I believe that da’wah is a responsibility of every muslim, and I encounter many non-muslims on campus. My quesion is about making da’wah to women(I’m a guy). I speak to women all the time, just like most brothers (even those who don’t come to varsity and work in their parents’ shops instead). Is this in line with shariah? Just about all of these women are deemed to be very decent and modest by western standards, but obviously do not wear hijaab.
There are two aspects to this query; Da’awah to non-Muslims and Da’awah to
the opposite gender.
At the outset, you should understand well that Da’awah is the responsibility
of every single Muslim. It is one of the most effective tools of inviting to
Deen. Nevertheless, nowadays, it is a known fact that generally Muslims have
drifted far away from Deen. Muslims have changed their priorities of Deen to
material glitters of their temporary life. Therefore, in order to first
equip us with Islamic values and principles, the Ulama have looked into the
life of Rasulullah [Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam] and concluded that Da’awah
to Muslims was always a priority over non-Muslims.
In the opening verses of Surah Abasa, Allah Ta’ala emphasised to Nabi
[Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam] that you should always give preference to
Muslims over non-Muslims. We should not be deceived by Shaytaan in giving Da
‘awah to the opposite gender. According to the Shari’ah, it is Haraam
(prohibited) to have any contact with strange (non-Mahram) women, even
though it may be for Da’awah purposes. There are many women in South Africa
who are well versed in the Shari’ah. You should use a Mahram to refer them
to these people.
and Allah Ta’ala Knows Best
Mufti Ebrahim Desai