty to grant us useful knowledge and good deeds.

Allaah Knows best.