Dawa

Objectives

Calling to Allah’s way has many objectives that one must endeavour to fulfill. These objectives are summarized by the Muslim leader, Rab’îi Bnu Amer when he was asked by the Persian leader, Rustom about the aim of conquering their land. He said: «We are predestined to call those who worship people to worship the Almighty Allah, to relieve them from the despotism of the other religions to embrace the equality of Islam and to bring them out of the narrowness of this world into the extensiveness and the comfort of both life and the Hereafter».

These above mentioned objectives can be detailed as follow:

A) To raise a Muslim individual:

The one who calls to Allah’s way (Daiya) must endeavour to raise a Muslim individual who should:

·   Be sincere in his faith in Allah: this attribute implies that he must believe in Allah, his Messengers, His Angles, His Books (scriptures) the Last Day and in El-Qadar (Divine preordainment).

·   Worship Allah accurately: he must worship Allah in the way He ordered him. This would be possible only by a least knowledge of religion (Islamic laws). Therefore, he will worship Allah as it should and to the best of his ability. The Almighty Allah said: «So, keep your duty to Allah and fear Him as much as you can». [Surat At-Taghabun/the Mutual Loss and Gain, 16]. He also said: «O you who believe! Submit sincerely in devotion to Allah». [Surat Al-Imrân /the Family of Imrân, 102].

·   Be good mannered: as the worship that fruits no moral values is worthless. In fact, Allah demonstrated the prophets’ mission in general and that of the prophet Muhammad- may peace be upon him in particular when He said: «Our Lord! Send amongst them a messenger who shall recite for them your verses and teach them the book (Koran) and the wisdom, and purify them…». [Surat Al Baqara/ the Heifer, 129].

·   Work for the sake of his religion: The one who discerns the aim of his existence is the only one who is able to work for the sake of his mission. So, man’s ever first mission to which he has to devote his time and energy is worshiping Allah sincerely. This aim and mission is declared by Allah when He said: «And I have not created Jinn and mankind except that they worship Me». [Surat Az-Zariyât/ the Winds that Scatter, 56].

With these attributes the Muslim will contribute to the development and the prosperity of his society.

B) To raise a Muslim Family:  

When the Muslim individual is raised, he should marry as to establish a Muslim family. The prophet may peace be upon him awakens the youth’s desire for marriage, he said: «….if you are able to marry so marry».

This raised family should be:

·  An educator of generations:

The family is the natural setting for the good education of children. It readies them for the contribution to the flourishing and the prosperity of his nation. This family’s ever first thing that it should teach its members is the belief in Allah and His unity.

·   A protector of principles and values:

While educating their children, the parents inculcate on them high standards and principles to which our religion called. Therefore, they corroborate and adopt them in their lives with all the creatures.

C) To raise a Muslim society: This task is not only specific to those who call to Allah’s way, but rather designed to every one. The Almighty Allah said: «Thus we have appointed you as a just and distinguished nation, that you be witnesses over all people, and the messenger be a witness over you…». [Surat Al-Baqara/the Heifer, 143].

So, witnessing over all people is a great privilege that is peculiar to the Muslim nation. Thus, every Muslim must perceive the amount of his responsibility so that he acquits himself before God.

This intended society should:

·   Stick and respect the Islamic rules in all its transactions and its social, economic, civil and political relations.

·   Consolidate the Islamic morals in its relations: all the morals uphold by Islam must be corroborated without exception or distinction, because they are all recommended and needed. This is what distinguishes the Muslim society from others.

D) To bear the nation’s problems and endure its annoyances:

The prophet may peace be upon him said: «The one who doesn’t care about the Muslims’ matters is not amongst them».

He also said: «The believers in their intimacy, sympathy and commiseration are like the body, if a part of it is suffering, all the other parts support it with fiver and insomnia».

These two Hadiths shows the necessity of bearing the nation’s problems. Among these problems we mention:

·   The problem of shortcoming understanding of Islam: Among its signs we mention:

-stillness and imitation: this implies that the Muslims keep and stick to the ancient Fiqh without any research or examination, while in fact, what is recommended today is to be like the ancestors in their diligence. Therefore, if the ancestors were the doctors of their era, the contemporary Ulemas should be likewise.

-Divisible vision of Islam (divisibility of Islam).

