Ethics of Al-Da'iah Prepared by: Salman bin Fahd AlAwdah. Original language: Arabic. Publishing house: Dar-Alwatan, P.O.Box 3310 Riyadh, Tel:+966-1-4644659.

Publishing date: 1411H/1991G.

A Message from the Author Preface 1- Prayers for Noble Conduct 2- To Perfect the Noble Conduct 3- A Muslim and a Da'iah 4- The Noble Manners of the Da'iah Truthfulness 1- Truthfulness in Shouldering Islam 2- Truthfulness in Sayings 3- Truthfulness in Deeds Patience Modesty Modesty with the Superiors Modesty with Peers Modesty with the Lessers Modesty and Work admiration Modesty and Accepting Advise Justice Justice with enemies and friends Justice in Evaluating Books Justice in judging Islamic Da’wah and Islamic Movements Justice in Viewing Da’wah Works and Efforts Justice in Treatment of Shari’a Texts Justice in the Overall Look at Islam Justice with reality Justice in Dealing with the Difference (AlKhilaf) Live Feeling Ambition Conclusion

Ethics of Al-Da'iah

A Message from the Author

In the Name of Allah most Gracious mostMerciful

This Islamic awakening is inseparable fromus; its glory is ours, its victory is ours and we are most fortunate to be partof it. It is not fit for an able Muslim to only feel fortunate and have no morecontribution. We need this feeling to be positive and to translate into aconstructive word, a sincere advice or a successful consideration. The guidanceof the Islamic awakening is not a matter within the capacity of individuals butit's the responsibility of all. I urge you to contribute positively andseriously to this blessed series before its fruits are picked by others.

Salman bin Fahd AlAwdah

Live Feeling

We are in need of Da'iahs who have burninghearts over the sad realities all over the world of Islam and Muslims, whosympathize with their brothers, and who materialize in themselves the meaning of"being strong

against unbelievers but compassionate amongst each other" as Allah(Subhanahu wa Ta'ala) described the companions of the prophet (peace be uponhim). These Da'iahs must be very different from the Kharijis (An old group ofMuslims who deviated by considering that sinful Muslims will be in Hell forever.They used to kill Muslims who do not agree with them in their beliefs, but letunbelievers pass by them safely) who were strong against the Muslims andpermissive with the idolaters.

The believer is required tomaterialize in himself the saying of the prophet (peace be upon him):“ Thesimilitude of believers in regard to mutual love, affection, and fellow feelingis that of one body; when any limb of it aches, the whole body aches because ofsleeplessness and fever”(AlBukhari 6011, Muslim 2585, AlTirmithi 1929)and“ A believers like a brick for another believer, the one supportingthe other”(AlBukhari 6011, Muslim 2586).

We needDa'iahs who feel pain when they know of a misfortune happening to their brotherseven if they had some deficiencies, sins, or Bida’ah.

A goodexample of such Da'iah is sheikh Mohammad Rasheed Ridha. Sadness can be seenclearly on his face when a calamity hits a Muslim while happiness would shineout if it is otherwise. If he got sad, his mother would ask him: What happenedmy son, did a Muslim die in China? She knew that sadness and happiness of herson were linked to that of Muslims. He would be happy when Muslims were happyand he would be sad if it was the other way around. This is what we can call thealliance to Muslims.

A part of this live feeling is to havea heart that gets sad for Muslims when they indulge in sin or when they deviatefrom the right path. Instead of allowing this to detach him from them, he willbe like the physician trying to save them or at least minimize their deviationsor wrong doings.

This live feeling should require thebeliever to be protective of himself, his wife, and his children by enjoiningwhat is right, forbidding what is evil, and preventing what will displeasesAllah (Subhanahu wa Ta'ala).

Many are the Da'iahs who speakabout Islam, but the ones with true live feelings are only a few. This feelingwhen it moves in the heart of the Da'iah, it will produce guidance, sincerity,and sharing of pain with Muslims anywhere, but when this feeling is missing thenit means one will live only for himself and his family, enjoying life around himand forgetting about Muslims concerns. At this stage, he is abandoning hisloyalty to the believers even if he speaks about Da’wah, Da'iahs, andmisfortunes of Muslims because he becomes like the hired mourner.

There are many who got used to repeating talks in theoccasions, and memorizing phrases that they hear and say without enthusiasm orlove for this religion or its followers.

Oh, How much thisnation needs burning hearts!

Justice

Justice is a general term which means beingin the middle. Muslims are at this position; and in particular Ahl AlSunnah waAlJamaah are being in the middle in all their matters without exception; theygive every one his

rights. Justice has many domains and many forms. Here wepresent some important pictures of justice.

Justice with enemies and friends

It is common that people usually tend tomention their friends with praise that they may be unworthy of and theiropponents with derogation, which may have no real basis.

Isit possible for the Da'iah to speak about the shortcomings of people closest tohim who agree with his way and method or the shortcomings of a partner workingwith him to complete some task? Can he sincerely speak about the merits ofsomeone who is in difference with him in some issues? If the Da'iah can do so,then he has realized justice in this respect. Unfortunately, the opposite is thecommon practice; many people are being unjust with their opponents when theyblame them of flaws they are free from, and being unjust with their friends whenthey praise them with merits they lack. The latter would appear as an act offriendship, but, in fact, it is an act of injustice and derogation because thisfriend will have a lower status in the eyes of others when they discover that hedoes not have such merits.

Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta’ala)ordered us to be just even with enemies:“ And let not the hatred ofothers to you make you swerve to wrong and depart from justice. Be just: that isnext to piety”(Meaning of Quran 5:8). It is sad that even when we acceptthis advice from Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta’ala), we do not put it in practice. Assoon as we find someone has done what we think is a mistake, we degrade him andturn our attention away from him. In many instances, the many merits of someonewill obliterate his few shortcomings and the many shortcomings will obliteratethe merits. The matter is actually worse; In many occasions, It is the few flawsthat make us forget the many merits, which is contradictory to the Shari’a rulethat states: if the water amounts to two jars then impurities (or scum) can beneglected.

Justice in Evaluating Books

It is not just to state what are negativeabout a book and not mention its positive sides. For example, you say that thebook contains weak or not authentic hadeeths and that it has some strangeopinions meanwhile you ignore to mention the good scientific research and theuseful ideas it may have. Stating half the truth and ignoring the other half isa departure from honesty.

When a mistake is found in a book,as quoting a weak hadeeth or having a fault in discussing a case, you will findmany people losing trust in the book and warning others about it. If we dealwith books of scholars using this criterion we will be left with no books toread. Take for example Saheeh AlBukhari, The most authenticated book after theQuran. Is it absolutely perfect? No, Some parts are left blank, some topics werestated without reporting any hadeeth, and some hadeeths either had broken chainof narrators or had differences in the narration.

ExcludingQuran, any book will have some sort of imperfection; therefore, justice requirespresenting both its negative and the positive sides.

Justice in judging Islamic Da’wah and Islamic Movements

Since the fall of the Islamic Caliphate,many Da’wahs and movements had evolved targeting noble objectives asreestablishing the Islamic way of life, reviving the Islamic government,propagating the Islamic message among non-Muslims, reviving Sunnah, and othersimilar objectives.

These Da’wahs are different in theirmethods, their basis, and their objectives. They are also different on how closeor far they are from the way of AlKitab and AlSunnah (The Quran and the way ofthe prophet, peace be upon him).

Many have talked aboutthese Da’wahs and studied their different aspects. You find that many studieslack justice. This is either because the writer of such a study is a follower ofa Da’wah who likes its methods and ways or an adversary who cannot see butflaws; and between the two, truth is lost.

Allah (Subhanahuwa Ta’ala) likes justice and despises unfairness. If one was deficient in oneside, it does not imply that he is deficient in all sides. It is not appropriateto neglect the few advantages even beside the numerous disadvantages.

