Is it a sin for not doing Dawah? Are the people of Tableegh the “Chosen” people?

Is it a Sin for not doing dawah? Some brothers told me that you need to do dawah everyday and by not doing so you are sinning.  

I find this rather silly cause alhamdulillah, I pray 5 times a day in the masjid most of the time. My life is blessed with good rizk. This is a sign that allah is pleased with me.

Furthermore, I see those brothers doing dawah are always rejected by people. They are like the biggest losers in my Masjid. This seems like a clear sign Allah is not with them.

I’m not trying to be arrogant here. I just want to proof that this Tablighi Jamaat people are not the ‘chosen’ people like they claim to be. They are not accepted by people. This shows that Allah does not accept them too.

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

Allah Ta’āla mentions in the Holy Quran,

ادع إلى سبيل ربك بالحكمة والموعظة الحسنة

Invite (people) to the way of your lord with wisdom and good counsel.¹

ومن أحسن قولا ممن دعا إلى الله وعمل صالحا وقال إنني من المسلمين

And who is better in utterance than the one who called people towards Allah, and acts righteously and says, “I am one of those who submit themselves (to Allah Ta’ala).²

From the above mentioned verses it is clear that Da’wah is of utmost importance and a duty of every Muslim. Furthermore, everyone is responsible to do Da’wah to his personal capacity. See the following Hadith.

أَلاَ كُلُّكُمْ رَاعٍ وَكُلُّكُمْ مَسْئُولٌ عَنْ رَعِيَّتِهِ فَالأَمِيرُ الَّذِي عَلَى النَّاسِ رَاعٍ وَمَسْئُولٌ عَنْ رَعِيَّتِهِ وَالرَّجُلُ رَاعٍ عَلَى أَهْلِ بَيْتِهِ وَهُوَ مَسْئُولٌ عَنْهُمْ وَالْمَرْأَةُ رَاعِيَةٌ عَلَى بَيْتِ بَعْلِهَا وَهِيَ مَسْئُولَةٌ عَنْهُ وَالْعَبْدُ رَاعٍ عَلَى مَالِ سَيِّدِهِ وَهُوَ مَسْئُولٌ عَنْهُ أَلاَ فَكُلُّكُمْ رَاعٍ وَكُلُّكُمْ مَسْئُولٌ عَنْ رَعِيَّتِهِ

Nabi (ﷺ) said: “Indeed each of you is a shepherd and all of you will be questioned regarding your flock. The commander who is in authority over the Muslims is responsible and he will be questioned regarding his responsibility. The man is responsible over the inhabitants of his house and he is the one who will be questioned about them. The wife is responsible in her husband’s house and she will be questioned about it. The slave is responsible regarding his master’s property, and he will be questioned about it. Indeed each of you is a shepherd and each of you will be questioned about his flock.”³

Whilst engagement in Tableegh is praiseworthy, the presentform of Tableegh conducted by the Tableeghi Jamaat is not the only form of Da’wah. It would be incorrect for anyone engaged in the Tableegh Jamaat to feel they are alone in fulfilling the obligation of Da’wah.

 Tableegh in its literal meaning refers to “to convey” which could be fulfilled:

• By means of a pen i.e. writing articles, posters, books, writing Islamic verdicts. This could also be done by the means of electronic media as well.
• By means of the tongue: i.e. giving lectures, giving adhan.
• By means of the hand: i.e. distributing leaflets and flyers.
• By means of teaching: Ulama teaching in a maktab, or any other institution or even just having an informal gathering and giving advice, holding Islamic courses on various topics.
• By means of social and welfare activities: i.e. helping the less privileged, holding youth camps, assisting addicts, visiting prisoners, creating an Islamic website, running an Islamic blog, marriage counselling, Send Da‘wah messages by mobile to the general public or by email to mass mailing lists as reminders for religious occasions or lectures, mediation and arbitration. The above could be achieved by radio stations as well.

Anyone involved in any of the above will be considered to be doing work of Tableegh. Shari’ah has not mandated a particular format for Da’wah work. Each of these methods is unique and each one has its methodology and structure. Shari’ah is flexible in terms of Muslims discovering and creating methods of propagation as long as these methods do not conflict with the principles and dictates of Shari’ah.

Tableegh is not confined to its present form, rather it encompasses all forms in which conveying is found whether on an individual basis or in a collective effort.

Every work of deen holds as equal importance as the other, whether be it the present day ‘Tableegh’, or Khanqah or Madaris etc. Each effort is need of the other in achieving its ultimate goal. No one effort of deen holds superiority over the other. It is improper to despise an effort of deen whilst being engaged in another.

Furthermore, people engaged in Tableegh ought to conduct themselves with love and care. If people in your area dislike them, it is possible they are doing something incorrect. That does not mean the work of Tableegh is wrong.

Apply wisdom and approach them how people feel about them with the intention of correcting them.

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

Huzaifah Deedat

Student Darul Iftaa
Lusaka, Zambia

Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.

