By Ishola Balogun
Hardly a day passes on without any issue relating to Islam making the headlines in a very sorry manner. If it is not the Boko Haram ‘Islamic’ sect, it is the Ansaru ‘Islamic’ sect or better still a Michael that was converted to Islam. Even if they never had any link with Islam as a religion, or whether such heinous activities run contrary to the teachings of Islam, it wouldn’t matter to them. It is Islam here and there. It is one wrong notion or the other about the religion mainly orchestrated to decimate the religion. But no matter the persecution, Islam will outlive its persecutors.
Believers, it is time we look inward and do a proper self-da’wah check because the character we exude at one time or the other go a long way in the way Islam is viewed. This is very important in view of our religious duty on da’wah. If you want to clothe somebody, you must not be seen in rags.
The ulamas must come together to chart a new begining for Muslims and ensure good inter-religious relationship. An assemblage of this kind, I learnt, was organised last week in Surulere, Lagos. We pray to see more positive development of inter-religious relationship.
Our preaching must thereafter, follow the pattern laid down in both the Qur’an and hadith. Islam as a perfect religion and a way of life has a laid down methodology of preaching the religion. It provides the best guidance on how to invite people to Islam in the most effective way.
Allah commands us to invite people to Islam with hikmah (wisdom) and beautiful preaching. Allah says: “Invite (all) to the Way of your Lord (Cherisher and Sustainer) with wisdom and beautiful preaching; and argue with them in ways that are best and most gracious: For your Lord knows best, who have strayed from His Path, and who receive guidance.” (Q16:125)
Our preaching must not be dogmatic, not self-regarding and not offensive. It must be gentle, considerate, such that it would attract attention. Our manner and argument must not be acrimonious, but modeled on the most courteous and most gracious way.
In fact, you should not be too dialectic, and never try to get a rise out of your listener or impress unnecessarily, but you must be seen to be marshaling your points with hikmah and expound absolute meekness and peace even when he disagrees with you.
In order to do all these, the individual must be able to show love to other human beings. You cannot preach to somebody you hate, you can’t get anything meanful from a discourse that is premeditated on hatred.
We must remember that our characters and manners as Muslims can affect people’s attitude towards Islam. This is what is missing today especially among those who preach to others. If we behave nicely, as we ought to do, the non-Muslims will see the impact of Islam on us. Sometimes, you may be tempted by human passion, or anger against your listeners, Allah says: Inna Laha maha lazhina-itaqa, walazhina hum-muhksinuun: Certainly, Allah is with those who restrain themselves and those who do good always.
Religious hatred is borne out of sheer ignorance or over-zealousness. Contrary to most of the views about Muslim-Christian relationship, no Muslim is permitted to hate or make enmity with fellow human beings. The distinction there is that unless they are out to destroy you, or denigrate your faith, you should deal kindly and fairly with them. No Muslim is permitted to hate any non-Muslim. We are only permitted to hate evil and its appurtenances and not men as such, irrespective of faith.
Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) had interactions with the Christians on a number of times. First, when he was traveling to Syria with his uncle Abu Talib. Again, the Prophet had meetings and dealings with several Christians and Christian groups, including Waraqa ibn Nawfal, a well-known Christian scholar and the Najran Christians.
When the Prophet received his first Qur’anic revelation on Mount Hira, it had a great impact on him. His wife Khadija took the Prophet to Waraqa and told him about the revelation. After listening to the Prophet (s.a.w), Waraqa also agreed that it was Angel Gabriel, who had come to him, just as he had come to Moses, and he said, “I wish I were young.” The argument here is the relationship with fellow human beings.
Again, the agreement on the part of the Abyssinian king, Negus, to accept Muslims as immigrants in his land during the Makkan period was also a significant interaction between a Christian king and the Prophet of Islam. Prior to the start of his mission, Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) had encounters with some Christians on a personal basis in his daily life as a pious merchant of Makkah.
The Qur’an says: “Allah forbids you not, with regard to those who fight you not for (your) Faith nor drive you out of your homes, from dealing kindly and justly with them: for Allah loves those who are just. Allah only forbids you, with regard to those who fight you for (your) Faith, and drive you out of your homes, and support (others) in driving you out, from turning to them (for friendship and protection). It is such as turn to them (in these circumstances), that do wrong.” (Q60:8-9)
If you preach to non-Muslim and he refuses, you dont need to waist your time further on him or dissipate energy unnecessarily, there are others who are waiting to benefit from your dawah and have their lives changed for the better. If anyone rejects Allah’s message, it is his own loss and not yours as a preacher and certainly not Allah’s.
It is not Allah who needs him or his worship; my Allah does not depend on his praises or his sacrifice, Allah is independent of all wants and His attributes are inherently deserving of all praises, whether the unbeliever gives such praises or not. So, if the unbeliever rejects Islam, he is the loser both in this world and in the hereafter. There should not be any uproar about spreading the message of Allah.
If the ulamas are teaching what is right, and condemning what is wrong, it would have been a great dawah effort, which would have benefited Islam a great deal at least in this part of the world. Islam does not preach that you exterminate those who reject the message. Islam lives, not for itself, but for mankind.
The Quran says: “You are the best of peoples, evolved for mankind. You enjoin what is right, forbid what is wrong, and believe in Allah…” (Q3:110)
Everyone is going to be judged, both the ulamas and non-ulamas, both the scholars and the learners, the leaders and the followers, we will one day give account of what we have done, and we shall see whether those who preached actually preached the truth and whether those who led were just and whether the followers took the path of glory.
O Allah, my Lord! Expand me my knowledge. Ease my task for me; and remove the impediment from my speech, so they may understand what I say. O’ Allah forgive my short-comings. Amin.
vanguard
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