Carrying the da'wah is the task of Prophets. It is of the best and most honourable deeds. Allah (SWT) says: "Who is better in speech than the one who calls (men) to Allah, works righteousness, and says I am one the Muslims ?"(41:33). The recompense for that deed is the best reward and the most abundant gift. Those who perform such a noble deed enjoy the highest rank and the best place with their lord in the hereafter. This is the case if they acted properly, perfected their work and did it only for the sake of Allah (SWT).
In order for the carrier of the da'wah to be aware of his affair, confident in his march, not to be stricken with frustration, grief and despair, in order that his situation does not reach the point where he gives up his da'wah and abandons his duty, he must inspire his course of action and his method from the Book of his Lord and the Sunnah of His Prophet. This makes him aware of his matter as Allah (SWT) says:
"Say this is my way. I invite to Allah with a certain knowledge, I and whoever follows me. Glory be to Allah, and I will never be from those who join Gods with Allah". (12:108).
The issue which must be manifest, the truth of which must be understood and comprehended is the duty and nature of the da'wah carrier. Is it to carry out the duty of propagation (tableegh) only, and the matter ends at that point ? Or is the da'wah carrier responsible for achieving the results which his da'wah is aimed at achieving, and is he accounted for that ?
To answer such questions, it is necessary to explain the following matters:
1 ) There are tens of Qur'anic ayaat which confirm the complete separation between the duty of tableegh together with carrying the da'wah on one side and achieving its results on the other, though the person wishes for the success of his da'wah and the acceptance of the guidance by his people. These are some of the ayaat:
"If you turn away, know that it is our messenger's duty to proclaim the message (Al-Balaagh al Mubeen)" (5:92).
"The messenger's duty is only to preach the clear message." (24:54).
"If then they turn away, we have not sent you as a guard over them, your duty is but to convey (the message)." (42:48).
The Qur'anic ayaat explained that the matter of their (the people's) guidance and acceptance is left to Allah (SWT); the da'wah carrier has no control over that. These are some of the verses:
"Not for you , (but for Allah) is the decision, whether he turns in mercy to them or punishes them, for they are indeed wrong-doers." ( ),
"Therefore do remind for you are one to remind. You are not to manage (their) affairs." (88-21/22).
2 ) To adhere to Iman and the righteous deeds - indicated by the words of Allah (SWT);
"Allah has promised, to those among you who believe and work righteous deeds, that he will surely grant them inheritance in the land." (24:55).
This does not necessarily lead to the immediate granting of inheritance ( istikhlaf) or the speedy victory, just because of the involvement in the da'wah's deeds and executing them. The evidences for that are the following .
a. The delay of the victory of the Prophets, including Muhammad (SAW), though they were completely committed to the Iman and the righteous deeds and were far from doubts. Allah (SWT) says : "(They were reprieved) Until , when the messengers gave up hope (in their people), and thought that they were treated as liars, then came to them our help" (12;110) . "Or do you think that you shall enter the gardens of Bliss (al-jannah) without such (trials) as came to those who passed away before you ? They encountered suffering and adversity and they were shaken, that even the messenger and those who believed with him cried ; When will come the help of Allah . And verily, the help of Allah is near !" (2:214).
b. The necessity of the da'wah carrier to show patience and perseverance until Allah (SWT) fulfils his promise of help and grants inheritance. In this, Allah (SWT) says: "You shall certainly be tried and tested in your possessions and in yourselves. And you shall certainly hear much that will grieve you, from those who received the book before you and from those who worship partners besides Allah. But if you persevere patiently , and guard against evil, then that indeed is a determining factor.... " (3:186). "Messengers before you were rejected , so they showed patience and constancy towards their rejection and their persecution until our help reached them. And there is none that can alter the words (and decrees) of Allah" (6:34).
c. Warning against feelings of impatience, anger, heartlessness and grief . Many ayaat and hadith warn against this. Allah SWT says: "So wait with patience for the command of your Lord, and be not like the companions of the fish... " (68:48) The command of Allah is in the following context, that he gave time to the people of Quraish and delayed the help to the messenger of Allah (SAW) against them. He (SWT) also said "If their turning away is hard on you, then if you were able to seek a tunnel in the ground or a ladder in the sky to bring them a sign, (what good ?). If it were Allah's will, he could gather them together on true guidance. So don't be of those who are ignorant." (6:35) And He (SWT) said "Is he, then, to whom the evil of his conduct is made alluring, so that he looks upon it as good, (equal to the one who is rightly guided) ? For Allah leaves to stray whom he wills and guides whom he wills. So let not your soul be vested in regret for them. For Allah knows well all that they do." (35:8). The Prophet (SAW) said talking to Khabab bin al Aratt at the end of a hadith: ". . . . but you are in Haste."
3 ) It is very necessary for the da'wah carrier to be aware of the burden of his responsibility. It is the burden of the revival and the change, and he has to be aware of the great size of the obstacles, obstructions and challenges that he will face in carrying the da'wah. This is part of the necessary enlightenment to examine the way and to comprehend the actual facts that can't be overlooked.
It can't be denied that the carriers of the da'wah today who are committed to the true idea and clear method, have inherited a huge legacy of ambiguities that befell the Islamic idea (Al Fikrah Al Islamiyah) since the second Hijrih century up until this time. These clouding veils concealed the image of Islam as it was revealed upon Muhammad (saw) who said the truth when he said "Islam started strange, and it will return as strange. So may Allah bless the strangers." Besides that, since the carriers of the da'wah started the plan of revival and the change, and resuming the Islamic way of life, they face the question of the way for revival and the method of change when they deal with those who deviated from the method of the Prophet (SAW) in establishing the Islamic State and implementing the rule of Allah (SWT) on the earth. Furthermore, the international situation is different today than it was when the messenger of Allah (SAW) established his state. The state was established in Madinah without drawing any attention from the Persians or the Romans. The first military encounter between the Islamic State and the Roman empire was in the 8th year of Hijrah. Today, the kufr states in the world work together in attacking us. They also work directly and through their puppets, the rulers of the Muslims, to prevent the re-establishment of the Khilafah. They also fight against political Islam after they succeeded in destroying the Khilafah state over seventy years ago.
As for the challenges that face the Muslims in general and the da'wah carrier in particular, they are many. These are some of them.
a. Physical challenges: These are reflected in the destruction the Khilafah, the establishment of an entity for the Jews in Palestine, chasing the sincere workers for Islam using brutal means unmatched before, working to prevent the Ummah from getting the advanced fighting capabilities including Nuclear and chemical weapons and also foiling and attacking the attempts at unifying the Muslims any.
b. Intellectual challenges: These are represented in defaming the image of Islam and circulating distortion about Islam everywhere, particularly from the bad scholars. Also in creating the racial and national calls, focusing on the idea of a compromise solution, glorifying the liberties and democracy. Further, they are manifest in the attempt to destroy the social system in Islam and the attempt to show that Islam is incapable of solving modern problems, and much more.
The presence of such obstacles, obstructions and challenges which face the da'wah carrier, beside the great burden, are natural and normal in the course of the true da'wah. Accordingly it is not allowed for the da'wah carrier to be overwhelmed by distress and frustration, or to leave the da'wah when he notices the obstacles in the march and the delay of victory. He must know that the inaction and the inactive response of the society and the people's turning away from the da'wah and the delay of victory; all this does not necessarily mean a shortcoming in the work or deviation from the proper path. There is no better proof of that than the condition of the Islamic da'wah at the end of the Makkan era. The rest is dependent on the command of Allah (SWT). Ibn Hisham reported in his Seerah of the Prophet(SAW) , "And when Allah SWT wanted to help his deen, support his messenger and fulfil His promise to him, the messenger of Allah (SAW) went out in the season in which he met those few people of al-Ansaar."
This favour from Allah (SWT) upon His Prophet came after the Makkan society had frozen and after Thaqeef had rebuffed the Prophet (SAW) badly, and after the Arab tribes had rejected the seeking of their help. The situation was the harshest and despair reached its highest level.
So after explaining these previous matters the da'wah carrier is assured that he is proceeding in the true path, no matter how much time it takes. Though he has the best hope in Allah (SWT) that the victory comes soon and the way-out is near, he does not relate the carrying of the da'wah with the achievement of its aims.
There is one more matter, the presence of which the da'wah carrier has to make sure of all the time, that his action should be righteous. In order to be so, it should be pure and correct. The correct action is that which depends on the Sharia' and does not deviate from it at all. The pure action is that which is done only for the sake of Allah (SWT), and not for any worldly ornament. Once the matter is such, then the da'wah carrier should be assured that the promise of Allah (SWT) is true, and that the Islamic State will be established, even if it took time.