Sometimes, you will find someone who talks about a group ofDa'iahs picturing them like devils. He will try to twist the meanings of theirwords and acts; even uttering the Shahadatan ( the two testimonies of acceptingthat there is no god worthy of worship except Allan and that Mohammad is hismessenger), will be interpreted in a twisted manner. Making a generalizedjudgment in the case of Da’wahs is wrong. Da’wahs should be studied with carefulconsideration, giving results that are detailed, accurate, scientificallydisciplined, and fulfilling justice in presenting both positive and negativeaspects.

The Imams (leaders) of Ahl AlSunnah wa AlJamaah,when they mentioned Ahl AlBida’ah (heretics), they blame them and warn peopleabout their ways, but they do not forget to mention the efforts of such peoplein charity, in standing against others who have more Bida’ah (heresy), againstoutside enemies, or to call non-Muslims to Islam where the new Muslims will havesome Bida’ah but it is in any case better than remaining a non-Muslim.

It is just that we do not overlook the Bida’ah on thepretext that Ahl AlBida’ah (heretics) were good on some issues at the same timethat we do not ignore their good works on the pretext that they are of AhlAlBida’ah.

Justice in Viewing Da’wah Works and Efforts

There are efforts in the field of Da’wahthat cannot be associated with any certain group, but it is a collection ofjihad and Da’wahs works from many Muslim groups and individuals. It is a humaneffort that can be right or wrong and it is not infallible in any way. It is ofobvious interest that these efforts should be evaluated justly and correctly.This will result in benefiting from positive aspects and enhancing them whileavoiding negative ones and getting rid of them. This way mistakes will not berepeated and Muslims will not start from the same point again.

This obvious interest might get wasted between two sides. Aside that views this effort as a perfect one and will incriminate any one whotries to criticize it and another that cannot see but flaws to the point that herenders this effort useless.

Take, for example, the AfghaniJihad, which lasted for more than ten years with much sweat, tears, blood,sacrifices, struggle and sleepless nights. You find someone that considers it asfree from mistakes and flaws and that it resembles the jihad of the prophetcompanions. He will see it as a jihad that is above any criticism, comments, orsupervision. On the other extreme, you will find another who classifies theMujahideen as ignorants and of Ahl AlBida’ah without any hesitation and withoutgiving any details. When asked how did he arrive at such judgment he will saythat they use amulets and have mosques that are not according to Sunnah. It iseven graver! Someone has declared that this is not jihad but polytheistsfighting atheists. I have read another stray comment by someone about Muslimgroups that follows the way of Kitab and Sunnah; it says: "He is an infidel whodoes not consider this group as infidels." If this was his judgment on such agroup then what do you expect about his judgments on groups who are not as closeto Kitab and Sunnah. This is not the just balance that Allah (Subhanahu waTa’ala) has put for this nation and this is not the real adherence to the way ofthe prophet (peace be upon him) who would acknowledge the value of each andevery one and who would not rob people from the rights they should have. Hasn'the praised people, if it was of common interest, because of the good deeds theyhave even if they were not free from flaws. Hasn't he (peace be upon him)praised AlNajashi and said that“ He is a king that no one is treatedunfairly under his rule”(Ibn Ishaq in Biographies and

Campaigns 213,AlBaihaqi 9/9, Ahmad in AlMusnad 5/290) even though AlNajashi was not a Muslimat the time.

There is a group of Da'iahs who look at mattersfrom one angle; either from the angle of satisfaction where he misses theshortcomings or from the angle of hostility where he misses the merits. Da'iahshould strife for right judgment that holds the scale from the middle and looksat matters with a balanced look that is careful not to be influenced by emotionspositively or negatively.“ And let not the hatred of others to you makeyou swerve to wrong and depart from justice. Be just: that is next topiety”(Meaning of Quran 5:8).

Justice in Treatment of Shari’a Texts

Those texts that are firm and clear(Muhkam) are a "religion". They must be accepted, followed, and believed in; notext can be abandoned as long as it remained firm and was not substituted ordeleted (Mansookh) during the life time of the prophet (peace be upon him).

Having a balanced look at these texts is an act of justice;so, do not take a type of these texts and reject another type, particularly whenthe two types deal with the same subject or two opposing subject like belief anddisbelief.

Some people will take the texts of threats andignore the texts of promises. For example, someone will take the hadeeth:“ The person who severs the bond of kinship will not enterparadise”(AlBukhari 5984, Muslim 2556, Abu Dawwod 1996), or thehadeeth:“ The Qattat (The qattat is the person who conveys informationfrom one person to the other with the intention of causing harm and enmitybetween them) will not enter paradise”(AlBukhari 6056, Muslim 105, AbuDawood 4771, AlTirmithi 2127). and will label others of disbelief if they dosuch acts according to what may appear as the meaning of these texts neglectingother texts of promise and anticipation as the hadeeth narrated by Utban:“ If anybody comes on the

day of resurrection who has said: La ilaha illaAllah, sincerely, with the intention to win Allah's pleasure, Allah will makethe hell fire forbidden for him”(AlBukhari 4623, Muslim 33), or thehadeeth:“ If any one testifies that none has the right to be worshippedbut Allah Alone Who has no partners, and Mohammad is His slave and his apostle,and that Jesus is Allah's slave and His apostle and His word which He bestowedon Mary and a soul from him, and that Paradise is true, and Hell is true, Allahwill admit him into Paradise with the deeds which he has done even if thosedeeds were few”(Ahmad 5/314, AlBukhari 3435, Muslim 28, AlTirmithi2640).

On the other extreme you will find someone who takesonly texts of anticipation leaving out texts of threats, making people feel safefrom Allah's design,“ After them succeeded an (evil) generation: theyinherited the book, but they chose (for themselves) the vanities of this world,saying (for excuse): (every thing) will be forgiven us. Even so, if similarvanities came their way they would (again) seize them”(Meaning of Quran7:169).

The justice is to take this text and that one untilthe scales are balanced.

Another aspect of justice ondealing with Shari’a texts is the justice between the particular and thegeneral. Religion in its entirety belongs to Allah, so there is nothing in itthat is trivial or that can be ignored or neglected. This is why the prophet(peace be upon him) , when he answered Gabriel about AlIsalm, AlIman, andAlIhsan said:“ This is Gabriel came to teach you your religion”(AlBukhari 50, Muslim 1009, Abu Dawood 4698, AlNisai 4990).

This is why if someone denies a matter that is known by necessity from thereligion and that has been reported through several different chains ofnarrators and that is firmly proven to be authentic, he will be a disbelievereven if this matter is a Sunnah or fardh kifayah (Duty that is sufficient to bedone by some Muslims), like the Sunnah of two rakaahs before fajr prayer and thefardh kifayah of Adhan (call for prayer) and other similar works.

There are no marginal matters or trivialities in thereligion as some hasty ignorant or opponent would claim without having alegitimate proof, but there are priorities like matters of belief and theprecedence of general mattersbefore particular ones. When you see a personhaving different sort of mistakes, it is wise to start with the graver onesfirst. It is not advisable that you blame this person on uttering athkar(remembrance of Allah, like subhan Allah, AlHamd li Allah,...) which are Sunnahwhile he is still having problems with pillars of prayer like recitingAlFatihah; it is neither logical to start your journey of Da’wah with him byasking him to stop smoking while he is falling in shirk (polytheism).

Da’wah in a gradual way is established by the fact that theprophet (peace be upon him) instructed Muath when he sent him to Yemensaying:“ You are going to a nation from the people of the scripture, solet the first thing to which you will invite them, to the Tawheed of Allah(Subhanahu wa Ta’ala) (Accepting the Oneness of Allah) . If they learn that,tell them that Allah has enjoined on them, five prayers to be offered in one dayand one night. And if they pray, tell them that Allah has enjoined on them Zakatof their properties and it is to be taken from the rich among them and given tothe poor...”(AlBukhari 1458, Muslim 19 Abu Dawood 1584, AlNisai 2435,AlTirmithi 625 all from the hadeeth of Ibn Abbas). Therefore, ordering mattersaccording to their importance is the way of the prophet (peace be upon him) andwas his method in practical Da’wah and it is part of his instructions to hiscompanions who reported his actions and deeds.

Some of thedevoted Da'iahs will concentrate on a group of details -- that are importantwithout any doubt -- but where there are more important matters. We advise themnot to turn their attention away from these important details but to place themin their natural order behind the more important matters.

Inexplaining to the students the hadeeth of Abu Saeed:“ If one of you

cameto the mosque, he should look at his shoes. If he found any dirtiness, he shouldwipe it out and pray with them on”(Abu Dawood 652), I have illustrated apractical example on how to apply justice in dealing with Shari’a texts.

I. I have mentioned the sunnahs reported on how the prophet (peace be uponhim) dealt with the question of praying with the shoes on. To sum up they arefive:

A. That the prophet (peace be upon him) sometimes intended to pray withouthis shoes as reported in the hadeeth of AbdAllah Ibn AlSaib:“ I have seenthe prophet (peace be upon him) praying on the day of conquest and he had puthis shoes to his left”(Abu Dawood 648, AlNisai 776).

B. That theprophet (peace be upon him) prayed with his shoes on as reported in the hadeethof Abu Saeed and what was reported by Abu Maslamah Saeed Ibn Yazeed AlAzdi.“ He said: I asked Anas Ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) was theprophet (peace be upon him) praying with his shoes on. He said: yes”(AlBukhari 386, Muslim 555, AlTirmithi 400, AlNisai 775).

C. That theprophet (peace be upon him) sometimes prayed barefooted and sometimes with hisshoes on as in the hadeeth of Amr Ibn Shoaib (Abu Dawood 653).

D. Thatthe prophet ordered to put the shoes between the feet, not to the right or left,except if there was no one to the left as in the hadeeth of Abu Hurairah (AbuDawood 654-655) and others.

E. That the prophet (peace be upon him)ordered to pray with the shoes on as in the hadeeth of Shaddad Ibn Aws:“Differ

from the Jews, they do not pray with their shoes or slippers on”(Abu Dawood 652).

II. I have mentioned the opinions of scholarsregarding this issue and they are three opinions:

A. It is makrooh (reprehensible). This opinion was reported to be of IbnOmar and Abu Musa AlAshar.

B. It is mustahab (desirable). This is theopinion of the majority like Omar, Othman, Ali, Anas, Ibn Masood, Ataa, Mujahid,Tawoos, Shuraih and others.

C. It is ja'iz (allowable) if the shoes donot contain najasah (squalor), as chosen by AlKhattabi, Ibn Daqeeq Aleid, IbnBattal, AlNawawi and others. This means that they have the opinion that prayingwith the shoes on is not desirable. Ibn Daqeeq Aleid assumed that touching theground with much dirt makes the shoes unfit to pray with themon.

III. I gave preponderance to the opinion that is in accord withauthentic and clear evidence from the Sunnah and that it is mustahab (desirable)to pray with the shoes on, but considering the following points:

A. To look at the shoes and be sure that they are free from dirt or filthfollowing order of the prophet (peace be upon him) as in the hadeeth of AbuSaeed mentioned earlier.

B. That praying with the shoes on will notresult in any disturbances like raising voices in the mosque, arguments, hatred,breakage of relations or even quitting prayers at the mosque. All these actionsmay be done by some people whom we needed to win their hearts. Such events maybe exploited by enemies of Da’wah to label the Da'iahs with false

accusationsand drive people away from them.

C. The necessity to set priorities inorder. We need to get people to have the correct faith and warn them against allsorts of shirk (polytheism), the apparent and the hidden. we need to get peopleto perform Fariadahs (Compulsory duties) and refrain from Muharramat (unlawfuldoings). We need to urge them to do sunnahs and mustahabat( desirable deeds) andavoid makroohat (reprehensible actions). It is not logical to insist on teachingpeople a Sunnah no matter what effort it takes if at the end, because ofignorance, they will reject this Sunnah and may go as far as rejecting theDa'iah himself and not accepting anything from him. The ladder of Shari’apriorities begins with learning the basics of belief, then performing faridahs(duties) and refraining from muharramat (unlawful actions), then doing sunnahsand avoiding makroohat (reprehensible deeds). It is like the order ofnecessities then needs then accessories.

In shortwe need to make clear that there is no conflict between attending to the wholeand attending to the detail and clarify that caring of general matters does notrequire neglecting partial ones or vice versa. We also need all the Da'iahs towork in a consistent pattern that gives each affair the importance it deserves.

It is not a shame that the Da'iah learn or teach the sunnahsthat are, at present, considered strange like wearing dresses not longer thanmiddle of the leg for men, or the sitting of rest in prayer or moving the fingerduring tashahud. These are matters of Shari’a that are backed up by texts andneed specialized scholars to form an opinion regarding them on the conditionthat it will not exhaust all their efforts leaving other issues untouched. Theyneed also to be applied by young people and spread by them to others when theyfind that the time and place permit the acceptance of these sunnahs. These youngpeople also need to stop propagating these sunnahs when they fear that theinterest of the religion may be harmed and not out of the fear of people looksand words.

It is not justice to write fourteen papers on apartial subject where grave matters and catastrophes happening to the Muslimnation are not being attended to, leaving people going astray stumbling withtheir own opinions that are not based on solid knowledge. On the other hand, youfind some one neglecting the details and take care only of general or wholematters. he will say: "I am on the steps of our pious forefathers and when Ilook at Omar who spread justice and who said: (If a mule stumbled in Iraq I feelthat Allah will question me about it: why didn't you paved the road for it,Omar?); I do not look at the personality of Omar who had short dress and longbeard as some kids do".

Subhan Allah! Why would we split thepersonality ofOmar into two: Omar the just, who bears the responsibility evenof a mule in Iraq and Omar who committed to Sunnah on what he does, what hewears, and how he looks. Omar did not believe in this double or splitpersonality, and here is the proof.

When Oqban Ibn Amir (mayAllah be pleased with him) came to Omar carrying the good news of the successfulconquest of Syria, he made a one week trip from a Friday to the next until hereached Madinah and told Omar about the conquest. Muslims chanted: Allah Akbar,and were happy to be victorious. Then Omar looked at the shoes of Oqbah andasked: When did you wear them? Oqbah said: It's been a week and I've been wipingover them [instead of washing feet for Wudu]. Omar said: What you've done is theSunnah (AlBaihaqi 1/380). The story is authentic as Ibn Taimiah (Ibn TaimiahAlfatawa 21/178), and others declared. The news of the conquest and the businessto bring the world under the rule of Islam did not prevent Omar from discussinga partial detail -- in the view of some -- and then stating what is Sunnahaccording to his opinion and finding.

When he was dying thechoice of the next caliphate was of a great concern to him and to the companionsof the prophet (peace be upon him) . This was an extremely important general andessential matter, but it did not divert the attention of Omar from giving adviceon some other partial matters. A young man from AlAnsar entered visiting Omarafter he was

stabbed. The young man said nice words to Omar and he was exiting,Omar noticed that his dress was long; so he ordered to bring back the young manand told him: "O. my nephew, raise up your dress. It is cleaner for it and it ismore pious" (AlBukhari 3700 on the authority of Amr Ibn Maimoon). Minutes after,he was discussing the question of grand father being eligible for inheritancewith the brothers. Omar said: "I have formed an opinion regarding the grandfather. If you find it right follow it". Othman (may Allah be pleased with him)said: "If we follow your opinion, it is on the right direction and if we followthe opinion of the old man before you (Abu Bakr) then he was one of goodopinion" (AlDarimi 2916 on the authority of Marwan Ibn AlHakam).

This was Omar (may Allah be pleased with him) , a mixture ofconcerns of the general and the detailed, the whole and the partial in aharmonious way where no color overcomes other colors and where the constructionis wholly integrated where every part is necessary.

