1) Is it better for me to give Dawah to people who are not practicing deen or to avoid them so that they may not have any negative impact on my Iman? 2) In Question 6847, you said it is haram to read books such as Harry Potter. How about if I read books that have no reference to any unislamic concepts (such as dating, polytheism, or idol worshipping) like futuristic, mystery, horror and some fantasy books?
Jazakallah for writing to the institute asking about reading material and the work of dawah.
There is a wealth of books and literature on Islam to be found all over the world. I often say to myself, the more I learn about Islam, the more I realize how little I know about Islam. As is the case with so many subjects in the academic world, one never really knows everything there is to know about any one subject. This is what makes life so interesting and exciting. I grew up with books on mystery, travel and fantasy as you say.
An incident comes to mind here. When my sister’s son was about 5 years old, she read the usual children’s stories to him. After he had “digested” the stories of Jack and the Beanstalk and Goldilocks, he said to her one day, ” Goldilocks is a thief, she went into the bear’s house when they were not there. She ate porridge and slept in their beds without their permission. That is dishonest mum.” His comment on Jack was that Jack went into the house of the giant uninvited. This was rude and he deserved to be punished. Sometimes it takes an honest child’s impression to know that as Muslim parents, we also fall into the trap of not being consistent with our knowledge of Islam.
We teach our children about honesty, respect, love and obeying AllahTa’ala’s commandments, yet we do not follow up with our examples in our daily lives. Reading stories about children and their love for Allah Ta’ala and Nabi (sallallaahu alayhi wassallam) and their zeal for Islam, the stories of the sahaaba and the four illustrious Khulafaa and their lives should become standard reading in every Muslim home.
As women we need to educate ourselves on our duties and responsibilities in Islam. We also need to empower our women as far as their role as wives, mothers, daughters and contributors to the Ummah are concerned. There is so much to learn and so much to contribute. We can only make a positive contribution to the Ummah if we arm ourselves with the correct knowledge and if we put that knowledge into practice in our own lives first.
Since you ask about inviting others to Islam, I suggest that you try to read as many authentic books on Islam as possible. Try to attend classes on Islam and brush up on aspects like Aqaaida, fiqh, history etc. on a weekly basis to increase your knowledge of Islam. You may need to liase with someone who is well versed so that you can get assistance when you encounter questions which you are unable to answer. By all means, do try to invite those whom you meet daily to Islam. Avoid getting into lengthy discussions or arguments but invite the person to the institute where you go for your lessons.
There is nothing wrong in trying to keep up to date with latest events or newest scientific findings in the world out there. Personally, I find it much more rewarding to read non-fiction than fiction. I am fascinated with the latest findings in medicine, outerspace under the sea etc. It confirms what Allah Ta’ala revealed in the Holy Quran more than one thousand four hundred years ago and scientists are only discovering so much of this now. Books and articles on what exists in different parts of the world and how it affects us as human beings also interest me.
It is important that we realize our time on earth is limited. We therefor need to spend it fruitfully in the service of Allah Ta’ala’s deen.
Jazakallah for this very interesting question. Do write to me again if you wish. May Allah Ta’ala grant all of us the ability to spend out time reading literature which will increase our worth as Muslims, ameen.
and Allah Ta’ala Knows Best
Sister Fadila
SOCIAL DEPT.
CHECKED AND APPROVED: Mufti Ebrahim Desai