ISLAMIC NOTES: Some Evidences On Doing Da'wah With Wisdom, Good Deeds To Do And Major Sins To Avoid

From the Book "Da'wah According To The Qur'an And Sunnah"
By Dr. Norlain (Khadija) Dindang Mababaya
http://www.wisdom.edu.ph/articles3.htm
http://www.amazon.com/Dawah-Dr-Norlain-Dindang-Mababaya/dp/B004C9G5AO



Da'wah With Wisdom And Beautiful Preaching
a.1 Supplicate And Pray For Eloquent Speech And Wisdom.	“Truly, Allah will admit those who believe and work righteous deeds, to Gardens beneath which rivers flow. They shall be adorned therein with bracelets of gold and pearls, and their garments there will be of silk. For they have been guided to the purest of speeches; they have been guided to the Path of Him Who is Worthy of All Praise.” (Qur’an 22:23-24) “O’ my Rabb! Bestow wisdom on me, and join me with the righteous; grant me honorable mention on the tongue of truth among the latest generations; make me from among the inheritors of the Gardens of Bliss.” (Qur’an 26:83-84)
b.2 Speak With Confidence.	“You are the best of peoples, evolved for mankind. You enjoin what is right, forbid what is wrong, and believe in Allah.” (Qur’an 3:110) “Who is better in speech than one who calls others to Allah, works righteousness and says, ‘I am of those who bow in Islam (Muslims).’” (Qur’an 41:33)
c.3 Show Friendliness And Kindness In Your Approach.	“Allah forbids you not with regard to those who fight you not nor drive you out of your lands from dealing kindly and justly with them, for Allah loves those who are just.” (Qur’an 60:8-9) Abu Huraira (May Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger Muhammad sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said, “A believer is friendly; and there is no good in one who is neither friendly nor is treated in a friendly way (due to that person’s being aloof, rude or unfriendly).” (Tirmidhi/Ahmad)
d.4 Invite With Kind Words And Maintain Good Manners.	“Allah does not like the utterance of evil words in public except by one who has been wronged. Allah is He Who hears and knows all things.” (Qur’an 4:148) Abdullah bin ‘Amir (May Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger Muhammad sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam used to say, “The best amongst you are those who have the best manners and character.” (Bukhari)
e.5 Present The Important And Best Teachings Of Islam, Avoid Unnecessary Information.	“Successful indeed are the believers, who are humble in their prayers, who avoid useless speech and vain conversations, and who pay charity/Zakah (all for Allah’s sake).” (Qur’an 23:1-4)
f.6 Avoid Insults And Offensive Language/Behavior.	“O’ you who believe! Be not like those who hurt Prophet Moses but Allah cleared him of the calumnies they had uttered, and he was honorable in Allah’s sight. O’ you who believe! Fear Allah and always say a word directed to the Right, that He may make your conduct whole and forgive you your sins. And whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger (Muhammad sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) has already attained a great achievement (i.e. Promise of Paradise).” (Qur’an 33:69-71) Abdullah bin Mas’ud (May Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger Muhammad sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said, “A believer does not taunt/ridicule, curse, abuse or talk indecently.” (Tirmidhi) (True Muslims avoid bullying and making fun of others.)