Translated from an arabic article published in Al-Waie magazine published in Lebanon

Yvonne Ridley (born 23 April 1958) is a British journalist and former Respect Party activist. She was captured by the Taliban in 2001, and converted to Islam after release, later becoming an outspoken opponent of Zionism and vocal critic of Western mediaportrayals of the War on Terror.

النسخة العربية

Politicians and journalists just love to write about the oppression of women in Islam … without even talking to the females beneath the veil.

They simply have no idea how Muslim women are protected and respected within the Islamic framework which was built more than 1400 years ago.

Yet, by writing about cultural issues like child brides, female circumcision, honor killings and forced marriages they wrongly believe they are coming from a point of knowledge.

And I am sick of Saudi Arabia being cited as an example of how women are subjigated in a country where they are banned from driving.

The issues above have simply nothing to do with Islam yet they still write and talk about them with an arrogant air of authority while wrongly blaming Islam. Please do not confuse cultural behavior with Islam.

I was asked to write about how Islam allows men to beat their wives. Sorry, not true. Yes, I’m sure critics of Islam will quote random Qur’anic verses or ahadith but all are usually taken out of context. If a man does raise a finger to his wife, he is not allowed to leave a mark on her body … this is another way of the Qur’an saying; “Don’t beat your wife, stupid”.

Now let’s take a glance at some really interesting statistics, hmm. I can almost hear the words pot, kettle, black. According to the National Domestic Violence Hotline, four million American women experience a serious assault by a partner during an average 12-month period.

On the average, more than three women are murdered by their husbands and boyfriends every day . . . that is nearly 5,500 women battered to death since 9/11.

Some might say that is a shocking indictment on such a civilized society, but before I sound too smug, I would say that violence against women is a global issue. Violent men do not come in any particular religious or cultural category. The reality is that one out of three women around the world has been beaten, coerced into sex or otherwise abused during her lifetime. Violence against women transcends religion, wealth, class, skin color and culture.

However, until Islam came on the scene women were treated as inferior beings. In fact we women still have a problem in the West where men think they are superior. This is reflected in our promotion and wages structure right across the spectrum from cleaners to career women who make it into the boardroom.

Western women are still treated as commodities, where sexual slavery is on the rise, disguised under marketing euphemisms, where womens’ bodies are traded throughout the advertising world. As mentioned before, this is a society where rape, sexual assault, and violence on women is commonplace, a society where the equality between men and women is an illusion, a society where a womens’ power or influence is usually only related to the size of her breasts.

I used to look at veiled women as quiet, oppressed creatures and now I look at them as multi-skilled, multi-talented, resilient women whose brand of sisterhood makes Western feminism pale into insignificance. My views changed after the truly terrifying experience of being arrested by the Taleban for sneaking into Afghanistan in September 2001 wearing the bhurka.

During my 10-day captivity I struck a deal that if they let me go I would read the Quran and study Islam. Against all the odds, it worked and I was released. In return I kept my word but as a journalist covering the Middle East I realized I needed to expand my knowledge of a religion which was clearly a way of life.

And no. I’m not a victim of Stockholm Syndrome. To be a victim you have to bond with your captors. During my imprisonment I spat, swore, cursed and abused my jailers as well as refusing their food and going on hunger strike. I don’t know who was happier when I was released – them or me!

Reading the Quran was, I thought, going to be a very simple academic exercise. I was stunned to discover that ut clearly stated women are equal in spirituality, education and worth. A woman’s gift for child birth and child-rearing is very much recognised as a quality and attribute. Muslim women say with pride they are homemakers and housewives.

Furthermore The Prophet (pbuh) said that the most important person in the home was The Mother, The Mother, The Mother. In fact he also said that heaven lies at the feet of the mother. How many women make it into the top 100 power lists for simply being a “great mother”?

With Islam choosing to remain at home and raise children takes on a new dignity and respect in my eyes, similar to those sisters among us who choose to go out to work and have careers and professions.

