Section Four: Calling to Allah is the best task:

Allah (SWT) says: “Who is better in speech than one who calls (men) to Allah, works righteousness, and says: ‘I am one of the Muslims?’” (XLI: 33) The significance of any science depends on the significance of its subject matter. The profession of a physician is better than that of a carpenter because the field of the physician is the human being while that of the carpenter is wood. Definitely man is more important than wood. Similarly, the field of the task of the Da‘iyah involves knowing Allah (SWT) by knowing His Names and Attributes and pondering on His Creation, knowing His Prophet (peace be upon him), and knowing His Religion (Islam), which He has chosen for His Slaves. Such knowledge is the best type of knowledge, and calling to it is the most significant task on earth. Moreover, it is the function of all the Prophets and Messengers, who are the best of Allah’s creatures. This includes righteous scholars, too, as the Prophet (peace be upon him) says: “Scholars are the heirs of Prophets.”[1]

“It is great honor for the Muslim Da‘iyah that Allah (SWT) chooses him to carry His standard and bequeaths him the task and function of His Prophets to guide the straying flocks and rightly direct the lost souls.”[2]

If you look into the life of the disbelievers you will find them lost and straying in the mazes of their false civilization. Their life is tasteless and they are ignorant of the purpose of their being in existence. Their civilization teaches them how to live, but does not tell them why they live. The similitude of the contemporary civilization is that of the owner of a ship who has built his ship well, decorated it, and invited people to get onto it. He then raises his voice to encourage the travelers, tells them what he has prepared for them in his ship, shows them how to eat and drink, where to sleep and play, how to dress, where to relieve themselves, etc. But when he is asked where his ship is going, he says: “I do not know.”[3]

One may ask: “Are Muslims responsible for the loss of these people?” The answer would be: “Certainly, for Allah (SWT) has appointed us as witnesses over all nations and enjoined on us conveying the Message of their (all nations’) Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), the Seal of Prophets and Messengers. Allah (SWT) says: “Thus, have We made of you a justly balanced Ummah (nation), that you might be witnesses over the nations, and the Messenger a witness over you.” (II: 143) The Messenger (peace be upon him) ordered his followers to convey his message on his behalf, saying: “Convey on my behalf even a single verse.”[4]

In the early era o Islam, at the time of the Prophet’s mission, Da‘wah was enjoined on every Muslim, but when Islam spread and its call reached everywhere, Da‘wah was enjoined on such a number of Muslims as would be necessary. Anyhow, the duty of Da‘wah cannot be abrogated, for the Quranic Verses and Prophetic traditions relating to it are not abrogated but confirmed and cannot be abrogated. The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) gave our Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) their allegiance, pledging to support the religion and disseminate it. They then appropriately carried it and called people to follow it. Those who came after them followed their approach, and history recorded grand news about them.

Al-Shaikh Abu al-Hasan al-Nadawi (may Allah bestow His Mercy on him) says: “When the Tartars conquered the Islamic World in the Seventh hegira century and brought about horrible massacres in it, leaving nothing in it but weak morale and quiet breath, and when the sword of Jihad was broken and was nor longer effective and the Muslims sheathed it out of disappointment and dismay, and when people believed that the Tartars were unconquerable and that the Islamic World was destined to live under the rule of those savages and that Islam would have no future, the sincere Du‘at, many names of whom the history of  Da‘wah and Reform—despite its statistics and investigation—does not know, spread among those tough stern (invaders), opening their hearts to Islam till they opened to it and liked it, and they embraced the religion of Allah in multitudes.

Thus they subjected to Islam those who had previously subjected the Islamic World from east to west to their rule. They converted a nation that had conquered all the then existing nations to a religion that was not protected by a sword or defended by an army.

The Tartars, as an Ummah and a race, became Muslim and formed numerous states most of which produced such Islamic accomplishments as beautified the Islamic history.

The triumph of Islam over the two competing religions was an event that was brought about by the Will and Support of Allah (SWT).”[5]

How vivid the similarity between now and the past is! In spite of the ferocious assault on Islam and Muslims in the wake of the events of September 11, 2001, large numbers of non-Muslims embraced Islam everyday singly and collectively, which is glad tidings for the caller to Allah.

Remember, O caller to Allah, that calling non-Muslims to Islam is the way to restore the power and invincibility of Islam, for those who are enemies of Islam may become in the forefront of the rows of Jihad and Da‘wah. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “O Allah! Support Islam with one of the two ‘Umars.”[6]