Timeless Benefits Concerning Calling To Allāh (ad-Da’wah)
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al-ʿAllāmah Ṣāliḥ b. Fawzān al-Fawzān - may Allāh preserve and protect him - mentioned in his introduction to the illustrious work of al-ʿAllāmah Rabīʿ b. Hādī al-Madkhalī - may Allāh have mercy on him -, Manhaj al-Anbiyā' fī ad-Da’wah ilá Allāh (The Methodology of The Prophets In Calling To Allāh) the following:
Daʾwah (Calling to Allāh) is the duty of the Messengers and all of their followers; to remove people from darkness into light, and from Kufr (Disbelief) to al-Ēmān (True Faith), and from Shirk¹ to Tawḥīd², and from the Fire to al-Jannah.
It (Daʾwah) is built upon some pillars and is established upon some foundations which if one of them is compromised the Daʾwah would not be correct and it will not yield the desired fruits regardless of whatever effort is exerted in it and whatever time is wasted in the cause.
1) Knowledge of That Which Is Being Called To
The ignorant one is not fit to be a caller. Allāh, the Most High, said to His Prophet -ﷺ- :
قُلۡ هَٰذِهِۦ سَبِيلِىٓ أَدۡعُوٓاْ إِلَى ٱللَّهِۚ عَلَىٰ بَصِيرَةٍ أَنَا۠ وَمَنِ ٱتَّبَعَنِىۖ
Say (O Muḥammad - ﷺ): “This is my way; I invite unto Allāh (i.e. to the Oneness of Allāh - Islāmic Monotheism) with sure knowledge, I and whosoever follows me… [Sūrah Yūsuf: 108]
And al-Baṣīrah is knowledge.
Since the caller would inevitably encounter scholars of misguidance that will challenge him with doubts and argue with falsehood in order to refute the truth thereby. Allāh, the Most High, said:
وَجَٰدِلۡهُم بِٱلَّتِى هِىَ أَحۡسَنُۚ
And argue with them in a way that is better… [Sūrah an-Naḥl: 120]
And the Prophet - ﷺ - said to Mu‘ādh: “Verily you are going to a people from the people of the book”
So if the caller is not armed with knowledge by which he will tackle every doubt and debate every disputer, then he will be defeated in the first encounter. And he will stop at the very beginning of the path.
2) Acting Upon What He (The Caller) Calls To
Acting upon what he’s calling to such that he becomes a good example. His actions bear witness to his speech, and the falsifiers will have no proof against him. Allāh, the Most High, mentioned about His Prophet Shu’ayb - عليه السلام- that he said to his people:
وَمَآ أُرِيدُ أَنۡ أُخَالِفَكُمۡ إِلَىٰ مَآ أَنۡهَىٰكُمۡ عَنۡهُۚ إِنۡ أُرِيدُ إِلَّا ٱلۡإِصۡلَٰحَ مَا ٱسۡتَطَعۡتُۚ
I wish not, in contradiction to you, to do that which I forbid you. I only desire reform to the best of my power. [Sūrah Hūd: 88]
And Allāh, the Most High, said to His Prophet, Muḥammad - ﷺ -:
قُلۡ إِنَّ صَلَاتِى وَنُسُكِى وَمَحۡيَاىَ وَمَمَاتِى لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلۡعَٰلَمِينَ
Say (O Muḥammad - ﷺ): “Verily, my Ṣalāh (prayer), my sacrifice, my living, and my dying are for Allāh, the Lord of the ‘Ālamīn (mankind, jinn and all that exists). [Sūrah al-An‘ām: 162]
And He, the Most High, said:
وَمَنۡ أَحۡسَنُ قَوۡلًا مِّمَّن دَعَآ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ وَعَمِلَ صَٰلِحًا
And who is better in speech than he who [says: “My Lord is Allāh (believes in His Oneness),” and then stands firm (acts upon His Order), and] invites (men) to Allāh’s (Islāmic Monotheism), and does righteous deeds... [Sūrah Fuṣṣilat: 33]
3) al-Ikhlāṣ (Sincerity)
That the Daʾwah is (carried out) seeking the Face of Allāh, he (the caller) doesn’t intend by way of it ar-Riyā' (showing off), Sumʿah (desiring to be heard), (desiring to be) raised, leadership, nor any objective from the worldly desires.
Because if something of these objectives enter, the Daʾwah will not be for Allāh, rather it would be a Daʾwah for oneself (the Nafs), or for the desired (worldly) goal, as Allāh informs about His Prophets that they would say to their people:
لَآ أَسۡـَٔلُكُمۡ عَلَيۡهِ أَجۡرًاۖ
“…I ask of you no reward for it (the Message).” [Sūrah Hūd: 51]
لَآ أَسۡـَٔلُكُمۡ عَلَيۡهِ مَالًاۖ
“I ask of you no wealth for it…” [Sūrah Hūd: 29]
4) Starting With The Most Important Affair, Then That Which Is Next To It In Importance, And So On.