g.7 Avoid Useless Discussion, Arguments And Debates.	“And do not argue with the People of the Book (Jews and Christians) unless it be in a way that is better, save with such of them as do wrong. But say to them, ‘We believe in the Revelation which has been sent down to us and in that which has been sent down to you. Our God and your God is One; and it is to Him we submit in Islam.’” (Qur’an 29:46) Mughirah bin Shu’bah (May Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger Muhammad sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said, “Allah has hated for you 1) vain, useless talk or that you speak too much about others 2) to ask too many questions (regarding religious matters) and 3) to waste wealth (one’s wealth and others’ by being materialistic and wasting money).” (Bukhari)
h.8 Control Your Emotions.	Narrated Abu Huraira (May Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger Muhammad sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said, “The strong is not the one who overcomes the people by his physical strength, but the strong is the one who controls himself while in anger.” (Bukhari and Muslim) Abu Huraira (May Allah be pleased with him) also narratted that a man said to the Messenger Muhammad sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, ‘advise me!’ the Prophet sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said, “do not be angry.” The man asked the same again and again, and the Prophet sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said in each case, “do not be angry.” (Bukhari)
i.9 State Proofs From The Qur’an And Sunnah.	“And they say: ‘None shall enter Paradise unless he be a Jew or a Christian.’ Those are their vain desires. Say to them: ‘Produce your proof/evidence if you are truthful.” (Qur’an 2:111) “…Say: ‘Produce the Torah and recite it, if you are truthful.’ If any, after this invent a lie and attribute it to Allah, they are indeed unjust wrong-doers.” (Qur’an 3:93-94)
j.10 Explain The Beauty Of Islam In A Logical And Easy Way.	When doing Da’wah to non-Muslims, explain to them clearly what Islam is and how Allah’s Rules and Prohibitions are actually beneficial for all mankind. Example: The logic of believing in Only One God, the reasons why Muslims fast in Ramadan, the permissibility for men to marry up to four and the significance of the hijaab/veil for women. Always make your explanations simple, not complicated. Abu Ayyub Al-Ansari (May Allah be pleased with him) narrated that a man came to the Messenger Muhammad sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam and said, ‘Direct me to a deed, which draws me near to Paradise and takes me away from Hellfire.” Upon this, he (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said, “You worship Allah and never associate anything or anyone with Him (be a true and sincere Muslim), establish the prayers, and pay charity/Zakah, and do good to your kin/family.” When he turned his back, Allah’s Messenger sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam remarked, “If he adheres to what he has been ordered to do, he would (definitely) enter Paradise.” (Muslim)
k.11 Give Examples And Use Similitudes To Clarify Things.	“And We (Allah) have put forth for men (mankind) in the Qur’an every kind of parable, in order that they may receive admonition.” (Qur’an 39:27) “The parable of those who disbelieve in their Rabb is that their deeds are as ashes on which the wind blows furiously on a stormy day. No power have they over what they have earned. That is the straying far, far away (from the Right Path).” (Qur’an 14:18)
l.12 Choose The Right Time And Place For Doing Da’wah.	Narrated Abu Wa-il Shaqiq bin Salamah (May Allah be pleased with him) that Abdullah bin Mas’ud (May Allah be pleased with him) used to give a religious talk to the people every Thursday. Once a man said, “O’ Abu Abdur-Rahman! By Allah! I wish you could preach/lecture us daily.” He replied, “The only thing preventing me from doing so is that I may bore you, and I take care of you in preaching by selecting a suitable time just as the Messenger Muhammad sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam used to do with us, for fear of making us bored.” (Bukhari and Muslim)
m.13 Deliver The Message Briefly And In A Lively Way.	‘Amr bin Al’aas (May Allah be pleased with him) narrated that one day a man got up and spoke at length, he (Amr bin Al’aas) said, “If he had been moderate in his speech, it would have been better for him. I heard that the Messenger Muhammad sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said, “I think (or I have been commanded) that I should be brief in what I say, for brevity is better.” (Abu Dawud)
n.14 Talk With Emotions. Be Emotionally Intelligent.	Jabir bin Abdullah (May Allah be pleased with him) narrated that whenever the Messenger Muhammad sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam delivered a sermon, his eyes would turn red, his voice would become loud, and his wrath would enhance as if he was warning the people against an enemy troop. (Ibn Majah) Be expressive when doing Da’wah to arouse people’s interest. For instance, sincerely smile when talking about a good deed that leads to Paradise, show passion when advising Muslims against something and allow tears to flow when discussing an emotional topic.