I then began looking at inheritance, tax, property and divorce laws. This is where Hollywood divorce lawyers probably get their inspiration from. For instance the woman gets to keep what she earns and owns while the man has to stump up half his worth.

Isn’t it funny the way the tabloid media gets very excited over the prospect of some pop or film stars pre-nuptial wedding agreement? Muslim women have had wedding contracts from day one. They can choose if they want to work or not and anything they earn is theirs to spend while the husband has to pay for all the household bills and the upkeep of his family.

Just about everything that feminists strived for in the 70s was already available to Muslim women 1400 years ago.

As I said, Islam dignifies and brings respect to motherhood and being a wife. If you want to stay at home, stay at home. It is a great honor to be a home maker and the first educater of your children

But equally, the Quran states if you want to work, then work. Be a career woman, learn a profession become a politician. Be what you want to be and excel in what you do as a Muslim because everything you do is in praise of Allah (swt).

There is an excessive, almost irritating concentration or focus on the issue of Muslim womens’ dress particularly by men (both Muslim and non-Muslim).

Yes, it is an obligation for Muslim women to dress modestly but, in addition, there are many other important issues which concern Muslim women today.

And yet everyone obsesses over the hijab. Look, it is part of my business suit. This tells you I am a Muslim and therefore I expect to be treated with respect.

Can you imagine if someone told a Wall Street executive or Washington banker to put on a t-shirt and jeans? He would tell you his business suit defines him during work hours, marks him out to be treated seriously.

And yet in Britain we have had the former Foreign Secretary Jack Straw describing the nikab – the face veil revealing only the eyes – as an unwelcome barrier. When, oh when, will men learn to keep their mouths shut over a woman’s wardrobe?

We also had Government Ministers Gordon Brown and John Reid express disparaging remarks about the nikab – both these men come from over the Scottish Borders where men wear skirts!!

Then we had a series of other parliamentarians enter the fray describing the nikab as a barrier for communication. What a load of nonsense. If this was the case can anyone explain to me why cell phones, landlines, emails, text messaging and fax machines are in daily use? Who listens to the radio? No one switches off the wireless because they can not see the face of the presenter.

The majority of sisters I know who choose to wear the nikab are actually white, Western reverts who no longer want the unwelcome attention of those few leering men who will try and confront females and launch into inappropriate behavior. Mind you, there are a couple of London sisters I know who say they wear the nikab at anti-war marches because they can’t stand the smell of spliffs.

I am afraid Islamophobia has become the last refuge of the racist scoundrel. But the cowardly, chauvinistic attacks launched – largely by men – is unacceptable to Muslimahs as well as their secular, female sisters from the left.

I was a feminist for many years and now, as an Islamic feminist, I still promote womens’ rights. The only difference is Muslim feminists are more radical than their secular counterparts. We all hate those ghastly beauty pageants, and tried to stop laughing when the emergence of Miss Afghanistan in bikini was hailed as a giant leap for women’s liberation in Afghanistan.

I’ve been back to Afghanistan many times and I can tell you there are no career women emerging from the rubble in Kabul. My Afghan sisters say they wish the West would drop its obsession with the bhurka. “Don’t try turning me into a career woman, get my husband a job first. Show me how I can send my children to school without fear of them being kidnapped. Give me security and bread on the table,” one sister told me.

Young feminist Muslimahs see the hijab and the nikab as political symbols as well as a religious requirement. Some say it is their way of showing the world they reject the excesses of Western lifestyles such as binge drinking, casual sex, drug-taking etc.

Superiority in Islam is accomplished through piety, not beauty, wealth, power, position or sex.

Now you tell me what is more liberating. Being judged on the length of your skirt and the size of your cosmetically enhanced breasts, or being judged on your character, mind and intelligence?

Glossy magazines tell us as women that unless we are tall, slim and beautiful we will be unloved and unwanted. The pressure on teenage magazine readers to have a boyfriend is almost obscene.

Islam tells me that I have a right to an education and it is my duty to go out and seek knowledge whether I am single or married.

No where in the framework of Islam are we told as women that we must do washing, cleaning or cooking for men – but it is not just Muslim men who need to re-evaluate women in their home. Check out this 1992 exert from a Pat Robertson speech revealing his views on empowered women. And then you tell me who is civilized and who is not.

He said: “FEMINISM ENCOURAGES WOMEN TO LEAVE THEIR HUSBANDS, KILL THEIR CHILDREN, PRACTICE WITCHCRAFT, DESTROY CAPITALISM AND BECOME LESBIANS”.

Here is an American man living in a pre-Islamic age who needs to modernize and civilize. People like him are wearing a veil and we need to tear that veil of bigotry away so people can see Islam for what it is.

Dear Sisters, what does the 3rd of March 1924 mean to you? Is it just an ordinary date buried in the books of history? To me, it is the date that brings tears to my eyes and burns the heart – for this is the day 90 years ago that the Muslim woman lost her shield, her guardian, her protector – the Khilafah.

She lost her Islamic leadership that fought wars to guard her dignity, mobilising armies without hesitation to liberate her from oppressors. She lost rulers who shouldered her economic burdens, ensuring that she and her family were always provided for – leaders of taqwa who were servants to her needs, shedding tears out of concern for her welfare and over their great responsibilities towards her. They would carry food to her with their own hands when she was hungry and would refuse food for themselves until she was fed.

She lost her Islamic system under which she enjoyed the status of being the centre of attention with respect to care and protection, where her dignity was viewed as more precious than all the treasures of the world and men feared to utter a single word against her honour. It was a system that created prosperity in her land; a system under which she could elect her ruler and account him openly without fear of repercussion; a system which generated thousands of female scholars and pioneered the world in women’s education; a system under which the slave-girl became the mother of sultans; and a system where the Khalifah, judiciary and Qadi stood as guardians of her rights, protecting her from exploitation or abuse, and exerting all efforts to ensure that justice was hers as obliged by her Deen.

She lost her Islamic state which raised her status as a wife and mother, making the woman the cherished cornerstone of the family, bestowing upon her great worth, lifting from her the heavy burden of providing for herself, and commanding unconditional respect towards her as the nurturer and educator of the future generations. She lost a society in which her children were surrounded by the pure Islamic values and laws, and educated in Islamic homes and schools, creating youth of distinguished Islamic personalities who exemplified noble behavior andakhlaq (ethics). They were the devoted servants of Allah (swt), heroes of Islam, upright citizens of their state shouldering the burdens of their community and Ummah, carriers of the dawah and fierce adversaries to corruption and oppression, embodying the characteristics of leaders of humanity.

