Da'wah priorities in the Quran

Da'wah is an Arabic word which comes close to the word "invite" or
"invitation" in English. The understanding of the usage of the word
"Da'wah" with regard to the faith of Islam is that it is the
responsibility of the Muslims to "invite" all humanity to the way of
Islam, i.e., submission to the One True God (Allaah Almighty) on His
terms. Da'wah isincumbent on all Muslims and must be done in
compliance withthe methodology already established by the last Prophet
ofIslam, Muhammad .
Muslims therefore must exercise their efforts and use all permissible
means to invite others to the truth they have. Bearing the message is
a serious responsibility and a noble task and, as such, it has to be
performed with knowledge, seriousness, consideration and wisdom. When
embarking in such an effort, there are some priorities that should be
taken into account. Such priorities can be divided into two
categories: (1) those regarding the content of Da'wah and (2) those
regarding those who make/receive Da'wah. Priorities of the first
category are:
1- Tawheed (Islamic monotheism)
Tawheed is the bedrock of every Islamic activity, whether directed to
Muslims or non-Muslims. It is the essence of Islam, without which
every effort is rendered null. The Quran shows, in no uncertain terms,
that the message and the top priority of all the Prophets may Allaah
exalt their mention was one and the same: The message of Tawheed.
Tawheed means "the realizing and maintaining of Allaah's Oneness in
all of man's actions which directly or indirectly relate to Him. It is
the belief that Allaah is One, without partner in His Dominion and His
actions (Ruboobiyyah), One without similitude in His Names and
Attributes (Al- Asmaa' Was-Sifaat), and one without rivalin His
Divinity and worship (Uloohiyyah)."
Muhammad the last Prophet sent to humanity and the Jinn, was ordered
by Allaah, the Most Exalted, in the Quran to say (whatmeans):
"Say (O Muhammad): 'This is my way; I invite unto Allaah (i.e. to the
Oneness of Allaah - Islamic Monotheism) with sure knowledge, I and
whosoever follows me (also must invite others to Allaah) with sure
knowledge. And Glorified and Exalted be Allaah (above all that they
associate as partners with Him). And I am not of the polytheists.'"
[Quran 12:108]
Tawheed is the most important concept in Islam and the top priority in
bearing the Message. The following evidence shows this in a clear way:
The oft-quoted reference with regards to priorities and gradation in
Da'wah is the famous narration reported by Ibn`Abbaas who said: "The
Prophet sent Mu`aath to Yemen and said: 'Invite the people to testify
that Laa ilaaha illa Allaah [none has the right to be worshipped but
Allaah] and that I am the Messenger of Allaah. If they obey you in
that, then inform them that Allaah hasenjoined upon them five daily
prayers in every day and night. If they obey you in that, then inform
them that Allaah has made it obligatory on them to pay the Zakaat
(alms) from their properties and it is to be taken from the wealthy
among them and given to the poor among them. '" [Al-Bukhaari and
Muslim]
It was for this reason that the Prophet stayed in Makkah for thirteen
years, calling people to the correct understanding of the Oneness of
Allaah Almighty, and making worship solely for Him.
Priorities of Da'wah to non -Muslims is as important as Da'wah to
Muslims. The top priority with regards to non-Muslims is to bring them
away from their disbelief or polytheism to belief in the Oneness of
Allaah Almighty and the Messengership of Muhammad and teaching them
the true purpose of their existence.
2- Strengthening belief:
The best of generations, the Companions learned their religion from
the Prophet sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam himself and continued on
keeping the same priorities, strengthening belief before anything
else.
Abdullaah Ibn `Umar said "Welived during a period of time in which one
of us would receive faith first before receiving the Quran and when
the Quranic Chapters were revealed, we would learn what they
permitted, what they ordered and what should be the stance towards
them. But I have seen men, some of whom are given the Quran before
faith and they read it from the opening chapter of the Book to its
closing and they do not know what it orders, what it forbids and what
should be his stance towards it. They arelike someone who picks dates
only to throw them (i.e. he does not get any benefit from his
recital)." [Al-Haakim]
Having shown that the first priority is calling to correct beliefs and
faith in Allaah, it is important to understand the underlying reasons
as to why thisprimary objective remains true in all places and at all
times.
There is no doubt that all our shortcomings are related to our level
of faith. Many consider the unity of Muslims to be one of the most
fundamental issues that weshould concentrate our efforts on, since
without strong unity, Muslims are unable to face their problems.
However, unity cannot be achieved through organizations or lectures,
nor can it be achievedby spending money. We need to realize that it
was Allaah Himself Who united the hearts of the Companions of the
Prophet once faith entered their hearts. Allaah Almighty Says (what
means):
"And He has united their (believers') hearts. If you had spent all
that is in the earth, you could not have united their hearts, but
Allaah has united them. Certainly He is All-Mighty, All-Wise." [Quran
8:63]
So, there is no way for establishing unity, brotherhood or an Islamic
society except through profound faith which leads to righteous action.
Consequently, the first step for usto take is to correct our faith.
Anything else would be short-sightedness and lead to failure. We must
learn and teach the trueIslamic faith; its realities, signs and
benefits. Learning the faith should be accompanied by learning about
Shirk (associating partners with Allaah in worship) and disbelief, so
that Muslims safeguard themselves from the disbelief and misguidance
of the disbelievers. To strengthen our faith we must put the Quran
backto its proper place in the Muslim's life. The Quran is the book of
guidance that is to be understood and abided by, not merely recited
and used as a talisman.
As concerns the priorities related to the second category: they are:
1- Cultivating one's personality and character
The Prophet said: "The best believers are those with the best
character." [Abu Daawood and others]
One of the duties of the Prophet was purifying people around him, by
helping them acquire noble character and rid any evil that was in
their souls.
Spirituality and piety also need tobe developed. Muslim scholars must
teach Muslims simple things first, before proceeding to more
complicated matters, whileMuslims must turn to their scholars for
guidance and leave interpreting religion without knowledge. This is a
very grave matter which is one of the major causes of many problems
that Muslims are facing today.
2- Starting with one's own familyand relatives:
Among the priorities, too, is that the first people that Muslims
should call to Allaah are their own families and relatives. Allaah,
The Most Exalted, ordered His Messenger to warn his relatives (of
disbelief and urge them to submit to Allaah), as He Says (what means):
"And warn (O Muhammad) your closest kindred." [Quran 26:214]
Addressing the believers in general, Allaah Almighty Says (what
means): "O you who believe! Protect yourselves and your families from
the Fire whosefuel will be people and stones (idols)." [Quran 66: 6]
Family is the basic nucleus of the society and when that institutionis
healthy, all of the society will be healthy too.
3- Consulting scholars whenever needed
Every innovation or act of Shirk entails speaking about Allaah andHis
religion without knowledge. This is why it is such a great priority
that Muslims learn to consult scholars in religious matters and speak
only based on certain knowledge. Were Muslimsto follow the way of Abu
Bakr who said: "What earth will hold me, and what heaven will shadow
me if I say something concerning the Book of Allaah (Quran) which I do
not know?", there would probably be no secularism, modernism,
feminism, rejection of the Sunnahand other deviations present among
the Muslims nowadays.