Islam is an indivisible unity. It is at a same time faith, devotion (worship), moral values, Charia (Islamic laws), thinking, behaviours, culture and sociology. Nevertheless, there are some who perceive it as divisible unity. So, they consider some of its essences and deny the others. The result of this is a handicap which affects both the physical and the moral structure of Islam. The Almighty Allah said: «…Then do you believe in a part of the scripture and reject the rest?...». [Surat Al-Baqara/the heifer, 85].

·   The problem of tearing: the Muslim nation witnesses many forms of tearings at all levels. This is what weakens its abilities and enables those who wait for its collapse to affect its faith, Charia and its standards.

·  The problem of backwardness: It affected mental, economic, political and technological domains.

·   The problem of cultural invasion: It is tantamount to an exterior peril which threatens the Muslim nation. This threat increases by the decrease of its invincibility.

The cultural invasion is reached through:

Christianization.

Expatriation.

Orientalism.

Laicism.

·   The problem of moral depravity:

The enemies of Islam were keen to hold sway over the Islamic world (nation) by whatever the means, but the most influential one is dissemination of moral depravity via propaganda and Medias.

E) To contribute to solve humanity’s problems:

Universality is among the characteristics of Dawa. The latter is not limited a specific place or time, and it is not designed to a particular people.

The almighty Allah said: «And we did not send you but as a mercy to all beings» [Surat Al-Anbiya, the Prophets 107].

So, exposing humanity’s problems which are about to collapse is obligatory, as to save and bring back mankind to Allah’s guidance and protection in accordance with Islam.

·   At the spiritual side: Humanity suffers from fatal spiritual emptiness, because of keeping itself away from Allah’s way and giving preponderance to material life. This spiritual emptiness led to the appearance of many mental and psychological matters, and the most dangerous and the widely spread one is suicide.

So, disregarding the soul caused a great disorder/upset in human’s lives, this is why Dawa gives much more importance to the soul. It delineates to it the way towards Lord, the All knower about its secrets. So, it answered the questions that worry him like: eternity, his birth, origin, aim and his fate…

Faith does not only feed the soul but also renew and strengthen the relation between Man and his Lord. This is why all the prophets and messengers resorted to faith as to solve the problems exposed to them.

They inculcated in themselves monotheism. The Almighty Allah said: « And We never sent a Messenger before you except that We revealed to him saying: "There is no god but I, so worship Me" ». [Surat Al-Anbiya, the Prophets, 25].

·   At moral and educational side:

Human values and Moral standards lose their position and fade away in the western civilization. Therefore, people devastated and ruined the earth. This devastation appears clear in the addiction to alcohol and drugs, sex abuses, illegitimate children and the break up of the families’ relations.

Islam comes to reform the educational process and the moral standards of Man, and to spread righteous standards and principles that will regulate people’s actions in this life.

The most apparent mission of the prophets and messengers is education. The latter is clearly seen in the Dawa prophet Muhammad-may peace be upon him. It is also affirmed by the following Almighty Allah’ saying:

«Our Lord, send amongst them a Messenger from amongst the who shall recite Your revelation to them and teach them the book (Koran) and the wisdom, and purify them…». [Surat Al-Baqara/the Heifer, 129].

·   The scientific and cultural side: Islam values knowledge and call people to acquire it. Indeed, the first word revealed to the prophet-may peace be upon him was “Read”. Reading is the key to the sought after (needed) knowledge; the knowledge that is tied to faith, because the latter is fruitful and the one which is not is devastating.

·   Social side: The societies undergo (sustain) the absence of standards and moral values, like mercy, helpfulness and brotherhood. They are substituted by intruded habits which contribute to the breaking up of the families’ ties and relations.

But Islam gives a stand by to raise a solid and sane society. The latter consist of cohesive families based on principles and morals that preserve them from tearings and disintegration.

·   At the economic side: Islam issued a set of rules that guarantee the raising of a just economic system that tends Man and preserves money.

Allah legislated Zakat which is a means to collect money and spend it in the favour of the society.

He allowed private property, but regulated it by using different instructions. The latter regulates its gaining, its ends and its functions.

He prohibited usury which causes economic ruin and absorbs the capacities of the weak.

·   At the legislative side: The Islamic legislation reached a highest position of comprehensiveness, perfection and justice that no positive legislation had ever reached. This is why we have to endeavour to shed light on the treasures of the Islamic legislative system that regulates people’s relations and preserves their rights.

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