Justice in the Overall Look at Islam

Islam governs all aspects of life at thelevel of the individual and the group and all social, economical, political,scientific and other levels. Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta'ala) has blamed andreproached the Christians by telling:“ From those, too, who callthemselves Christians, we did take a Covenant, but they forgot a good part ofthe Message that was sent them: so we stirred up enmity and hatred between theone and the other, to the day of judgment”(Meaning of Quran 5:14).

Grouping around one part of the religion neglecting otherparts is the heritage of the perished nations and one of the greatest causes ofconflict and dissent among Da'iahs. You find a sect of Muslims that emphasizeson the worship aspect of the religion. They will stay up praying most of thenight. They will utter athkar most of the time, and may be, they will addunfounded religious practices borrowed from Sufism. I have been told that one ofthe western spies lived with one such sect, then he reported

that such peopleare absolutely harmless. Their only concern is what under the ground and what'sabove heavens. I'm amazed! They only talk about death, graves, punishment,reward and about Allah, the angels, and the hereafter, but they never getconcerned with what is happening on earth.

Other groups getconcerned with the political aspects of Islam. Their struggle is in the field offorming political parties, gathering supporters, winning elections,participating in parliaments and educating youth on political struggle.

You also find groups who put their efforts on the sciencesof religion. They learn Sunnah and Hadeeth, and get occupied in classifying thehadeeths, warning people against invented and weak ones. This may be accompaniedby dryness and weakness of worship and distraction from the realities of theMuslim nation and what is been devised against it.

Beforeany one would jump to conclusions, I would come forward and say:

1- Islam encompasses these three fields and others. It is a religion thatlinks one to his creator through worship, fear and hope, and hence the religiousworship like prayer, fasting and hajj were enjoined. It is also a religion thatgoverns life affairs. It is not a priesthood and not a separation from liferealities. Politics is an integrated part of Islam, so struggle in this fieldwith every permissible mean that would lead to fulfilling the objective shouldbe part of the concern of the Da'iah. It is also a religion that defines worshipand controls the motion of life with the order of AlKitab and AlSunnah leavingno place for emotions or personal inclinations. Therefore, we must haveknowledge of AlKitab and AlSunnah so that we can have our worship and works donecorrectly. These three fields are among what Islam calls for and urgeson.

2- It may be impossible for an individual or a group of individualsto encompass all the efforts needed for those fields. Capacities have

limits andif they are devoted to one thing other things may be forgotten along the way.Add to that the different inclinations and skills people have. Someone may havepiety and ascetic benevolence but he is not gifted with the tools of Shari’asciences which makes him unable to contribute in this field. Here we say thatevery one knows what his strong points are. Therefore, he should exploit thisstrength to contribute to the completion of the integrated Islamic structure asdid the companions of the prophet (peace be upon him) . Among them were bravefighters like Khalid Ibn AlWaleed besides great scholars and judicial juristslike Ibn Abbas and Ibn Masood, and the ascetic devotee as Abu Thur, who used toshout among the people in words and in actions calling them to turn away fromthis worldly life. Very few others were a compound of virtues like Abu Bakr,Omar, Othman and Ali. Such models will rarely repeat during the followinggenerations.

3- We should complement each other. The different concernsmust not be a cause of conflicts and accusations. It must not make one accusethe other of ignorance, delving deep in the details, unconsciousness, hardship,or loving this worldly life. No, every one should acknowledge that his brotherhad taken responsibility of a part he could not do and he should pray for hisbrother and protect his back from enemies. We should not group around one partof the religion and fight those who care for other parts. On the contrary, if wewere unable to care for a part we should be grateful to those who relieved usand took the responsibility. There is a great difference between the two attitudes.

4- If we devote ourselves to a part of the religion, be itscience, worship, or political struggle then we should not neglect other parts.It is not acceptable for a Da'iah not to have knowledge of things that everyMuslim must know, like knowing the correct belief, rules of ablution, prayer,fasting, etc., and knowing what he needs in his practical life as the goodmanners of marital life, rulesof Zakat and trade for trade people, or rules ofpracticing professions like medicine and engineering. This, by will of Allah,will protect our concern of one

part from being excessive leading to negligenceof other parts. Devoting oneself to worship without associating with that thecorrect knowledge of Shari’a may lead to Sufism, and caring for Da’wah withoutbasis of Kitab and Sunnah and good understanding may lead to Bida’ah ormisleading people.

Justice with reality

Some of the Da'iahs lives in modern timesas if it is the fifth century of Hijrah. He does not know what happens aroundhim and he gets overtaken by current events as a layman would be. An Imam wasreading the Friday Khutbah from a book. At the end he prayed that AmeerAlMoumineen the Ottoman sultan has his kingdom and rule everlasting. He wasunaware that the sultan was dead for along time and that his kingdom was splitbetween the East and the West.

This extreme case ofunconsciousness may not repeat very often, but there are other more frequentcases that are less extreme. A young man once asked me: The Ba'ath party, whatare their other beliefs besides denying the Ba'ath (In Arabic, Ba'ath meansresurrection and it also means revival)? This young man thought they were calledthe Ba'ath party because they deny Ba'ath, same as the Qadariah (fatalist) sectswere called so because they denied AlQadar (fate).

TheMuslim is responsible for the time he lives in and he is a witness upon it. Helives the community concerns and knows the streams of thoughts and thedirections of politics. He strives to find the correct suitable solutions fornew events and to resist the deviations after he knows them and understands whattheir roots are. The western thought cannot be refuted by someone who does notknow its roots, circumstances, and objectives.

It isnecessary for every Da'iah to have such knowledge, but there should be a groupwho will take this responsibility. In general, every Da'iah must have

a windowthrough which he monitors the important current events surrounding him, and beable to guide people to the right conduct concerning them.

On the other side of those who are separate from reality, you find someone whotransforms dealing with the current state of affairs into some kind ofdefeatism. He tries to find pretexts to say that the status of people isaccording to Islam. He may also renounce some Shari’a matters for the sake ofcurrent realities or because of the psychological pressure.

Justice with reality is recognizing the current state of affairs and subjectingit to the principles of Islam and rectifying its deviation accordingly as far aspossible.

Justice in Dealing with the Difference (AlKhilaf)

Difference of opinions is part of the humannature,“ They will not cease to differ, except those on whom Your Lordhas bestowed his mercy”(Meaning of Quran 11:118,119).

This difference varies according to intentions andobjectives and according to minds, understanding, and knowledge. Dealing withthe difference requires a position according to Shari’a.

Some Da'iahs call for unity and ignoring the difference without a cleardefinition of whom to unite with and whom to separate from on the grounds of hisBida’ah, stray actions, or deviations.

On the other extremethere is someone who exaggerates on the conditions

and terms; he wants agreementin all issues even in his own personal opinions and inferences. If he was notagreed with in some issues he will stand on the opposite side of the others andhe will then not give their opinions any weight.

Justicerequires accepting the difference in issues that can be differed on, like meansof Da’wah, subordinate issues that are not fundaments of the religion, andrulings that were differed on by the first generations and other similar issueswhere the difference was built upon a study of Shari’a (Ijtihad Shar'i) tounderstand the texts and not on personal desires or inclinations. This kind ofdifference is tolerable, and there is enough room for different opinions to beaccepted. On the other hand, forgiving and tolerating the people who followBida’ahs in the belief and have essential deviations on the pretext ofpreserving unity is a fabricated course which is not logical and does not agreewith Shari’a.

It is essential to know that requiringconsensus in all issues is impossible and cannot be imagined except in the mindsof naives.

Patience

Patience is the associate of certainty.“ And we appointed, from among them, leaders, giving guidance under Ourcommand, so long as they persevered with patience and continued to havecertainty of faith in our signs”(Meaning of Quran 32:24). For thisreason, Sufian declared that one reaches the leadership in religion by havingpatience and certainty of faith.

Having no or littlepatience, one can easily abandon his religion because of

any obstacle and togive up his way and lose his wisdom because of any provocation. Because of this,Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta’ala) said to his prophet (peace be upon him)“ Sopatiently persevere: for verily the promise of Allah is true: nor let thoseexcite thee, who have (themselves) no certainty of faith”(Meaning ofQuran 30:60), and said“ And have patience with what they say and leavethem with noble (dignity)”(Meaning of Quran 73:10).

In many occasions, the people who went astray will try to frustrate the Da'iahsby telling them that what they are calling for is unachievable, old values thatpeople no longer remember and that the Da'iahs should accept a lesser objectiveand should revise their opinions and efforts. Under the pressure of realities,facing the real and fictitious obstacles in the road of accomplishing Islam andrealizing the lengthy way the Da'iahs will go through, some of them may give anear, get influenced and start to revise his understanding of Islam and hisunderstanding of what the opponents say.

This position willbe very acceptable if the Da'iah does it with the spirit of the brave objectiveresearcher who looks for the truth wherever it is, but here he does it with thespirit of the defeated who feels that he came out of the battle wounded orcaptured. He, afterwards, starts to look for a solution in the proposals of hisopponents that would save him from fighting falsehood and distorted realities.

Take, for example, usury, which spread all over, deepenedits roots, and had all world economies, including that of the Islamic world,depend on it. It almost got into every one pocket. This is a realization of theprophet (peace be upon him) hadeeth“ People will witness a time in whichwhoever is not usurious will be affected by its dust”(Ahmad 2/494, AbuDawood 3331, AlNisai 4455, Ibn Majah 2278. This hadeeth was considered weak byAlMunthiri because of lack of link between the hadeeth reporters AlHassan andAbu Hurairah), This hadeeth, with its weak authenticity, has its meaningstrengthened by this hadeeth reported by AlBukhari“ A time

will come whenone will not care how one gains one's money, legally or illegally”(AlBukhari 2059, AlNisai 4454).

When the ones who do nothave certainty of faith come to the defeated Da'iah trying to persuade him totake another look at an act of clear usury, he, instead of preventing them fromthis unlawful earning, which entered their pockets and from this unlawfuldealing that became part of their souls, and instead of trying to search forIslamic acceptable alternatives for investing money and building Islamic economyupon it, tries to find an opening in the Shari’a law no matter how weak or outof conformity this opening is. In this manner, the people's way of a life thatspan a limited period of time becomes a reference to twist the Shari’a laws thathave been constant throughout the ages. This can be explained by the Da'iahlacking patience and then losing hope. It is best for such Da'iah to listen tothe advice of the one who said: If you cannot achieve an objective, stop workingon it and start on something you can achieve

It is notrequired that you achieve the victory of Islam in your lifetime. This victory isfor the will of Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta’ala) to decide when it should happen. Itis required that you do your best. Messengers and prophets were spoken to inthis same sense,“ If then they turn away, We have not sent thee as aguard over them, the duty is but to convey (the message)”(Meaning ofQuran 42:48). The messengers were also saying“ And our duty is only todeliver the clear message”( Meaning of Quran 36:17).

Someone may come to the Da'iah telling him: “you work hard day and night andundergo mountainous efforts but at the end results seem to be little and peoplestart to turn away from you. Moreover, you see that means of destruction andcorruption have engulfed many of them and whatever you've been building in yearswill be demolished in hours.” This kind of logic may influence many of theDa'iahs who are not used to facing obstacles in their way. At such moments,comes the role of "patience", patience, which is most fitting to the situation.

Khabbab Ibn AlArat narrated:“ We complained to Allahapostle (peace be upon him) (about the hardship we are facing from thepolytheists) while he was leaning against his sheet cloak in the shade of theKaaba. We said will you ask Allah to help us! Will you invoke Allah for us! He(peace be upon him) sat up with his face reddened and said: among those who werebefore you a (believer) used to be seized and a bit used to be dug for him andthen he used to be placed in it. Then a saw used to be brought and put on hishead which would be split in two halves. His flesh might be combed with ironcombs and removed from his bones, yet, all that did not cause him to revert fromhis religion. By Allah! This religion (Islam) will be completed (and triumph)till a rider (traveler) goes from Sanaa to Hadramout fearing nobody except Allahand the wolf lest it should trouble his sheep, but you are impatient”(AlBukhari 3852, Abu Dawood 2649, AlNisai (summarized) 5320).

Therefore it is not fit for a Da'iah not to have thenecessary patience until the fruits of Da’wah are ripe.

TheDa'iah may be, in his place (town, school, office,...), fighting againstreprehensible actions and for spreading Da’wah and through him a lot of good maybe happening which he may not feel because it happens gradually like a fathernot feeling the growth of his child because he sees him every morning andevening.

Many Da'iahs abandon their places thinking they arenot achieving anything. Afterwards, he regrets his decision painfully when herealizes the emptiness that is greatly felt behind him.

TheDa'iah must wait patiently for the results and must exert his efforts puttinghis dependence upon Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta’ala). He must comprehend that fromhistorical and realistic experiences, any good effort done will have its fruiton the people. It never happened in this Ummah (nation of Islam) that no onewould respond to the Da'iah or no one would listen to his advises. Similarly, itnever happened that a scholar gave a lesson and no one attended. We are not yetat the time, the prophet (peace be upon him) told us about, when greed is anobeyed practice, desire guides the actions and every one admires his own opinionto the point that he rejects the Quran and Sunnah if they are not in accordancewith it.

This did not happen yet at the level of the wholeIslamic nation. It may be noticed on some individuals or in some places but goodis still prevalent and people are responsive to the knowledgeable wise Da'iah.Moreover we find people respond to Da'iahs in non-Muslim countries, in Europeand America. Statistics show that tens are reverting to Islam in the Islamiccenters there every week.

This historical realistic factthat says that every effort will produce a fruit, is also a fact from theperspective of Islamic Shari’a:“ Whoever works any act of righteousnessand has faith, his endeavor will not be rejected, We shall record it in hisfavor”(Meaning of Quran 21:94),“ That Allah may reward the men oftruth for their truth”(Meaning of Quran 33:24),“ He whointroduced some good practice in Islam which was followed after him (by people)would be assured of reward like one who followed it, without their reward beingdiminished in any respect”(Muslim 1017, AlNisai 2554, from the hadeethof Jareer Ibn AbdAllah AlBajali),“ He who called (people) torighteousness, there would be reward (assured) for him like the rewards of thosewho adhered to it, without their rewards being diminished in any respect”(Muslim 2674, AlTirmithi 2676, Abu Dawwod 4609 all from the hadeeth of Abuhurairah).

Therefore every work has a reward and everyDa'iah has followers.

Modesty

Modesty is knowing one's value and avoidingpride that -- as the prophet (peace be upon him) defined it -- is“disdaining the truth (out of self conceit) and contempt for the people”(Muslim 91, AlTirmithi 1999, Abu Dawood 4092).

In essence,modesty is for the great one, who is inclined to see himself above others. Wesay to him: Be modest then you will be as a star reflected on the water surface,close to the people while in reality it is very high. We do not ask an ordinaryperson to be modest. Rather, we say to him: know the value of yourself and putit where it should be. AlKhattabi narrated in his book, AlUzlah (Solitude), thatthe great scholar Imam AbdAllah Ibn AlMubarak came to Khurassan and went tovisit a man known of piety and asceticism. When the Imam entered the pious manhouse, He did not receive the Imam or pay attention to him, so the Imam left.People around this man asked him wondering: Do you know the man who just left?He replied, no. They said: He is "Ameer AlMoumineen in AlHadeeth", meaning thathe is the most knowledgeable of the prophet sayings, He is AbdAllah IbnAlMubarak. The man was greatly embarrassed and he ran after the Imam asking himto accept his apology and to be advised. Imam Ibn AlMubarak said: Yes, wheneveryou leave your house, think of any one you lay your eyes upon as a better personthan you are. The Imam gave him this advise because he felt that this pious manis afflicted with self admiration. When The Imam asked about him, he found thathe was a tailor (AlUzlah 220).