Such that he calls first and foremost to the rectification of the belief (ʿAqīdah), by enjoining upon (the people) to make (their) worship sincere for Allāh, and prohibiting from Shirk. Then (after), commanding with establishment of the prayer (as-Ṣalāh) and giving out obligatory charity (az-Zakāh) and carrying out the obligatory affairs and leaving off prohibited affairs as (this) is the way of all of the Messengers. Just as He, the Most High, said:
وَلَقَدۡ بَعَثۡنَا فِى كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ رَّسُولًا أَنِ ٱعۡبُدُواْ ٱللَّهَ وَٱجۡتَنِبُواْ ٱلطَّٰغُوتَۖ
And verily, We have sent among every Ummah (community, nation) a Messenger (proclaiming): “Worship Allāh (Alone), and avoid (or keep away from) Ṭāghūt (all false deities i.e. do not worship Ṭāghūt besides Allāh).” [Sūrah an-Naḥl: 36]
And He, the Most High, said:
وَمَآ أَرۡسَلۡنَا مِن قَبۡلِكَ مِن رَّسُولٍ إِلَّا نُوحِىٓ إِلَيۡهِ أَنَّهُۥ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّآ أَنَا۠ فَٱعۡبُدُونِ
And We did not send any Messenger before you (O Muḥammad - ﷺ) but We revealed to him (saying): “Lā ilāha illā Anā [none has the right to be worshipped but I (Allāh)], so worship Me (Alone and none else).” [Sūrah al-Anbiyā’: 25]
And other than that from the verses (in this regard). And when the Prophet - ﷺ - sent Mu‘ādh to Yemen he said to him, “Verily you are going to a people from the people of the scriptures so let the first thing you call them to be the testimony that there is no deity worthy of worship in truth except Allāh, so if they accept that from you then inform them that Allāh has made obligatory upon them five prayers in the day and night…” The Ḥadīth.
And in his (i.e. The Messenger of Allāh’s) way and Sīrah (biography) - ﷺ - is the best example in Daʾwah and the most complete methodology, wherein he lived - ﷺ - in Makkah for 13 years calling the people to Tawḥīd and prohibiting them from Shirk before ordering them with Ṣalāh and Zakāh and Ḥajj, and before warning them against usury (ar-Ribā), fornication, stealing, and killing a soul without due right.
5) as-Ṣabr (Patience)
Patience upon what he encounters of difficulty in the path of calling to Allāh, and what he faces of harm from the people, because the path of Daʾwah is not layered with roses, rather it is surrounded by disliked matters and dangerous things. And the best model in that (patience) are the Messengers, Allāh, the Most High, said:
وَلَقَدِ ٱسۡتُهۡزِئَ بِرُسُلٍ مِّن قَبۡلِكَ فَحَاقَ بِٱلَّذِينَ سَخِرُواْ مِنۡهُم مَّا كَانُواْ بِهِۦ يَسۡتَهۡزِءُونَ
And indeed (many) Messengers before you were mocked at, but their scoffers were surrounded by the very thing that they used to mock at. [Sūrah al-An‘ām: 10]
and, He said:
وَلَقَدۡ كُذِّبَتۡ رُسُلٌ مِّن قَبۡلِكَ فَصَبَرُواْ عَلَىٰ مَا كُذِّبُواْ وَأُوذُواْ حَتَّىٰٓ أَتَىٰهُمۡ نَصۡرُنَاۚ
Verily, (many) Messengers were denied before you (O Muḥammad - ﷺ), but with patience they bore the denial, and they were hurt; till Our Help reached them... [Sūrah al-An‘ām: 34]
Likewise the followers of the Messengers are met with harm and difficulty in accordance to their effort in calling to Allāh, following the example of these noble Messengers - upon them from Allāh be the best of Ṣalawāt (praise) and purest Salām (peace and blessings).
6) It Is Upon The Caller That He Adorns Himself With Beautiful Manners, Implementing Ḥikmah (Wisdom) In His Daʾwah (Call)
Because this is more likely to lead to the acceptance of his Daʾwah, as Allāh commanded his two noble prophets, Mūsá and Hārūn - عليهما الصلاة والسلام -, that they should employ that (i.e. good manners and wisdom) in their encounter with the most disbelieving from the people of the earth, Firʿawn, who claimed Lordship (for himself), wherein He (Allāh), free is He from all imperfection, said:
فَقُولَا لَهُۥ قَوۡلًا لَّيِّنًا لَّعَلَّهُۥ يَتَذَكَّرُ أَوۡ يَخۡشَىٰ
“And speak to him mildly, perhaps he may accept admonition or fear (Allāh).” [Sūrah an-Nāzi'āt: 17]
And He, the Most High, said to Mūsá - عليه الصلاة والسلام -;
ٱذۡهَبۡ إِلَىٰ فِرۡعَوۡنَ إِنَّهُۥ طَغَىٰ * فَقُلۡ هَل لَّكَ إِلَىٰٓ أَن تَزَكَّىٰ * وَأَهۡدِيَكَ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ فَتَخۡشَىٰ
Go to Firʿawn (Pharaoh); verily he has transgressed all bounds (in crimes, sins, polytheism, disbelief). And say to him: “Would you purify yourself (from the sin of disbelief by becoming a believer), and that I guide you to your Lord, so you should fear Him?” [Sūrah an-Nāzi'āt: 17-19]
And He, the Most High, mentioned as relates to our Prophet Muḥammad - عليه الصلاة والسلام -:
فَبِمَا رَحۡمَةٍ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ لِنتَ لَهُمْۖ وَلَوۡ كُنتَ فَظًّا غَلِيظَ ٱلۡقَلۡبِ لَٱنفَضُّواْ مِنۡ حَوۡلِكَۖ
And by the Mercy of Allāh, you dealt with them gently. And had you been severe and harsh-hearted, they would have broken away from about you.. [Sūrah Āl ʿImrān: 159]
And He, the Most High, said:
وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلَىٰ خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٍ
And Verily, you (O Muḥammad - ﷺ) are on an exalted (standard of) character.