It was a state in which her status, rights, and good treatment became the envy of the women of the world.

And what did she gain over the last 9 decades in exchange for all this from the loss of her shield? Her life became one marred by death and destruction, poverty, indignity, destitution, and desperation. She came to be ruled by oppressive dictatorships which stole her wealth, ruled through terror, and imprisoned and killed her people for speaking the truth. She was forced to beg on streets, sell her body, or abandon her children to seek work in foreign states to feed herself and her family. She rummaged through bins for scraps of food and watched her children die from starvation. She became a tool to generate wealth for corporations and governments, the victim of traffickers, and the target of capitalists and criminals who exploited her dignity for profit. And her society became one plagued with insecurity, lawlessness, and violence, ruled by systems that cared nothing for her welfare, deprived her of her rights, and denied her justice.

Her land became occupied by foreign governments who destroyed her properties and slaughtered her family with impunity. She witnessed her children being butchered in front of her eyes by those harbouring hatred towards Islam. They violated her dignity and chased her from her home, while no army came to her rescue and no state provided her with a good life in a safe sanctuary. She became vilified and attacked for her Islamic dress and persecuted, imprisoned and tortured for speaking the Haq against her ruler under leaderships that criminalized the call to Islam.

And her role as a wife and mother became disregarded, devalued and undermined. Her children became exposed to the lewdness, immorality, and corruption of poisonous Western capitalist and liberal values imported freely, implemented and promoted by secular governments. Consequently, they became affected by the same scourge of individualism and materialism that afflicts Western societies and breeds disobedience and disrespect towards parents and elders. They became drawn to the Western identity and dress, embracing the destructive self-gratifying culture and lifestyle promoted by liberal personal and sexual freedoms, enticing many to a life of alcohol, drugs and harmful elicit relationships. The sanctity of the Islamic family unit became violated with the rise of adultery and divorce, leading to heartbreak for men, women and children alike.

Dear sisters, this is the painful, devastating aftermath of the events of the 3rd of March 1924, that fateful day when we lost our shield, our guardian, our protector. It should not be an insignificant date in history but one that is firmly etched in our minds. It is a date surrounded by sadness, and regret – one that should serve as a great reminder of just how much we lost as Muslim women when the System of Allah (swt), the Khilafah was removed from our lands.

Nine long dark years of unbearable suffering, indignity, and misery for the daughters of this Ummah is surely enough! It breaks the heart to reflect on the mercy, privileges, and countless blessings that Allah (swt) bestowed upon the Muslim woman under the shade of His System that have been resigned to the pages of history books or lie dormant in Islamic texts rather than gracing our lives. But now there is great hope that our shield is again rising from the ashes of its destruction to enlighten this world with its justice and sublime values as it once did. We witness the cool breeze of change as the Raya flag is raised from land to land across the globe and men and women alike take up its call.

Dear beloved sisters, we call you to be part of this great, momentous change of re-establishing this glorious Khilafah that will resume the magnificence of our Deen within our Muslim lands and with it return dignity, justice and protection to the daughters of Islam. We call you to be part of this work to give life to a state which taught the world the high status that a woman deserves and the great respect by which she should be treated. We call you to join your sisters of Hizb ut Tahrir in exerting all your efforts to fulfil this most vital of Islamic obligations of establishing the System of Allah upon this earth which will secure for you, Insha Allah, a high station and unimaginable rewards in the Hereafter.

Let these long, dark, painful decades that the daughters of this Ummah have endured in the absence of their shield be one that is confined to the books of history and the dawn of a new life take root that is full of honour and tranquillity under the shade of the noble Khilafah.

﴿فَإِمَّا يَأۡتِيَنَّڪُم مِّنِّى هُدً۬ى فَمَنِ ٱتَّبَعَ هُدَاىَ فَلَا يَضِلُّ وَلَا يَشۡقَىٰ وَمَنۡ أَعۡرَضَ عَن ذِڪۡرِى فَإِنَّ لَهُۥ مَعِيشَةً۬ ضَنكً۬ا وَنَحۡشُرُهُۥ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡقِيَـٰمَةِ أَعۡمَىٰ﴾

“Whoever follows My Guidance shall neither go astray, nor fall into distress and misery. But whoever turns away from My Reminder (That is, neither believes in the Qur’an nor acts on its orders) verily, for him is a life of hardship, and We shall raise him up blind on the Day of Resurrection.” [TMQ Ta-Ha: 123-124]

Written By : Dr. Nazreen Nawaz

كُنْتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ تَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ

“You are the best of the nation raised up for mankind because you enjoin what is right and forbid the wrong and believe in Allah” [TMQ Al-Imran: 110]

There many evidences in the Qur'an and Sunnah that obligates ALL Muslims, men and women to do da'wah, and enjoin good and forbid evil.

The Qur’an and Sunnah have expressed the idea of da’wa with the terms; tableegh (delivering the call), enjoining the good (ma’ruf) & forbidding the evil (munkar), recommending one another on the truth (tawaasi), being sent to give good tidings and to warn, clarifying the truth, advising (naseeha) and reminding the people, and debate and discuss with the people in the manner which is best and the struggling to make the Deen prevail.

ادْعُ إِلَى سَبِيلِ رَبِّكَ بِالْحِكْمَةِ وَالْمَوْعِظَةِ الْحَسَنَةِ وَجَادِلْهُمْ بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ

Allah (swt) says, “Invite to the way of your Lord (i.e. Islaam) with Hikmah (divine evidences), and argue with them in a way that is better.” [TMQ 16: 125]

What we can notice when we look at the evidences is that they have come in a general form, addressing Muslims as a whole – not being specific to men or women.

The fuqaha have explained that Da’wah to non-Muslims is in origin Fard Kifayah (obligation of sufficiency), meaning if some people are fulfilling it – the rest of the Ummah are not sinful and are encouraged to also perform it. However, it can become Fard Ayn (individual obligation) in the case where we know a non-Muslim who does not know about Islam and is unlikely to hear about it except through you – in this case it is our obligation to convey the message of Islam to them.

Da’wah to non-Muslims differs from da’wah to Muslims which includes enjoining the Ma’ruf and forbidding the Munkar which is an individual duty. 