Imam AbdAllah Ibn AlMubarakfelt that this man had some kind of feeling of pride, arrogance, and superiorityover others, which is an illness that often afflict those who offer more worshipthan the rest. So, the Imam educated him giving him an appropriate advise.

We often find some good people, perhaps some Da'iahs, andeven young students who have ill manners with their sheikhs, scholars, andteachers, which is painful and bothering.

There is noobjection if you have a different opinion with a scholar or a Da'iah providedyou are qualified, but when this difference of opinions becomes a mean todegrade this scholar or Da'iah or to distort his image then it becomes veryobjectionable.

If such a behavior can be expected fromcommoners, the misled, and the people of Bida’ah then it is not fit at all tohappen from the people of Sunnah or students of Shari’a.

Thescholars of Ahl AlSunnah and AlJamaah are particularly required to enjoinrighteousness and to forbid reprehensible deeds even for those who are in thehigh ranks, anticipating reward from Allah for whatever harm they may encounter,but this is not expected from them when they are abandoned by their closestsupporters, for every one of them will be as the brave knight backed only by women.

Had Ahl AlSunnah protected their scholars, supportedthem, and acknowledged their eminence, it would have been possible for them toperform their duties of enjoining righteousness and forbidding reprehensibledeeds at the best way possible, but when they were forsaken by the people behindthem, scholars could not utter a word to enjoin or forbid.

It is regrettable to see Ahl AlBida’ah on the contrary of this. Moreover,

theygive their scholars a value that raises them to the level of holiness and willfollow them in a very objectionable way that is a kind of slavery and melting inthe leader scholar.

This has been the way of AlBatiniah sectthrough the ages, where the individuals are educated to accept that theirleaders and scholars are infallible.

Even AlMutazilah, whosereference in religion is the mind, become very emotional when the matter comesto their leaders. One of their poets would praise the Mutazilah leader Wasil IbnAtaa claiming that he has in every town in every corner of the world brave menwho are the bearers of the religion in the face of all oppressors and wicked inevery time of cold winter or hot summer.

It is worthier ofAhl AlSunnah to respect their scholars. There is no good in a nation where theyoung do not respect the old and the old do not have mercy for the young.

Modesty with the Superiors

Modesty, or rather knowing one's value,means that a starting young man will not position himself as a counterpart tothe older experienced scholar, saying that we are all equally men.

Manhood can take different meanings. In Quran, sometimesmanhood is referred to with praise as in“ In it are men who love to bepurified”(Meaning of Quran 9:108) and in“ In houses, which Allahhath permitted to be raised to honor; for the celebration, in them, of His name:In them is He glorified in the mornings and in the evenings,(again and again) bymen whom neither trade nor sale can divert from the

remembrance of Allah, norfrom regular prayer, nor from paying Zakat. Their (only) fear is for the daywhen hearts and eyes will be turned about”(Meaning of Quran 24:36,37).Manhood at other places was referred to in Quran to indicate only masculinity asin“ True, there were men among humans who take shelter with men among thejinns but they increased them into further error”(Meaning of Quran72:6).

Men are not equal. You may see a humble student ofShari’a who hardly knows few pages from Quran by heart and may not be able totell a single hadeeth from the collections of AlBukhari or Muslim let aloneknowing the chain of narrators or its meaning, you may see him confronting thegreat scholars saying: "I have said", "I think", and "according to myknowledge", forgetting how little his background is.

Modesty with Peers

Modesty means being humble with peers. Itis common to see the spirit of envy and competition among peers. Some may feelsuperior and get delighted by degrading their counterparts, by pointing theirflaws, or by magnifying their weaknesses. They do that sometimes in the form ofexpressing opinions or giving advises while in reality it is a mere jealousy. Itis sad to see a Da'iah feeling jealous because a crowd of two or three thousandattended a fellow Da'iah lecture but not getting upset about a crowd of twentyor thirty thousands attending a musical concert or a football match. If youdidn't like a few things about your brother Da'iah, it should suffice to bepleasing to know that he calls people to the straight path and he is on theright way. It is also possible that he is right for what he was criticized for.

Modesty with the Lessers

Modesty means being humble with those whoare less than you are. So, if you meet a younger person or someone lower inposition, do not look down at him because he may have a purer heart or less sinor be closer to

Allah than you are. Even if you meet a sinful person while youare a righteous man do not look down at him and thank Allah who saved you fromthe sins he is afflicted with. And remember that your good works may be foiledif they result in self admiration and desire of good reputation while his sinsmay be forgiven if they caused his regret, sadness, and fear of Allah. Jundub(may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the prophet (peace be upon him)told that“ A person said: Allah would not forgive such and such (person).Thereupon Allah the exalted and glorious said: Who is he who adjures about Methat I would not grant pardon to so and so; I have granted pardon to so and soand blotted out his deeds (who took an oath that I would not grant pardon tohim)”(Muslim 2621).

So, do not think that you aresuperior even over sinful people. If the advising Da'iah felt that the sinfulperson might have some pious deeds and merits the Da'iah lacks, he would havetreated him amicably and presented his advise favorably which would lead tobetter reception and acceptance.

Modesty and Work admiration

Modesty means that you do not admire yourwork if you have done good or pious deeds because work may then not be accepted,“ Allah only accepts from the heedful”(Meaning of Quran 5:27).Because of this, one of the early Muslims said if I know that Allah had acceptedfrom me a tasbiha ( uttering Subhana Allah one time), I would be glad to dienow.

Modesty and Accepting Advise

Modesty means accepting advise. It iscommon when one gets an advise, he feels bothered because Satan will tempt himto reject it and feel suspicious about the one who advises him. This is becauseadvise usually has undercover a finger pointed at weaknesses and flaws. But theone who is protected by Allah will be victorious over himself and will pray forand thank any one advising him and pointing to him his weaknesses. This is

whythe prophet (peace be upon him) defined pride as“ disdaining the truth(out of self conceit) and contempt for the people”(Muslim 91).

The proud one thinks he has a very great and superiorstatus. He could never praise anyone except with pointing out real or inventedflaws. When he gets an advise he rejects it because of the inferiority complexhe has. It is therefore closer to perfection to accept criticism withoutsensitivity, shyness, weakness, or bothersome. Ameer AlMoumineen Omar IbnAlKhattab (may Allah be pleased with him) set a good example when he said: MayAllah shower mercy over who presents us our weaknesses.

Truthfulness

“ O. Ye who believe! Fear Allah andbe with those who are truthful”(Meaning of Quran 9:119).

Many understand truthfulness as speaking only what is true,but in fact it is a general way of behavior and a characteristic of the Muslimin his apparent and inner personality that manifests itself in his words andactions. Following is a discussion of some sides of this Islamic noble deed.

1- Truthfulness in Shouldering Islam

We mean by this that a Muslim adherence tothe teaching of Islam be based on truthfulness with Allah and not on hypocrisy,deception or adjustment to the surrounding social life. For this reason,truthfulness in

Quran is mentioned opposed to hypocrisy“ that Allah mayreward the men of truth for their truth, and punish the hypocrites if that behis well, or turn to them in mercy”(Meaning of Quran 33:24).

It is necessary to have the belief that is inside along withIslam that is apparent on the outside. It is necessary to have the right beliefin Allah, the last day, the angels, the original books and the prophets. Theouter guided behavior must be consistent with the inner beliefs and convictions.

* Here is a trap of Satan that suggests to the Da'iah givingup some of the good apparent deeds because his inner belief is not as good thatleads him to think that this is an act of deception. This is a big mistakebecause the good deeds one perform are mere results of the goodness andtruthfulness of his heart as long as he does not do them just for reputation orfor deception of the believers.

2- Truthfulness in Sayings

Truthfulness in sayings is an indication ofa clear personality with valor, nobility and generosity. No one would resort tolying except a wicked mean weak person. Good instinct considers lying a hatedshameful action and for this reason it is prohibited and incriminated by allrevealed religions. Therefore a Da'iah should not allow lies to come out fromhim. Some Da'iahs resort to "allusions" frequently by saying something whichpeople will perceive in a different meaning. At a later time when theyunderstand what the Da'iah meant, they may accuse him of lying. Another badresult of using allusions is the acceptance of "white lies" on the pretext thatthey are for the common interest. So, beware!

My brother theDa'iah, do not lie even when you think the situation forces you to do so, andremember the words of Abu Sufian when Hercules asked him about the prophet(peace be upon him) . He said“ By Allah, had I not been afraid of mycompanions labeling me a liar, I would not have spoken

the truth about theprophet (peace be upon him)”(AlBukhari 7). This man being a "jahili"(holding on to the beliefs of Arabs before Islam) had avoided lying because hewas afraid that he be one day labeled a liar even though he was in a great needto lie. Today, we know Da'iahs are being targets of numerous attacks. Therefore,the Da'iah should avoid all actions that weaken his position.

3- Truthfulness in Deeds

Deeds of person must be intended purely asa worship for Allah and away from desire of getting good reputation.“Whoever expects to meet his Lord, let him work righteousness, and in the worshipof his Lord, admit no one as a partner”(Meaning of Quran 18:110).“ He who created death and life, that He may try which of you is best indeed ”(Meaning of Quran 67:2).

AlFudail Ibn Iyadhexplained "best in deed" as the most sincere and most correct of deed. He wasasked about the meaning of "most sincere and most correct of deed" and hereplied: If the work was sincere but not correct it will not be accepted, and ifit was correct but not sincere it will not be accepted; it will be accepted onlyif it is both sincere and correct.

Clarity, avoidance ofambiguity and avoidance of deception are also aspects of truthfulness of deeds.Abu Dawood and AlNisai reported“ that Othman Ibn Affan (may Allah bepleased with him) brought AbdAllah Ibn Saad Ibn Abi AlSarh to the prophet (peacebe upon him) while the prophet had ordered that he be killed by any Muslimcapturing him. Othman asked the prophet (peace be upon him) to accept AbdAllah'splight of fealty. The prophet (peace be upon him) raised his head and looked athim three times, every time rejecting his plight and then accepting after thethird time. The prophet (peace be upon him) then turned to his companions andsaid: isn't there amongst you an intelligent one who would kill this man when hesaw me refraining to give him my hand to accept his plight. They replied: O.Prophet of Allah, we do not know what is inside your heart. Why haven't yousignaled to us with your eye? He (peace be upon him) said it is not fit for aprophet to have treacherous eyes”(Reported by

Abu Dawood 2683, AlNisai4067, AlHakim 3/45, Also see Abu Dawood 3094, Ahmad 3/151, and the series ofauthentic hadeeths 1723).

To this extent was thetruthfulness of the deeds of the prophet (peace be upon him) . He did not acceptto use an obscure eye signal to order the killing of his enemy. This was hishabit and practice (peace be upon him) all his life. For this reason, thepolytheists couldn't accuse him of lying in the early stages of his Da’wah toIslam. They resorted to labeling him with poetry, magic or craziness but peopledidn't accept this and when they couldn't fabricate any new accusations theycried loudly: He is a liar, but in vain.

AlTirmithi reportedthat“ AbdAllah Ibn Salam (may Allah be pleased with him) said: when theprophet (peace be upon him) arrived at Madinah, people rushed to receive him,and it was said: Allah's messenger (peace be upon him) had arrived, Allah'smessenger (peace be upon him) had arrived, Allah's messenger (peace be upon him)had arrived. So I went along with the people to see him and when I fixed my eyeson his face I knew that it wasn't a face of a liar and the first words he spokewere: " O. people, spread alsalam (greeting), and offer food, and pray whilepeople are asleep so that you enter heaven with peace”(Ahmad 5/451,AlTirmithi 2485, Ibn Majah 3251).

Indeed, the truthfulnessof the prophet (peace be upon him) flowed from his heart to his words and wasmanifested on his noble face. Whoever looked at his countenance, its light andits purity will read in it the truthfulness and will admit that his face is nota face of a liar.

We need the kind of Da'iahs who preferredthe truthfulness in their sayings and deeds to the point that it becomes anature that flows with their blood and shows on their faces, so that when peoplesee them they say those aren't the faces of liars.

We arealso in need of Da'iahs who beautify themselves with noble deeds and who willkeep their calmness and moderation even when provoked, so that when people seethem they will say loudly: These are the manners of the prophets.

Our truthfulness in shouldering our Da’wah is what makesother accept our religion. It is not fit for us to be like the actor on thestage having an appearance different from his reality. One as this will soon beexposed and people turn away from him.

It was reported thatwhen one of the venerable forefathers preached he would touch the hearts andpeople would start to weep in all the place while if someone else who had moreeloquence and knowledge preached, people would not receive him similarly. Theson of the good preacher asked him about this. The preacher said: It is not thesame a woman crying for losing her son and another who was hired to cry.

We conclude that the first mean for the success of theDa'iah is his truthfulness in shouldering the Da’wah, his seriousness inpursuing it and that truthfulness in sayings and actions be his banner and wayof life. It is not important to say sweet beautiful words -- even if it isrequired -- but what is more important is truthfulness, being consistent and inharmony with oneself and that words are spoken out of self experience. It wassaid that if the word came out of the heart, it would touch the heart, but if itcame out of the mouth it would not go past the ears.

Truthfulness

“ O. Ye who believe! Fear Allah andbe with those who are truthful”(Meaning of Quran 9:119).

Many understand truthfulness as speaking only what is true,but in fact it is a general way of behavior and a characteristic of the Muslimin his apparent and inner personality that manifests itself in his words andactions. Following is a discussion of some sides of this Islamic noble deed.

1- Truthfulness in Shouldering Islam

We mean by this that a Muslim adherence tothe teaching of Islam be based on truthfulness with Allah and not on hypocrisy,deception or adjustment to the surrounding social life. For this reason,truthfulness in Quran is mentioned opposed to hypocrisy“ that Allah mayreward the men of truth for their truth, and punish the hypocrites if that behis well, or turn to them in mercy”(Meaning of Quran 33:24).

It is necessary to have the belief that is inside along withIslam that is apparent on the outside. It is necessary to have the right beliefin Allah, the last day, the angels, the original books and the prophets. Theouter guided behavior must be consistent with the inner beliefs and convictions.

* Here is a trap of Satan that suggests to the Da'iah givingup some of the good apparent deeds because his inner belief is not as good thatleads him to think that this is an act of deception. This is a big mistakebecause the good deeds one perform are mere results of the goodness andtruthfulness of his heart as long as he does not do them just for reputation orfor deception of the believers.

2- Truthfulness in Sayings

Truthfulness in sayings is an indication ofa clear personality with valor, nobility and generosity. No one would resort tolying except a wicked mean weak person. Good instinct considers lying a hatedshameful action and for this reason it is prohibited and incriminated by allrevealed religions. Therefore a Da'iah should not allow lies to come out fromhim. Some Da'iahs resort to "allusions" frequently by saying something whichpeople will perceive in a different meaning. At a later time when theyunderstand what the Da'iah meant, they may accuse him of lying. Another badresult of using allusions is the acceptance of "white lies" on the pretext thatthey are for the common interest. So, beware!