[Sūrah al-Qalam: 4]
And He, the Most High, said:
ٱدۡعُ إِلَىٰ سَبِيلِ رَبِّكَ بِٱلۡحِكۡمَةِ وَٱلۡمَوۡعِظَةِ ٱلۡحَسَنَةِۖ وَجَٰدِلۡهُم بِٱلَّتِى هِىَ أَحۡسَنُۚ
Invite (mankind, O Muḥammad - ﷺ) to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islām) with wisdom (i.e. with the Divine Revelation and the Qur’ān) and fair preaching, and argue with them in a way that is better…[Sūrah an-Naḥl: 125]
7) Upon The Caller Is To Be Strong In Hope (i.e. To Be Optimistic Regarding The Guidance of Those He Is Calling)
He should not despair over the effect of his Daʾwah and the guidance of his people, and he shouldn’t cut off hope in the victory of Allāh and His aid, even if the period becomes prolonged and the term becomes extended upon him — and for him is the best model in the Messengers as relates to that.
The Prophet of Allāh, Nūḥ - عليه الصلاة والسلام -, remained among his people for a thousand years except fifty (meaning 950 years) calling them to Allāh, and our Prophet Muḥammad - ﷺ - when the harm of the disbelievers became severe upon him and the angel in charge of the mountains came to him seeking permission (that if he, the Prophet - ﷺ - wanted, he would) crush them between the two mountains, he - ﷺ - said: “No, rather I will be patient with them, perhaps Allāh will bring forth from their loins (meaning, their offspring, those) that will worship Allāh alone without ascribing partners to Him with anything.”
Whenever the caller loses out on these (aforementioned) attributes, he will halt right at the beginning of the path (i.e. he will fail to progress) and end up with disappointment and failure in his effort.³
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¹ - What is ash-Shirk?
Shaykh Ṣāliḥ al-Fawzān - may Allāh protect and preserve him - mentioned:
Therefore, ash-Shirk - Allāh’ refuge is sought - is the worst of sins, and the greatest sin Allāh is disobey with, and it is to worship other than Him (Allāh) alongside Him, Glorified and Exalted is He; by directing any type from the types of worship to other than Allāh.
[al-ʿI’ānah al-Mustafīd bi-Sharḥ Kitāb at-Tawḥīd, Dār al-Imām Aḥmad 2021 print (1/82)]
² - What is at-Tawḥīd?
Shaykh Ṣāliḥ al-Fawzān - may Allāh protect and preserve him - mentioned:
التوحيد هو أفراد الله بالعبادة، وترك عبادة ما سواه، وهذا هو معنى (لا إله إلا الله)، (فلا إله) هذا ترك عبادة ما سواء الله، (إلا الله) هذا أفراد الله - جل وعلا - بالعبادة، فهي اشتملت على نفي وإثبات، نفي الشرك واثبات التوحيد لله - عز وجل -، ولذلك تسمى كلمة الإخلاص
at-Tawḥīd is to single out Allāh with (all) worship, and to leave off worshipping other than Him, and this is the meaning of ‘Lā ilaha ilā Allāh’. Thus, ‘Lā ilaha’ (none has the right to be worshipped) this is (an instruction) to leave off worshipping others besides Allāh. ‘Ilā Allāh’ (except Allāh), this is to single out Allāh, the Mighty and Majestic, with worship. So it (the Shahādah, ‘Lā ilaha ilā Allāh’ consists of Nafy (Negation) and Ithbāt (Affirmation). Negation of ash-Shirk (partners being ascribed to Allāh in worship and all that is specific to Allāh), and affirmation of at-Tawḥīd for Allāh, the Mighty and Majestic, and due to that it (the Shahādah) is called Kalimah al-Ikhlāṣ (The Statement of Sincerity). Reference
³ - pg. 19 - 21 Manhaj al-Anbiyā’ of al-ʿAllāmah Rabīʿ b. Hādī ʿUmayr al-Madkhaliī - may Allāh forgive and have mercy on him -.
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Translation: MiU Editorial
20 Ṣafar 1447 (هـ) • 14 August 2025 (مـ)