Ahmad narrated on the authority of Abu Bakrah that the messenger said: "If the people see the Munkar (evil, wrong doing) and they do not change it, Allah will take them with a punishment".

The Muslims, as individuals, are required to enjoin that which they are commanded with and forbid that which they are ordered to abstain from - if anything happens in front of them that necessitates that – according to the knowledge each individual has.

Furthermore, the Messenger (saw), when addressing the people used to say, “Let the one who is present convey what he has heard to the one who is absent” (Al-Bukhari).

Consequently, enjoining the ma’roof and forbidding the munkar becomes an individual obligation (fard ayn) for which the Muslim will be sinful if he or she did not undertake it, and he is not excused for abandoning it. Thus the Muslimah, in her daily life with her husband, children, relatives, neighbours, customers, acquaintances or anyone else who they happen to meet; each one of such people needs be given the naseeha (advice), if they failed to perform a duty or was disobedient. How can this not be the case when there are sins that only she may be aware of. Such as a sin committed in front of her at a sitting where no one else is present. If she did not advise them then she will be sinful. No one else can take her place, and in his sphere, nobody other than her can fulfil it. For every munkar that appears in his sphere, no one other than the individual who witnesses it is responsible.

If one of our friends is not wearing the khimar, taking riba, has haram relations with men before marriage or engages in any other definitive haram – then you are obliged to forbid this munkar.

The Prophet (saw) said in a hadith narrated from Imam Muslim from Abu Sa’id al Khudri: “Whosoever sees a Munkar (an evil or wrong) let him change it by his hand, if he could not let it be by his tongue. If he could not let it be by his heart, and this is the weakest of Iman”

We are also obliged to work to establish the mechanism which will establish the Ma’ruf and ensure the removal of Munkar, the Islamic state – which has been emphasised by the hadith in Sahih Muslim, the Prophet (saw) said:

“Whosoever dies without a bay'ah on their neck dies the death of Jahiliyyah.'' [Sahih Muslim]

Women have been expressly addressed with the duty of the da'wah because Allah, subhanahu wa ta'ala, says:

يَا نِسَاءَ النَّبِيِّ لَسْتُنَّ كَأَحَدٍ مِنَ النِّسَاءِ إِنِ اتَّقَيْتُنَّ فَلَا تَخْضَعْنَ بِالْقَوْلِ فَيَطْمَعَ الَّذِي فِي قَلْبِهِ مَرَضٌ وَقُلْنَ قَوْلًا مَعْرُوفًا

"O wives of the Prophet! You are not like any other women. If you keep your duty (to Allah) then be not soft in speech, lest he in whose heart is a disease should be moved with desire, but say that which is Ma'roof (good)." [33:32]

Ibn Abbas understood Allah's injunction to the Prophet's wives, to "say good," to mean that they have to enjoin what is good and forbid what is evil. This can be taken as a general address to all Muslim women. Allah also says:

وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتُ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلِيَاء بَعْضٍ يَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ وَيُقِيمُونَ الصَّلاَةَ

"The believers, men and women are Auliya (helpers, protectors) of one another, they enjoin the good and forbid the evil, they perform salah and give away zakah and obey Allah." [9:71]

It is clear in this verse that women are addressed with this task, just as men, whenever they are capable of undertaking it.

* Removing ignorance, increasing awareness of Islam, and the creation of qualified women da'wah carriers. These results have a lasting and beneficial influence, not only on women and the Muslim community, but also on the whole society at large

* Women's place and status in Islam would be highlighted and Muslim women would attain a better awareness of their rights and duties.

* Making dawah should be part of our children’s upbringing by making them aware that they are the future carriers of Islam; and Islam is their identity; without it they are lost.

Examples from Muslim women in the past

The Prophet's companions who left their homes to go places that were thousands of miles away to take the new religion to people also had the support and the backing of their wives. Let’s look at some examples:

- Khadija's (ra) comfort, help, and support of the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhe wa sallam, offer the greatest proof of the vital importance of this role. Khadijah was very rich, and she spent her money to support the da'wah

- If we look at the hadeeth narrated by Abu Saeed that the women said to the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhe wa sallam, "The men are keeping you busy and we do not get enough attention from you. Would you specify a day for us, women? He promised them a day to meet them and educate and admonish them." (Bukhari) The fruits of this understanding and concern by the women companions of the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhe wa sallam, and the attention he gave them, are shining examples and a source of pride for Muslim women

- Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, is also a perfect example of what the Muslim women should strive to be like. After the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, died, Aisha (ra) was the main source of knowledge about the Prophets teachings. She was active in telling people about Islam and giving knowledge to those who sought it. Abu Musa Ash'ari narrated, "We never had a problem to tackle but always found a relief from Aisha (ra). Her knowledge was stupendous." Imam Zuhri, a Tabe'ie of great renown said, "Aisha was the greatest among the living scholars."

- Umm Sulaim (ra) teaching her son Anas Ibn Malik (ra) about Islam, even though her husband rejected Islam. When Abu Talha proposed to her (before accepting Islam) she told him that her dowry was Islam, he in-turn embraced Islam and she married him. She gave her son Anas to the Prophet (saw) as a servant.

- Umm Hakeem (ra) was the reason behind her husband embracing Islam, the aunt of Adi ibn Hatem (ra) also led him to Islam. Amra, the wife of Habib Al-Ajami would wake up her husband to make salah at night. Asmaa (ra), the daughter of Abu Bakr, encouraged her son, Abdullah ibn Az-Zubair (ra), to stand up for the truth and not fear death in the face of a tyrant.

- Sumayyah (ra) gave up her life when Abu Jahl killed her for becoming a Muslim. She was the first martyr in Islam.

- Umm Salamah (ra) left her husband and saw her children persecuted when she migrated. (She is the one who narrated the famous speech of Ja’far to Najashi). Umm Ammarah (ra) fought in defence of the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhe wa sallam, in the Uhud battle. Tending the wounded in battles was the role Muslim Women played throughout history.

- It is reported that Dawud ibn Husayn (ra), a companion of the Prophet, used to take Qur'anic lessons from Umm Sa'd Jamilah bint As'ad Ansariyyah (ra), daughter of As'ad ibn Rabi who fought in the Battle of Badr and achieved martyrdom in the Battle of Uhud. According to Ibn Athir, Umm Sa'd had memorized the Qur'an and used to give regular lessons.

Even in later generations Muslim women continued to play a large part in Da’wah and the propagation of Islam.

