Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

I have a question about DAWA. Few days back I was watching a question answer session with Dr. Naik from India. I do not know what the question was but the answer Dr. naik gave, makes me worried and think about myself. He said that to enter Jana every body has to be judged on four criteria’s.
1.Shada
2.Good deeds(include prayer, hajj, charity, zakat etc)

3.DA` WAAH

4.4. I did not remember.

According to him if any body who is not doing any DA` WAAH to no Muslims he will not be able to enter JANA do not matter how good he is in other things like praying, charity, zakat etc.

Now I am very much worried about my self after listening to him as I lack very much in that area. I am not saying that I am very good in other area but at least I tried in those areas. But for DAWA I did talk to my family, friends and relatives if I saw that they are doing some thing not according to Islamic laws. But I did not give DA` WAAH to non-Muslims.

I hope you understand my question. I want to know your opinion in this regard. Please help me as I am too much worried about my self hereafter on the day of JUDGMENT when every body have stand infront OF ALL MIGHTY ALLAHA.

JAZAK ALLAH

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Is Dawa Tabliq Obligatory

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 3 Surah Ale Imran verse 110:

110 Ye (believers) are the best of peoples evolved for mankind, enjoining what is right forbidding what is wrong and believing in Allah.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 22 Surah Hajj verse 78:

78 And strive in His cause as ye ought to strive (with sincerity and under discipline): He has chosen you and has imposed no difficulties on you in religion; it is the cult of your father Abraham. It is He Who has named you Muslims both before and in this (Quran); that the Messenger may be a witness for you, and ye be witnesses for mankind! So establish regular Prayer give regular Charity and hold fast to Allah! He is your Protector, the Best to protect and the Best to help!

Dear and Beloved brother in Islam, there is absolutely no doubt that ‘dawa’ or the propagation of the Truth to mankind is an obligatory duty and responsibility that the Lord Most Merciful has laid upon every person who sincerely believes in Him and the Last Day.

If one has been blessed and honored by the Merciful Lord to be guided to the Truth of Al-Islam, it would indeed be extremely selfish or rather unnatural for him to keep this Truth to himself! Once true ‘emaan’ or faith in the Truth of Allah Subhanah and His Message has entered one’s heart, it is not possible for the person to contain or hide this within himself; but his condition will be that he would go out of his way to invite all who care to listen to good caution to the Truth.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 66 Surah Tahreem verse 6:

O you who have believed, save yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel shall be men and stones; over which shall be appointed fierce and stern angels, who never disobey Allah’s Command, and they only do as they are commanded!

In the above Aayah of the Glorious Quran, Allah Subhanah commands the believers to first and foremost save oneself and their families from the Eternal Fire of Hell by submitting to Him. That would be an obligatory (fard) duty on each and every individual who believes.

Furthermore, Allah has guided the whole Ummah or nation of believers to invite all mankind to the Truth of Al-Islam in the best and most polite manner; and named it amongst the best deeds one can do.

Allah says in the Holy Quran: Chapter 16, Surah An-Nahl Ayat 125:

Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and excellent admonition and argue with people in the best manner. Your Lord knows best who has gone astray from His Way and who is Rightly guided.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 41 Surah Fussilat verse 33:

Who is better in speech than one who calls (men) to Allah, works righteousness, and says "I am of those who bow in Islam?”

Doing ‘dawaah’ does not necessarily mean that every person has to go give a speech, or write books, or stand in the streets and invite everyone who passes by! If one simply submits his will to Allah Subhanah and strives to abide by all the laws of Allah and His Messenger (saws), and gives each human being his due rights in full; it would indeed be considered a great source of Dawah. For nothing melts the hearts of a human being than the interaction of another human being; and when one who does not believe realizes that a person who calls himself a muslim has such high morals, and character, and manners, and integrity…he will automatically be attracted to the way of life that is followed by the true believer; and that in itself would fulfill the obligatory duty of ‘dawa’; albeit at it lowest level.

Your Question: I have a question about DAWA. Few days back I was watching a question answer session with Dr. Naik from India. I do not know what the question was but the answer Dr. naik gave, makes me worried and think about myself. He said that to enter Jana every body has to be judged on four criteria’s.

1.Shada
2.Good deeds(include prayer, hajj, charity, zakat etc)

3.DA` WAAH

4.4. I did not remember.

According to him if any body who is not doing any DA` WAAH to no Muslims he will not be able to enter JANA do not matter how good he is in other things like praying, charity, zakat etc.

I want to know your opinion in this regard.