My brother theDa'iah, do not lie even when you think the situation forces you to do so, andremember the words of Abu Sufian when Hercules asked him about the prophet(peace be upon him) . He said“ By Allah, had I not been afraid of mycompanions labeling me a liar, I would not have spoken the truth about theprophet (peace be upon him)”(AlBukhari 7). This man being a "jahili"(holding on to the beliefs of Arabs before Islam) had avoided lying because hewas afraid that he be one day labeled a liar even though he was in a great needto lie. Today, we know Da'iahs are being targets of numerous attacks. Therefore,the Da'iah should avoid all actions that weaken his position.

3- Truthfulness in Deeds

Deeds of person must be intended purely asa worship for Allah and away from desire of getting good reputation.“Whoever expects to meet his Lord, let him work righteousness, and in the worshipof his Lord, admit no one as a partner”(Meaning of Quran 18:110).“ He who created death and life, that He may try which of you is best indeed ”(Meaning of Quran 67:2).

AlFudail Ibn Iyadhexplained "best in deed" as the most sincere and most correct of deed. He wasasked about the meaning of "most sincere and most correct of deed" and hereplied: If the work was sincere but not correct it will not be accepted, and ifit was correct but not sincere it will not be accepted; it will be accepted onlyif it is both sincere and correct.

Clarity, avoidance ofambiguity and avoidance of deception are also aspects of truthfulness of deeds.Abu Dawood and AlNisai reported“ that Othman Ibn Affan (may Allah bepleased with him) brought AbdAllah Ibn Saad Ibn Abi AlSarh to the prophet (peacebe upon him) while the prophet had ordered that he be killed by any Muslimcapturing him. Othman asked the prophet (peace be upon him) to accept AbdAllah'splight of fealty. The prophet (peace be upon him) raised his head and looked athim three times, every time rejecting his plight and then accepting after thethird time. The prophet (peace be upon him) then turned to his companions andsaid: isn't there amongst you an intelligent one who would kill this man when hesaw me refraining to give him my hand to accept his plight. They replied: O.Prophet of Allah, we do not know what is inside your heart. Why haven't yousignaled to us with your eye? He (peace be upon him) said it is not fit for aprophet to have treacherous eyes”(Reported by Abu Dawood 2683, AlNisai4067, AlHakim 3/45, Also see Abu Dawood 3094, Ahmad 3/151, and the series ofauthentic hadeeths 1723).

To this extent was thetruthfulness of the deeds of the prophet (peace be upon him) . He did not acceptto use an obscure eye signal to order the killing of his enemy. This was hishabit and practice (peace be upon him) all his life. For this reason, thepolytheists couldn't accuse him of lying in the early stages of his Da’wah toIslam. They resorted to labeling him with poetry, magic or craziness but peopledidn't accept this and when they couldn't fabricate any new accusations theycried loudly: He is a liar, but in vain.

AlTirmithi reportedthat“ AbdAllah Ibn Salam (may Allah be pleased with him) said: when theprophet (peace be upon him) arrived at Madinah, people rushed to receive him,and it was said: Allah's messenger (peace be upon him) had arrived, Allah'smessenger (peace be upon him) had arrived, Allah's messenger (peace be upon him)had arrived. So I went along with the people to see him and when I fixed my eyeson his face I knew that it wasn't a face of a liar and the first words he spokewere: " O. people, spread alsalam (greeting), and offer food, and pray whilepeople

are asleep so that you enter heaven with peace”(Ahmad 5/451,AlTirmithi 2485, Ibn Majah 3251).&nbs

Ambition

We mean by ambition that one lives for hisnation rather than for himself following the footsteps of the prophet (peace beupon him) . When Abdullah Ibn Shaqeeq (may Allah be pleased with him) askedA'isha (may Allah be pleased with her): Did the prophet (peace be upon him) praysitting? She said: Yes, after people had exhausted his power. He (peace be uponhim) was at the disposal of people, receiving them, saying farewell to them,educating them, preventing them from wrong doing, mixing with them, shoulderingtheir errors, and taking the burden of their concerns until they exhausted himand even left marks on his body by pulling him to get his attention. At the end,he (peace be upon him) grew old fast to the extent that he prayed sitting.

The religion has three levels, Islam, Iman, and the highestlevel is Ihsan. Another three fold division is found in Quran in Surat Fatir“ Then we allowed our servants that we have chosen to inherit the book butthere are among themselves some who wrong their own souls; some who follow amiddle course and some who are, by Allah leave, foremost in good deeds; that isthe highest grace”(Meaning of Quran 35:32). The prophet (peace be uponhim) had also mentioned a similar threefold division. He first specified Islamas the condition to enter Paradise; This is the big circle. This circle of Islamcontains a narrower circle, the circle of the salvaged party (AlFirqahAlNajiah), the party of those who adhere to the right creed and straightbehavior but stopping at this limit. There is still the third narrowest circle,which is the greatest, most noble and most honored, the circle of the partyaided by Allah (AlTaifah AlMansoorah). It is the party of those who defend thereligion, fight for it and endure the harm and hardship for its sake and thusAllah will make it triumphant.

The Muslim is required to beambitious and strive to ascend these grades. In Islam, the Muslim is urged tolook to those who are above him in religious performance and to try to be likethem, while in worldly life he is urged to look to those who are less than himso that he gets satisfied with what he has. My brother, look at the people withnoble manners, reformers, and scholars who revive the religion. Try to be likethese models to get some good out of this life. Be with an ambitious spirit thatdoes not know limits and does not get satisfied with its good achievements untilits destiny becomes Paradise.

Conclusion

The Da'iah must be an example to befollowed. He must avoid all undesirable deeds and unneeded permissible actionsand practices. He must be in a position where he puts temptations of thisworldly life under his feet and avoids competing to get a share of it. He mustexploit this life for the service of the religion and not exploit himself forthe service of this life, so that he earns the trust of the people and they willknow that he is not after any worldly personal interest.

Toset a good example the Da'iah actions must conform to his words as the prophetShuaib (Peace be upon him) said“ I wish not, in opposition to you, to dothat which I forbid you to do. I only desire (your) betterment to the best of mypower; and my success (in my task) can only come from Allah. In him I trust, andunto him I turn”(Meaning of Quran 11:88). Therefore, they are thescholars of evil, those who call people to come to Islam by their words but theydrive them away from Islam by their practices. So my brother, the Da'iah, be anexample both in your actions and in your words.

Here thereis an issue that we must turn our attention to. It is that many believe that theDa'iah should only ask people to do the good deeds that he himself does and onlyforbid people from the wrongs that he himself avoid. This is wrong! The rightapproach, supported by texts from Quran and Sunnah, is to command people to dorighteous deeds even if the Da'iah failed to do them and to forbid wrongs evenif he is falling in them. Some of

the scholars even went to stating that personsin a party drinking liquor should advise each other to stop committing this sin.Committing a sin must not lead to another mistake; that is refraining fromforbidding the wrong. The only condition required to command good and forbidevil is to have sincere intention and not to do it to deceive people or get areputation as a Da'iah.

If a father who smokes saw his sonsmoking, is it expected that he forbids his son from smoking or allows himbecause he himself is a smoker? The obvious and right thing to do is to preventthe son from smoking because he is still at the beginning of that sin and cangive it up easily.

Any responsible person who is in a sinshould act similarly when he sees someone under his responsibility falling inthe same sin. If it was not acceptable that a sinful person gives an advice thenyou won't find any one who is perfect after the prophet (peace be upon him).

Being an example requires the Da'iah to meet mistreatmentwith forgiveness and good treatment, and be as the prophet (peace be upon him)who forgave when been unjust to, who gave when been denied, and who kept thebond when it was broken. These are the manners of the prophets.

I ask Allah that we be rightly guided and that we guideothers rightly, that we will not go astray or mislead others, and that Herewards us with His grace and mercy because He is the One entitled to be heededas well as entitled to grant forgiveness.

I deem that YouAllah free of any resemblance to anything what so ever in any respect and aboveall unsuitable things ascribed to You and I celebrate Your praises. I testifythat none has the right to be worshiped but You. I ask for Your forgiveness andI turn to You in repentance.