- Nafisa bint al-Hasan (d. 208/824) taught hadith to Imam ash-Shafi'i.

- Ibn Hajar mentioned 12 women who were musnida (transmitters of collection of hadith). He studied with 53 women.

- Ibn Asakir al-Dimashqi (499-571) took hadith from 1,300 male shaykh and 80-odd female shaykha.

What contribution can women make?

Many obstacles and restraints have been the causes behind the weakness and neglect of da'wah work amongst women.

One major reason, is that many men are not convinced about the importance of women's role and responsibilities in the field of da'wah. This is due to the influence of eastern Mushrik culture where women are seen as slaves to men. Unfortunately some attempt to justify this by misinterpreting Islamic evidences, for example:

The Qur'anic verse: وَقَرْنَ فِي بُيُوتِكُنَّ "...remain at your homes..." [33:33] has been misinterpreted by many, and so has the right of guardianship or Qawama. In many instances we see men objecting to women's participation in da'wah and thus preventing them from fulfilling their role toward their fellow Muslims and to the larger society in general. Spreading Islam has been made incumbent on all Muslims, men and women.

It is vital that husbands encourage their wives to participate in da'wah work. Unfortunately, not a lot of Muslim women feel that they know enough about Islam to share it with others. They need to realize that it is their responsibility to obtain that knowledge and then share it with others. Many women also feel uncomfortable presenting to groups of people due to various reasons.

Although many women are busy due to their responsibility as a wife, mother, cook, and teacher, inside their homes, etc – as with any fard, we must make time and organise our lives such that it becomes a centre point of our lives. Women have the ability to make a real difference:

- They generally have a great effect on their husbands. If they have strong Iman and character, they have a very good chance at helping their husbands become strong as well.

- Women are more free than men in communicating with other women, either individually for da'wah activities, or in women's learning and other forums and places of meeting.

- Women stay at home with their sons and daughters, and thus can bring them up as they please.

Practical Steps for women

* Where to do dawah: ideally where people gather regularly, such as the mosques, girls schools – trying to influence the teacher and the curriculum, associations, da'wah groups, friends, families etc.

* We need to start by seeking knowledge and developing our Islamic personalities.

Proper Islamic rules of mixing between men and women must be observed at all times

* Building of the da'wah personality: Da'wah requires sacrifices and therefore women must be prepared to bear the burdens of calling to Islam

* Da'iyat delivering lectures, seminars, sermons, should be able to persuade the listeners by addressing their minds through proofs and evidences.

* Utilising the latest communication technology is important for fruitful dawah. Radio, TV, and the internet are very efficient means for local and international mass-dawah.

* Writing and publishing such as books, newspaper, articles etc are means by which you can easily reach people. Writings should both be eloquent and convincing, through sincere, sound and documented arguments.

So, let us strive to aid in the revival of the Ummah, by being da’wa carriers – possessing thought and articulation to uphold the truth.

Each of us has a gift from Allah we should not ignore our obligation in fear of rejection or failure but, join together to contribute our talents and reasons to share the gift of Islam, truly a mercy from Allah (swt).

وَمَنْ أَحْسَنُ قَوْلًا مِمَّنْ دَعَا إِلَى اللَّهِ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا وَقَالَ إِنَّنِي مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ

"Who is better in speech than the one who calls (people) to Allah, works righteousness, and says I am one the Muslims?" (41:33)

Shifaa bint Mukhlis Miah

The following is the translation of an Arabic leaflet.

There are many issues in a person's life which take over his intellect and take up his time. Hence he would constantly exhaust his efforts, on various levels, in order to perform the onuses and fulfill the commitments which these issues entail.

                             

If we were to contemplate these issues to which a person dedicates his life, we would perceive that these take various forms and disparate incentives. These issues are strongly linked to the person's instincts and organic needs. Therefore, people's concerns towards their issues vary from one person to another and from one issue to another. This disparity would be in essence related to the different viewpoints which people hold towards their instincts. Some of them make the survival instinct the dominant factor in their behaviors, actions and concerns. This dominance could sometimes lead to the neglect of other instincts. Others make the spiritual instinct the absolute dominant over other instincts. Hence we find that the religious person, spurred by his instinct rather than his perception, would zealously engage in religiousness, not lending any attention to his other instincts.

The truth of the matter is that by looking into the Sharia'a rules and principles which organise people's relations, it would become clear that a person's engagement in satisfying one instinct would always be at the expense of another instinct, and this fits perfectly with life's requisites. However, despite all this, there ought to be a scale of priorities. It is true that Allah (SWT) has commanded the capable Muslim to work in order to support himself and his dependents, it is also true that Allah (SWT) has commanded the Da’wah carrier to perform all that which the Da’wah demands of him. The Da’wah in fact should take primacy over all other commands. Allah (SWT) has made the Da’wah at the top of the scale, for He (SWT) has made the carrying of the Da’wah the main duty of the Islamic state, also the main duty of every Muslim. The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: "I have been ordered to fight people until they profess that there is no god but Allah, if they said it, their lives and their wealth would be inviolable to me except by right, and their fate would be up to Allah." It is evident that this Hadith reflects the position of the Messenger of Allah (SAW) in his quality as head of state. As for the Hadith which reflected his position before then, this was his reply to his uncle Abu Talib when he said to him: By Allah oh uncle, if they were to put the sun in my right hand, and the moon in my left hand, in order to relinquish this matter, I shall never do so until Allah makes it triumphant or I die without it." 

Therefore, the actions performed by the Muslim would be a means to achieve one objective. This objective would be the Da’wah to Islam. This Da’wah to Islam would take various aspects, the most important and most prominent of which would be the enjoining of Ma'aruf and the forbidding of the Munkar. In the Holy Qur'an this is repeated tens of times in various Surahs, and Allah (SWT) has made it an individual duty upon every Muslim, in addition to having already made it an obligation when He (SWT) commanded the establishment of an Islamic party to fulfil this duty.

We gather from the above that the enjoinment of the Ma'aruf, the forbidding of the Munkar and the Da’wah to Islam or to the resumption of the Islamic way of life, represent a host of carefully targeted aims which result from carrying the Da’wah. It would be therefore imperative to undertake a host of specific tasks in order to achieve the above mentioned results. These tasks are not of less importance than the results themselves, for the results could not be achieved unless these tasks were undertaken.