First and foremost we would like to declare that Dr. Brother Zakir Naik is not only our brother, mentor, and teacher but he is indeed arguably amongst the best scholars of comparative religion of our times. We have immense respect for his knowledge, his dedication, and his untiring efforts he so selflessly provides in the Cause of Allah Subhanah and the propagation of the Truth. May Allah bless our teacher and our brother, Dr. Zakir Naik in his continuing works in Islam, increase his zest, zeal, knowledge, and dedication to continue the Dawaah; and grant him a long and healthy life to enable him to spread the Glorious Word of Allah to all who are willing to listen to good caution. May Allah Subhanah accept his efforts in the Cause of His Deen, and grant him the best in this world, and honor him with the highest grade in Paradise in the life Hereafter. Ameen.

Beloved Brother in Islam, Allah Alone knows in what context the question was asked to Dr. Brother Zakir Naik and in what context our respected and beloved brother answered that question; and it may also be a possibility that you did not hear or comprehend the answer in the context in which it was given.

Dear and Beloved Brother in Islam, the truth is that a believer is a walking-talking ‘dai’ (propagator of the Truth) to all he meets….his name, his choice of food, his talk, his morals, his honesty, his character, his dealings, his prayers, his charity, his fasts, his abstinence from all things unlawful, (wine, illegal women, gambling, etc),…… his whole life manifests to all who meet him one thing and one thing only: that he has submitted his will to the Will of his Creator. Man is created a social creature, and it is neither possible nor conceivable that a non-muslim who meets a true muslim is not effected by him in some way or the other; and this effect the life of a believer has on a non-muslim is part of ‘dawa’, albeit at its lowest level.

Talhah ibn 'Ubaidullah narrated that a bedouin with unkempt hair came to the Messenger of Allah (saws) and said, "O Messenger of Allah (saws), inform me of what Allah has made obligatory on me as regards praying." He said, "Five prayers, unless you do others voluntarily." He asked the Prophet (saws) to inform him about fasting, and he said, "The fast of Ramadan, unless you do others voluntarily." Then he asked him about charity...and the Messenger of Allah (saws) informed him of the Islamic legislations on zakah. The bedouin then said, "By the One who has honored you, I shall not voluntarily add anything to it, nor shall I be deficient in what Allah has ordered me to do." The Messenger of Allah (saws) then said, "He will enter Paradise if he is truthful (to what he said)." (Related by al-Bukhari and Muslim.)

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 2.480 Narrated by Abu Huraira

A desert arab came to the Prophet (saws) and said, "Tell me of such a deed as will make me enter Paradise, if I do it." The Prophet (saws) said, "Worship Allah, and worship none along with Him, offer the (five) prescribed compulsory prayers perfectly, pay the compulsory Zakat, and fast the month of Ramadan." The Bedouin said, "By Him, in Whose Hands my life is, I will not do more than this." When he (the Bedouin) left, the Prophet (saws) said, "Whoever likes to see a man of Paradise, then he may look at this man."

The acts that automatically render all ones deeds vain and fruitless in the Sight of Allah as listed in the Quran are the acts of ‘shirk’ (associating other gods with Allah Subhanah), ‘kufr’ (disbelief), ‘nifaaq’ (hypocricy), and apostasy (declaring disbelief after accepting faith).

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 39 Surah Zumar verse 65-66:

If you commit ‘shirk’ all your works will be rendered vain and you will be among the losers. Therefore, you should worship Allah Alone, and be among His grateful servants.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 47 Surah Muhammad verses 8-9:

8 But those who reject (Allah) for them is destruction and (Allah) will render their deeds astray (from their mark).

9 That is because they hate the Revelation of Allah; so He has made their deeds fruitless.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 33 Surah Ahzaab verses 18-19:

18 Verily Allah knows those (hypocrites) among you who keep back (men) and those who say to their brethren "Come along to us" but come not to the fight except for just a little while.

19 Covetous over you. Then when fear comes thou wilt see them looking to thee their eyes revolving like (those of) one over whom hovers death: but when the fear is past they will smite you with sharp tongues covetous of goods. Such men have no faith and so Allah has made their deeds of none effect: and that is easy for Allah.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 47 Surah Muhammad verses 28:

28 This because they (the apostates) followed that which called forth the Wrath of Allah and they hated Allah's good pleasure; so He made their deeds of no effect.

Thus in conclusion my beloved brother, it would be prudent if you could revisit and recheck in what context did our respected brother and teacher Dr. Zakir Naik said this statement, if indeed he did say it as understood by you. Brother Dr. Zakir Naik is a personal friend and we assure you that I will discuss this topic with him when I am blessed with the opportunity to meet with him Insha Allah; and if there is anything to add we will write back to you again, if Allah Wills.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan