#369: The Methodology of Da`wah

QUESTION

“What is the correct manhaj of da’wah according to Qur’an and sunnah? 2ndly if comparative religion as a method of da’wah is justifiable in d Deen? All these questions please should be answered with evidences because that’s the only thing that can convince me not logical analysis…. Jazakumullahu khairan”

ANSWER

Alhamdulillāh!

It is important to know that there is no specific procedural methodology that the Rasūl – salallāhu alayhi wasallam – gave for making da’awa to non-Muslims other than what we derive from his life – salallāhu alayhi wasallam. While the Rasūl – salallāhu alayhi wasallam – was in Makka and Islam was weak, his manhaj of calling was mild calling, persuasion and evidence-based. This can be seen in his call to AbuJahl, Aas bn Waa’il and his uncle Abuu Taalib. When he made the Hijrah – salallāhu alayhi wasallam – and Allah permitted him to wage Jihad, he was asked to fight ONLY those that fought him and to persuade those that did not. In the last days of the Rasūl – salallāhu alayhi wasallam – and Islam was strong and a power to be reckoned with, Allah commanded him to fight all of the Kuffaar as a default unless they go into covenant with the Muslims or pay the Jizyah. This is what is known generally.

But, Allah gave this general guideline to the Rasūl – salallāhu alayhi wasallam – in Suuratu An-Nahl when He – tabaraka wa ta’aala – said:

(ادع إلي سبيل ربك بالحكمة والموعظة الحسنة وجادلهم بالتي هي أحسن)

“Call unto the Path of your Lord with wisdom and with beautiful preaching and argue with them in a way that is best” An-Nahl#125

Imaam Ibn Kathir – rahimahullah – said in his tafsir of the verse:
“Allah Ta’ala said, commanding His Messenger Muhammad – salallāhu alayhi wasallam – to call the people to Allah with Hikmah (wisdom). Ibn Jarir (At-Tabari) said: and it (Hikmah which is referred to) is what He sent down to him of the Kitaab and the Sunnah. And Al-Maw’idhatu al-hasana (beautiful preaching) means with what the Book (of Allah) contains of warnings, historical incidents that happened with people – remind them of them that they may pay heed of the wrath of Allah Ta’ala.” And His statement “And argue with them in a way that is best” meaning with those of them who is in need of Debating and argumentation, so let that be in a good way and method, with leniency and gentleness and good speech in the way Allah said “And do not argue with the People of the Book unless in the best way except for those who are oppressing among them” (Ankabut: 46) Thus, He – Ta’ala – commanded him to be gentle in disposition the same way He commanded Musa and Haarun – alayhima as-salaam – when He sent them both to Fir’awn and He said “So say both to him a word of gentleness probably he remembers or fears (his Lord)” Taha 44.”
End Quote of Ibn Kathir rahimahullah

The like of what Imaam Ibn Kathir said here is echoed by most of the mufassirun in their respective tafsirs Imaam Muhammad Amin bn Muhammad al-Mukhtaar Ash-Shanqiti – rahimahullah – said in his tafsir “His statement – Ta’ala – ‘and argue with them in a way that is best’ is a command of Allah – Jalla wa Alaa – to His Prophet – salallāhu alayhi wasallam – in this glorious verse to argue and debate with his opposers in a method and way which is best and the best way of debating: this is to make the truth clear with leniency and gentleness…

But as for the verse: ‌‏((ولا تجادلوا أهل الكتاب إلا بالتي هي أحسن إلا الذين ظلموا منهم))‌‎ then it means: except those who wage war against the believers, as for them, debate with them with the sword until they believe and give the Jizya per head and they are lowly…” (Adwaa’3 Al-Bayaan)
That is because the verse in Suratu Al-Ankabut:
ولا تجادلوا أهل الكتاب إلا بالتي هي أحسن إلا الذين ظلموا منهم
Was revealed at Madinah when the Rasūl – salallāhu alayhi wasallam – had been commanded to fight only those who fight him. In this verse the methodology he was commanded to abide by with those who do not fight the believers was the general methodology outlined in Makkah which is to call with beautiful preaching and leniency and to debate with those who required it with evidences and analogy.
Imaam Al-Baghawi – rahimahullah -referred to this in his tafsir

While commenting on the verse of Suratu An-Nahl quoted above, Imaam Al-Qurtubi – rahimahullah – said:
“In it is a matter worthy of note: this verse was revealed in Makkah at a time where there was commandment to be lenient with Quraysh and he was commanded to call to the Din of Allah and to His Shari’a with leniency and gentleness without been stern and harsh and difficult. This is the general way with which the Muslims are supposed to be preached to until the Day of Qiyaamah – for them – the sinners among the Muwahhidin – it is a Muh’kam (decisive ruling which will never change), but mansukh (abrogated ruling) by the verse that commanded the Qitaal (fighting Jihaad) with respect to the Kaafirs. And it has been said (by the Ulamaa): whosoever among the Kuffaar with whom it is possible to persuade and who it is hoped will believe using this method (of leniency and argumentation) without Qitaal, then it encompasses him and it is Muh’kam with regards to him, and Allah knows best.”

(Ref: Jaami’ Ahkaam Al-Qur’an)

Therefore, there is nothing that prevents argumentation and debating with the Kuffaar if it is known that that will help them to understand Islām and make them revert to it. It is known in our history that some of the Imaams during the reign of the Abbaasid Caliphate used to go to the Popes, the Bishops and the priests of the Christians and the Monks and rabis of the Jews and debate with them.
Among them was Fakhru Ar-Raazi, Qaadi Al-Baqillaani and others.

It was also in the light of this that Imaam Ibn Taymiyya wrote his ‘Al-Jawaab as-Sahih Li Man Baddala Din Al-Masih’,
Imaam Ibn al-Qayyim also has a book to that effect.

Shaykh Al-Maqdisi – hafidhahullaah – in this era also has a book to that effect ‘At-Tuhfatu al-Maqdisiyya fi Mukhtasar Ta’rikh An-Nasraniyya’

Except that whosoever is engaging in it must put the following conditions in perspective:

1. The first thing to which anybody must be called in Islam is Tawhid, that is what the Rasūl – salallāhu alayhi wasallam – commanded his companions to call to foremost

2. Religious debates must not be made in such a way that it gives the non-Muslim a chance to curse or demean Islam and its Icons

3. It is not permissible to abandon the Prophetic method of assisting Islam with the sword and establishing the Islamic System due to the calling of Kuffaar with beautiful preaching. The Ulamaa used to engage in debates with non-Muslims at a time when the Islamic Caliphate had its strength and not when it was in decline.
Therefore, though permissible, we must not turn all the efforts of the Ummaah to comparative religion and calling the kuffaar with leniency and beautiful preaching for the reasons we have already given above.

Allāhu A’alam!

Bārakallāhu Fīkum
Jazākumullāhu Khayran.

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