o.15 Deliver Message Clearly. Repeat Points If Necessary.	Narrated Anas bin Malik (May Allah be pleased with him), “Whenever the Messenger Muhammad sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam spoke or said something, he used to repeat it thrice so that the people could understand it properly from him and whenever he asked permission to enter a room/building, he would knock (at least) thrice with the salaam/greeting.” (Bukhari)   Narrated Aisha (May Allah be pleased with her), “The Messenger Muhammad sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam used to talk so clearly that if somebody wanted to count the number of his words, he could do so.” (Bukhari and Muslim)
p.16 Use Appropriate Gestures To Faciliate Understanding.	Abu ‘Uthman (May Allah be pleased with him) narrated that while we were at Adharbijan, ‘Umar wrote to us: “Allah’s Messenger sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam forbade wearing silk except this much. Then the Messenger Muhammad sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam approximated his two fingers (index and middle fingers - to illustrate that to us).” Zuhayr (the sub-narrator) raised up his middle and index fingers. (Bukhari)
q.17 Use Visual Aids If Needed.	Narrated Abdullah bin Mas’ud (May Allah be pleased with him) that once Allah’s Messenger sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam drew a line for us and then said, “That is the path shown by Allah.” Then he sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam drew several other lines on his right and left sides and said, “These are the paths on every side of which there is a devil calling towards it.” He sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam then recited this verse, ‘And Verily this is My Straight Path, so follow it.’” (Tirmidhi/Ahmad/Nasaa’i)
r.18 Distribute Written Copies Of Lecture To The Audience.	In a Hadith narrated by Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) after a speech of the Messenger Muhammad sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, a Yemenite named Abu Shah stood up and said, “O’ Allah’s Messenger sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam! Get it (your speech) written for me.” Allah’s Messenger sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said, “Write it down for Aba Shah.” (Bukhari)
s.19 Ask The Audience If They Understood Your Message. Be Ready To Answer Questions.	Narrated Anas bin Malik (May Allah be pleased with him), “While we were in the mosque, a man came riding on a camel. The man said to the Prophet sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, “I want to ask you something and will be hard on questioning, so do not be angry.” The Prophet sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said, “Ask whatever you want.” (Bukhari)
t.20 After The Da’wah/Lecture, Invite Unbelievers To Embrace Islam Out Of Mercy.	“Truly the religion before Allah is Islam (Submission to Allah’s Will –Allah’s Will is that we, His servants, worship none except Allah, the One and Only True God.). Those were given the Scripture (the Jews and Christians) did not differ except out of mutual jealousy, after knowledge had come to them. But if any denies the Signs of Allah, Allah is Swift in calling to account." (Qur’an 3:19) “And whoever desires a religion other than Islam (submission to God’s Will), never will it be accepted of him; and in the Hereafter he will be in the ranks of those who have lost.” (Qur’an 3:85)
u.21 Advise Unbelievers To Ask God For Guidance. Remind Muslims To Always Pray And Supplicate To Allah.	“Whom Allah does guide, he is on the right path. Whom He rejects from His guidance (whoever Allah does not wish to guide), such are the persons who are the losers.” (Qur’an 7:178)   “Verily you (O’ Muhammad sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) cannot guide to the right path whoever you love. And it is (only) Allah Who guides Whom He Wills and He knows best who are the guided.” (Qur’an 28:56) Even if we wanted someone to embrace Islam, that person would never become Muslim unless Allah the Almighty wanted that person to be welcome in Heaven through becoming a true Muslim. Nothing happens in this world except with Allah’s Will. Allah knows best.
v.22 Use All Means Of Communication For Da’wah.	Abdullah bin ‘Amr Al’aas (May Allah be pleased with him) narrated, “I used to write everything which I heard from Allah’s Messenger Muhammad sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam with the intention to memorize it. (Allah knows best) The Quraysh prohibited me, saying, “Do you write everything that you hear from him while Allah’s Messenger is a human being? He speaks in anger and pleasure?  So I stopped writing, and mentioned it to Allah’s Messenger sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam. He (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) signaled with his finger to his mouth and said, “Write, by Him (Allah) in Whose Hand my soul lies, only right/truth comes out from it.” (Abu Dawud) Among the means of Da’wah are: Writing Islamic books/articles that may also be shared on the Internet; delivering a khutba/sermon on Fridays; running an Islamic website; having Islamic seminars; teaching Islam to students, friends and family; doing Da’wah on TV, radio or online.