If we were to display these tasks, we would soon realise that they could not be narrowed down nor could they be counted. However, they could be summarised in several points:

1- The Islamic commitments:

Despite the fact that the total adherence to the Islamic commitments would be to the Da’wah carrier a postulate, thus judging that it would be unnecessary to carry the Da’wah if one did not abide to the letter by the Halal and Haram, or if he did not adopt this as the basis of his discipline, his work and his thinking, even the basis of his whole life. It would be wrong to assume that the Da’wah carrier need not be reminded about these issues. This is so because the prime obligation upon the Da’wah carrier would not only be confined to nursing a genuine desire for Jannah and a genuine fear of hell fire, thus seeking the pleasure of Allah (SWT), he should rather aim at conveying this sensation practically and intellectually to the people around him. He would not succeed in conveying this unless the genuine sensation and the true awareness about this were reflected in his actions and his sayings. Hence, it would be conveyed through the actions and the thought to the people.

If the Shab succeeded in acquiring this genuine sensation of seeking the pleasure of Allah (SWT), then the first step towards establishing a nation inspired by this genuine sensation would have been achieved, and this would in turn motivate her towards sacrificing all that which is priceless in order to achieve her objective and reach the position expected of an Islamic Ummah, spreading the guidance, the goodness and the happiness throughout the whole world.

2- Tilawa (recitation) of the Qur'an:

It goes without saying that the Qur'an is the basis of this ideology which we pride ourselves with before the whole world. It is the revealed word of Allah (SWT), with which we are made to worship Him (SWT). In addition to the great reward gained from its recitation, the Qur'an is worthy of whetting the determinations and exhort the people who had set their hearts and minds in working towards making the phrase of "There is no god but Allah, Mohammed is the Messenger of Allah" reign supreme. There is no heavier burden than the carrying of the Da’wah, all the more reason for the Da’wah carrier to recite the Qur'an. For the Qur'an charges the believer with this amazing energy which revives the idle souls and turn them into dispositions who trivialise hardships and make light of all the worldly pleasures, for the sake of gaining the bliss of Jannah, or even to gain the pleasure of Allah (SWT). Why do we have to go far since we are absolutely certain that victory is from Allah (SWT)? That we have no other hope but in Allah (SWT)? So why should we not be eager to take provisions from the source of the Qur'an, ponder over its meanings and acquaint ourselves with its aims?

Therefore, it would be inconceivable for the Da’wah carrier, who feels a weakness in his soul, to seek a better remedy than reciting the verses of the Qur'an over and over again. The Holy Qur'an would never become shabby no matter how much it were recited, no matter how old it became and no matter how many the reciters were.

The Islamic ideology carries all the meanings of strife and struggle, thus it would be wrong to separate this ideology from strife and struggle. Since there were no better incentive than the Qur'an to help carry the burden of struggle and strife, for the Muslim Ummah had become a nation of Jihad and sacrifice since she interacted with the Islamic ideology, and this was only thanks to the eternal Book of Allah (SWT).  To neglect the recitation of the Qur'an would therefore be interpreted as a decline in the perception of the Islamic ideology which ought to be at all times reflected in the high scale of sacrifice and struggle.

3- Contacting people:

There is no doubt about the fact that contacting people represents the general aspect of carrying the Da’wah. Therefore, how could we call ourselves Da’wah carriers if we did not establish contacts with people and if we did not acquaint ourselves with their current affairs. It would be inconceivable to enjoin the Ma'aruf and forbid the Munkar if we did not find people to command and forbid, nor would it be conceivable that we would be able to explain and convey the thoughts and rules of Islam if we were to remain in isolation from other people. The Da’wah carrier would not be worthy of this title simply because of his party affiliation, because the party affiliation is subjected to the administrative rules drawn on paper. The affiliation is in fact no more than an administrative matter. Therefore, the precept would lie in the contacts, and the familiarisation which the Da’wah carrier establishes with people. The precept would also lie in the actions which the Da’wah carrier undertakes, in terms of studying people's state of affairs, dealing with their sensations, reconditioning their thoughts with the thoughts and rules of Islam.

If we were to stand in awe of anything, it would be of those who had known their exact positions in the fierce battle they are engaged in against the Kufr and its systems, and yet they plunged into a deep slumber, hence forgetting, or pretending to have forgotten that they are fighting at the first line of defence. We have never known throughout the history of the Islamic Da’wah a person who had embraced the Islamic ideology and then lived in isolation from other people. Abu Tharr Al-Ghafari (R) embraced the Islamic ideology, then the Messenger of Allah (SAW) ordered him to return to his folk, but he refused to depart from Makkah before crying out the two Shahadas within earshot of the Mushrikeen of Makkah, thus enduring a beating under which the strongest of men would succumb, and at the time he knew from Islam none save for the two Shahadas.

Islam is a collective and universal ideology, not an individual one, an ideology whose natural environment is within the masses ,as a ruling authority and in the international arena. As for those whose desire is to confine Islam to the darkness of prayer rooms and minarets, they are in fact assisting the Kuffar and their agents, intentionally or unintentionally, in their quest to isolate Islam from temporal life and current affairs in a way which would leave it devoid of the streak of Islam. The truth of the matter is that Hizb-ut-Tahrir was the first political structure to be established on the basis of Islam for many centuries. The hope is pinned on the party that Allah (SWT) would grants the Muslim Ummah the great victory at its hands, for a simple but a very important reason, which is that Hizb-ut-Tahrir carries Islam to the masses and aims at generating a public opinion based on the awareness of the rules of Islam. Anyone who chooses to be with the party should undertake to follow the party in all its phases and its steps, and his collective spirit should also be developed. In order to achieve this, it would be sufficient to adopt the Islamic ideology soundly. However, if the Shab continues to lay an isolating siege around himself, away from people, this would have no other explanation but the fact that he did not adopt the ideology in a sound way. This is so because isolation in fact is a blend of cowardice and despair. In other words, the cause of isolation could be interpreted as cowardice, or despair, and these should never find their way to the believer's heart. As for the other causes which may be imagined, these would be in fact excuses rather than causes; and he who searches for many excuses would eventually resort to lying a great deal, we seek Allah's refuge from this. Therefore, there would be no excuse for the Da’wah carrier, once the party has clearly and elaborately explained the thoughts of Islam, to make these thoughts his private entailment and not convey them to others.

4- Reading:

What we mean here by reading is the reading of the books which contain the party culture and those which contain the general culture, be it Fiqhi, intellectual or political. One may however ask: "Since the party had already put its culture in books which it adopted or published, and since the Shab adopts what the party adopts, so why do we concern ourselves with searching and investigating other books? In answer to this we say that we are indeed obliged to propagate the thoughts which we had adopted and we are not obliged to propagate other than that. However, we are aware of the fact that the books adopted by the party are deep and enlightened and they do not exceed the fact that they are a host of rules related to certain realities, thus it would be wrong to be satisfied with learning and quoting the rules, for these could not be separated from the realities which apply upon them. Indeed the party explains some of the realities in its books, but this was an abridged explanation which serves the purpose of highlighting the rule, however, this explanation would not be sufficient to make one understand the true nature of the realities, thus the other books represent the realities and therefore they should be referred to and they should be read, so that our perception of the party culture is coupled with awareness and not exposed to storms. Therefore, the Shab who frequently reads and researches would always remain in a better position to understand and perceive the thoughts and the culture of the party.

Besides, he who is eager to influence other people, should acquire sufficient awareness about what these people carry in terms of thoughts, opinions and Mathahib (schools of thought). Therefore, we would not be far from the truth if we said that the Shab who had acquired a greater deal of knowledge and study, would be capable of influencing people's thoughts and relations. For Instance, when we say that the Khilafah system is a distinguished system, which is unlike any other system, that no other system is like it, and that it is the only system valid to redress people's state of affairs, for it is a system revealed by He Who knows better about the human being than the humans themselves, i.e. Allah (SWT); and when we also say that the democratic system cannot bring happiness to humanity, but it is in fact just like the other systems, the cause of the humanity's anxiety and instability, for these systems are systems of disbelief, i.e they are man-made systems, and the human cannot establish a system for himself, let alone establish a system for other people and implement it upon them, unless he does this by force. When we say this we are here satisfying ourselves with the party culture, and this understanding would remain nearer to the theoretical rather than the practical understanding. 

What makes it an influential and practical understanding, close to the heart and the mind, would be our study of the Kufr systems and more specifically the democratic system, this would enable us to practically acquaint ourselves with the corruption of these systems and their inability to bring happiness to those who come under their line of fire.

This study could be acquired from the books which talk about the various political systems of the world. The party books would only give the judgement concerning these systems, but they do not sufficiently diagnose the reality of these systems in a way that would allow us to understand their elaborate details.

The same thing could be said of the Sharia'a rules adopted by the party, which are subject of difference among the Mujtahideen and the scholars. Therefore, the study of the evidences listed by those Mujtahideen and scholars, with the aim of ascertaining the extent of their validity would strengthen our confidence in the evidences which the party relied on. This study would be found in the books of the distinguished scholars.

We can list tens of examples to prove that reading other books, be it political or intellectual, as well as the party books, would be indispensable for the Da’wah carrier. We do not wish to say that reading would broaden the perceptions and develop the mentalities, nor do we wish to say that reading would set the reader on the first steps towards political awareness. What we wish to say is that carrying the Da’wah could not be achieved in an efficient and influential way unless reading and study were taken up.

5- Pursuance:

We mean by pursuance the follow up of current affairs and daily news, for this would be different from reading, even though it is connected to it. Pursuance would specifically include the reading of political newspapers and magazines and the listening to the news and anything similar. The pursuance of news represents the basic elements of politics, for there would be no politics without it. When we say pursuance or following we mean exactly that. It means to continue diligently and relentlessly, and not to break even for one single day. This is so because the daily events are a long running chain of events that are interlinked together. Therefore, it would be essential to pursue this long running chain so that the understanding of news and events is perfected, and so that we put ourselves in a position to pass on these news and events a true judgement. We are not in this context trying to highlight the importance of political work and its effects in establishing the Islamic idea within the field of implementation and transactions, this is because we are supposed to have surpassed the stage of realising the importance of political work, to reach the stage of getting involved in political work and to perform its various commitments. The point at issue in this context is to realise the importance of pursuing the news and the events in the political work. Analysing the news would undoubtedly be an important matter, so would be the voicing of one's opinion regarding these news, and linking the Islamic viewpoint to that opinion is most important. However, all this would firmly depend on the pursuing of the daily news and events. Events do not wait for the one who pursues them, they tend to take place and leave their marks even if no one pursued them, thus we ought to obtain the news as they occur, and make sure that no event is passing us by without knowing about it and analysing it, and by Allah, how could the one who has no firsthand experience in pursuing events be able to make events happen in the not too distant future Inshallah? 

The pursuance leads the pursuer to live the events, and turns him into a person pulsating with energy, for he could live in the heart of society and catch their attention. This would enable him to attract them and lead them. It would be wrong to ask whether the daily reading of a local newspaper or the listening a news bulletin in the radio would be sufficient to follow the events; this question should not be asked because the precept lies in the obtaining of the news from its most likely places, regardless of whether the source were a newspaper or a radio. This is so because one could read a newspaper everyday without fulfilling the purpose of pursuance, for most of the time, reading the newspaper would not compensate for the listening to the news bulletin on the radio, and sometimes, the same thing could be said about the radio as well. The main point would be not to allow the events to pass us by without at least acquainting ourselves with them.  

These five matters, the Islamic commitments, Tilawa of the Qur'an, contacting people, reading and the pursuance of news, should be given ample care and attention in order to meet their requirements, and in order for the Shab to fulfil the criteria of the Da’wah carrier. These actions are not a difficult and intractable matter, and they do not require the Shab to extricate himself from all his worldly activities so that he could perfect them. If the party had set a time for the performing of these actions, it did not intend by this pushing the Shab to reduce his working hours in order to concentrate on the Da’wah, what was intended was for the Shab to perform these action in person, to motivate and constrain himself to perform these actions. The whole issue could be down to one single and specific question: Have we made of the Da’wah the cornerstone in our life and our concerns? He who has placed the Da’wah at the heart of his action and his thinking would not be tired of coming up with ploys to perform these actions, whereas he who has not made of the Da’wah the centre of his attention and concern, he would undoubtedly find the world too small for him, and he would come up with the most trivial of excuses. Eventually, he would become a victim of life and her temporal bliss. May Allah make us from those who carry His trust in the best manner, He is Al-Sami'i Al-Mujib. Ameen.

First Published : 2nd August 1975