____________________________

 (Verse: 16:125)¹

(Verse: 41:33)²

سنن الترمذي ت شاكر (4/ 208)³

تفسير ابن كثير ت سلامة (7/ 179)

يَقُولُ تَعَالَى: {وَمَنْ أَحْسَنُ قَوْلا مِمَّنْ دَعَا إِلَى اللَّهِ} أَيْ: دَعَا عِبَادَ اللَّهِ إِلَيْهِ، {وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا وَقَالَ إِنَّنِي مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ} أَيْ: وَهُوَ فِي نَفْسِهِ مُهْتَدٍ بِمَا يَقُولُهُ، فَنَفْعُهُ لِنَفْسِهِ وَلِغَيْرِهِ لَازِمٌ ومُتَعَدٍ، وَلَيْسَ هُوَ مِنَ الَّذِينَ يَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَلَا يَأْتُونَهُ، وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَيَأْتُونَهُ، بَلْ يَأْتَمِرُ بِالْخَيْرِ وَيَتْرُكُ الشَّرَّ، وَيَدْعُو الْخَلْقَ إِلَى الْخَالِقِ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى. وَهَذِهِ عَامَّةٌ فِي كُلِّ مَنْ دَعَا إِلَى خَيْرٍ، وَهُوَ فِي نَفْسِهِ مُهْتَدٍ، وَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَوْلَى النَّاسِ بِذَلِكَ، كَمَا قَالَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ سِيرِينَ، وَالسُّدِّيُّ، وَعَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ زَيْدِ بْنِ أَسْلَمَ

وَقِيلَ: الْمُرَادُ بِهَا الْمُؤَذِّنُونَ الصُّلَحَاءُ، كَمَا ثَبَتَ فِي صَحِيحِ مُسْلِمٍ: “الْمُؤَذِّنُونَ أَطْوَلُ النَّاسِ أَعْنَاقًا يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ” (5) وَفِي السُّنَنِ مَرْفُوعًا: “الْإِمَامُ ضَامِنٌ، وَالْمُؤَذِّنُ مُؤْتَمَنٌ، فَأَرْشَدَ اللَّهُ الْأَئِمَّةَ، وَغَفَرَ لِلْمُؤَذِّنِينَ”

وَقَالَ ابْنُ أَبِي حَاتِمٍ: حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ الْحُسَيْنِ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَرُوبَة الْهَرَوِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا غَسَّانُ قَاضِي هَرَاةَ وَقَالَ أَبُو زَرْعَةَ: حَدَّثَنَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ طَهْمَانَ، عَنْ مَطَرٍ، عَنِ الْحَسَنِ، عَنْ سَعْدِ بْنِ أَبِي وَقَّاصٍّ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: “سِهَامُ الْمُؤَذِّنِينَ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ كَسِهَامِ الْمُجَاهِدِينَ، وَهُوَ بَيْنَ الْأَذَانِ وَالْإِقَامَةِ كَالْمُتَشَحِّطِ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ فِي دَمِهِ”

قَالَ: وَقَالَ ابْنُ مَسْعُودٍ: “لَوْ كُنْتُ مُؤَذِّنًا مَا بَالَيْتُ ألا أحج ولا أعتمر ولا أجاهد

وَالصَّحِيحُ أَنَّ الْآيَةَ عَامَّةٌ فِي الْمُؤَذِّنِينَ وَفِي غَيْرِهِمْ، فَأَمَّا حَالُ نُزُولِ هَذِهِ الْآيَةِ فَإِنَّهُ لَمْ يَكُنِ الْأَذَانُ مَشْرُوعًا بِالْكُلِّيَّةِ؛ لِأَنَّهَا مَكِّيَّةٌ، وَالْأَذَانُ إِنَّمَا شُرِعَ بِالْمَدِينَةِ بَعْدَ الْهِجْرَةِ، حِينَ أُرِيهِ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ زَيْدِ بْنِ عَبَدِ رَبِّهِ الْأَنْصَارِيُّ فِي مَنَامِهِ، فَقَصَّهُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، فَأَمَرَهُ أَنْ يُلْقِيَهُ عَلَى بِلَالٍ فَإِنَّهُ أَنْدَى صَوْتًا، كَمَا هُوَ مُقَرَّرٌ فِي مَوْضِعِهِ، فَالصَّحِيحُ إِذًا أَنَّهَا عَامَّةٌ، كَمَا قَالَ عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ، عَنْ مَعْمَرٍ، عَنْ الْحَسَنِ الْبَصْرِيِّ: أَنَّهُ تَلَا هَذِهِ الْآيَةَ: {وَمَنْ أَحْسَنُ قَوْلا مِمَّنْ دَعَا إِلَى اللَّهِ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا وَقَالَ إِنَّنِي مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ} فَقَالَ: هَذَا حَبِيبُ اللَّهِ، هَذَا وَلِيُّ اللَّهِ، هَذَا صَفْوَةُ اللَّهِ، هَذَا خِيَرَة اللَّهِ، هَذَا أَحَبُّ أَهْلِ الْأَرْضِ إِلَى اللَّهِ، أَجَابَ اللَّهُ فِي دَعْوَتِهِ، وَدَعَا النَّاسَ إِلَى مَا أَجَابَ اللَّهُ فِيهِ مِنْ دَعْوَتِهِ، وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا فِي إِجَابَتِهِ،