Good Deeds To Do 1.  Believe in Allah wholeheartedly. 2.  Believe in and fulfill all the five pillars of Islam: ·    Shahada/Testimony of Faith ·    Salah/Prayer ·    Zakah/Charity ·    Sawm/Fasting in Ramadan ·    Hajj (if one is able to do so) 3.  Believe in and fulfill all the six pillars of Iman, to believe in: ·         Allah ·         His Angels ·         His Books ·         His Messengers ·         The Day of Judgment ·         Divine Decree / Qadr 4.  Always make sure you pray all the five daily prayers, as perfectly as you can and on time. Never miss a salah unless you are a female in menses. 5.  Keep your tongue busy often remembering Allah and say the adhkaar and your good duas. 6.  As much as possible, avoid all sins major and minor. Always know that you are being watched by God Allah the Almighty and the All-Knowing. 7.  Never be away from the Qur’an. Daily recite some Surahs and memorize whatever you can from the Noble Qur’an. Especially recite the important Surahs like Surah Al-Fatiha, Ayat Al-Kursy, Surah Al-Ikhlaas, Surah Al-Falaq, Surah An-Naas and Surah Al-Mulk after Fajr and after Maghreb or at night before going to bed. 8.  Whenever given the chance, enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong, following any of the three levels of enjoining good and prohibiting evil: · First: By hand / physically · Second: By advising / verbally · Third: By hating the evildoer and sin for Allah’s sake 9.  Always seek Islamic knowledge and share Islam, if not everyday then every other day. 10.  Be ready to help a fellow Muslim in only what is right. 11. Adhere to the Qur’an and the Prophet Muhammad’s Sunnah. Maintain good Islamic manners. Love what Allah loves and hate what Allah hates for Allah’s sake.   More Good Deeds You Can Do 1. On Fridays, recite Surah Al-Kahf, send salaams on the Messenger Muhammad sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam and say your good du’as especially on that day. 2. Make it a habit to pray Sunnah Tahajjud when most are asleep, even two Rak’ahs late at night can be of great benefit inshaAllah. Approximate timing of Tahajjud in Philippines is from 2:00AM-4:00AM Ask Allah for whatever you like in both worlds, your du’as will inshaAllah be answered at the right time. Allah knows best. 3. Try to pray Sunnah Duha before leaving home for work or school from after sunrise to at least one hour before Dhuhr (6:00AM-11:00AM) You will feel more positive after praying Duha, even two Rak’ahs, and your day will inshaAllah be more blessed. 4. Be among those Muslims who not only fast the obligatory fast in Ramadan but also fast Sunnah fasts such as on Mondays and Thursdays, in Sha’baan, Muharram, Dhul-Hijja or every other day like what Prophet Dawud ‘alaihis-salam used to do. 5. Include all Muslims in your du’as, especially those who are oppressed. Try to help a Muslim (in only what is right) whenever you can. For Allah, make at least one Muslim smile everyday. 6. Before you leave this world, leave behind some Islamic knowledge from which many can benefit through writing Islamic articles, essays to share online, books you have written or book reviews of Islamic books you enjoyed reading. Even some posters with Islamic insight or advice can make you earn rewards inshaAllah. Share Islamic knowledge when you have the means to do so, purely for Allah’s sake. 7. If you have so much of something, be willing to share some of it with a Muslim or donate some of your clothes to some needy Muslims and inshaAllah more of Allah’s Mercy will be with you. 8. Teaching a Muslim, even a sibling or cousin, about our religion Islam or how to read the Qur’an in Arabic is another way of earning rewards from Allah. 9. If you may not do many good deeds at least excel in avoiding the evil deeds that Allah the Almighty forbade. May Allah the Most Merciful acccept all our good deeds and forgive all our sins always. Ameen.		Some of the Major Sins To Avoid 1.      Shirk / Polytheism 2.      Murder / ‘Terrorism’ 3. Sorcery Or Going To Sorcerers 4. Abandoning Or Neglecting Salah 5. Not Doing Charity/Zakah When One Is Able To Do So 6. Breaking One’s Fast In Ramadan Intentionally Without Excuse 7. Not Performing Hajj At Least Once When One Is Able To Do So 8. Disrespect To One’s Parents 9. Abandoning One’s Family And Not Caring About One’s Relatives 10. Fornication And Adultery (And anything that may lead to both such as willfully watching porn) 11. Homosexuality (Being LGBT) And Sodomy 12. Consuming Interest/Riba 13. Consuming Orphans’ Wealth And Misusing Their Property 14. Deliberately Lying Against Allah 15. Running Away From The Battlefield Or Abandoning One’s Muslim Brothers And Sisters 16. Being A Tyrannical Leader/Ruler 17. Arrogance And Vanity 18. Bearing False Witness 19. Drinking Alcoholic Beverages And Being Addicted To Drugs 20. Gambling And Playing Chess 21. Slandering Chaste Women Or Claiming A Muslimah Is Unchaste 22. Stealing From Spoils Of War 23. Stealing 24. Highway Robbery 25. Swearing On A False Oath 26. Oppression / Tyranny / Bullying 27. Gaining Wealth Through Illegal Means 28. Committing Suicide 29. Consuming Wealth That Is Gained Illegally/Unlawfully 30. Frequently Telling Lies Or  Being Sarcastic 31. Judging Unjustly / Being Unfair 32. Giving, Accepting And Witnessing Bribes 33. Men Acting Or Dressing Like Women And Women Acting Or Dressing Like Men 34. Being Cuckold Or For A Man To Tolerate His Female Relatives’ Indecency Or Immodesty 35. Marrying A Divorced Woman (Divorced Thrice) Just So She Can Be Lawful For Her Former Husband To Marry Her Again 36. Showing Off / Riyaa 37. Not Being Careful Of Najas 38. Seeking Islamic Knowledge Solely For Worldly Reasons Or Hiding One’s Knowledge When One Is Asked About It 39. Betraying One’s Trust And Being Untrustworthy 40. Frequently Recounting Favors Upon Others To Take Advantage 41. Disbelief In Qadr/Destiny 42. Listening To Muslims’ Private Conversations When One Is Unwanted In The Discussion 43. Spreading Lies And Rumors, Carrying Tales 44. Frequently Cursing 45. Breaking Contracts Or Good/Lawful Agreements 46. Believing In Fortune-Tellers, Horoscopes And Astrology 47. A Woman Being Disrespectful Or Ungrateful To Her Husband 48. Making Statues, Images And Drawings Of Living Beings 49. Lamenting Or Wailing During An Affliction 50. Treating People Unjustly 51. Being Overbearing Towards The Slaves And Creation Of Allah 52. Offending, Mistreating Or Annoying One’s Neighbors 53. Offending, Mistreating, Annoying Even Pranking Muslims 54. Being Conceited Or Assuming You Are Better Than Others 55. Trailing One’s Garments Out Of Pride / Acting ‘Royal’ 56. Men’s Wearing Silk And Gold 57. A Servant Or Maid Running Away From His/Her Master  58. Sacrificing An Animal For Other Than Allah 59. To Deliberately Claim That One Is One’s Father Or Mother When One Is Not So 60. Preventing Others From The Water That Allah Created 61. Giving Less Weight Or Measure Than What Is Due 62. Oppressors And Sinners Feeling Secure From Allah’s Plans 63. Offending Allah’s Righteous Friends Or Showing Enmity To Them 64. For A Man To Pray Alone Without Excuse Instead Of Praying With The Jama’ah/Group 65. Constantly Missing The Friday/Jumu’ah Salahs 66. Usurping The Rights Of A Muslim’s Heirs 67. Deceiving Muslims And Plotting Evil 68. Spying For The Enemies Of Muslims Or Assisting Them 69. Cursing Or Insulting Any Of The Messenger Muhammad’s Companions Or Family 70. Believing In Superstitions And Omens, Wearing Amulets Of Shirk