The Foundations of the Call to Allaah |
Excerpt from "The Methodology of the Prophets" |
Author: Shaikh Rabee' bin Hadee al-Madkhalee |
Source: Manhaj ul-Anbiyaah fi ad-Dawah ilal-Laah (Eng. Trans.Dawud Burbank) |
Article ID : DAW020001 |
SO IN SUMMARY OF THIS:
The Prophets, alaihimusalaatu was-salaam, did not come
to bring about the downfall of one state and to replace it with another, They
did not seek after sovereignty, nor did they organise parties for that. Rather
they came for the guidance of mankind and to save them from misguidance and
Shirk, and to take mankind out of darkness and into light and to remind them of
the days when Allaah has sent favours upon them. If rule and sovereignty had
been offered to them, they would have rejected it and continued upon their
da'wah. Indeed Quraysh offered sovereignty to Allaah's Messenger (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) and he
refused it. It was alas offered to him that he should be a Prophet-king or a
Slave-Messenger, so he chose that he should be a Slave-Messenger. Prom Aboo
Hurairah, radiallaahu 'anhu, who said, 'Jibreel sat with Allaah's Messenger
(sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) and looked to the heavens and saw an Angel descending, so Jibreel said.
'This Angel has never descended since he was created until now.' So when he
descended he said. '0 Muhammad! Your Lord has sent me to you, saying. 'Shall He
make you a Prophet-king or a Slave-Messenger?' Jibreel said, 'Show humbleness to
your Lord, 0 Muhammad.' He said, 'Rather a Slave-Messenger" So he had not
used to take pledge of allegiance from the Ansaar or others except for Paradise.
despite the fact that the pledge of the Ansaar was given in the most severe and
difficult circumstances, yet it contained no promise of positions of authority,
nor sovereignty, nor leadership, nor wealth, nor any other temporal gain.
From 'Ubaadah ibn as-Saamit, radiyallaahu 'anhu, who
said, 'I am one of those chiefs who gave the 'Aqabah pledge to Allaah's
Messenger (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) ,' and he said, 'We gave the pledge that we would not worship
anything else besides Allaah, nor steal, nor fornicate, nor kill a person whose
killing Allaah had made unlawful, except rightfully, nor rob each other, nor
disobey, and Paradise would be
And from Aboo Mas'ood al-Ansaaree. radiyallaahu 'anhu,
who said, 'Allaah's Messenger (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) went along with his uncle a-'Abbaas to
seventy of the Ansaar, beneath the tree. So he said, 'Let the one of you who is
to speak do so. but he should not make his speech long since the Mushriks have a
spy watching you, and if they come to know about you they will expose you.' So
their speaker, who was Aboo Umaamah said, 'Ask, 0 Muhammad. for your Lord
whatever you wish, then ask for yourselves and your Companions whatever you
wish. Then inform us what reward there is for us with Allaah, the Mighty and
Majestic, and what is due to us from you if we do that.' So he said, 'For my
Lord. the Mighty and Majestic, I ask that you do not worship anything besides
Him, and for myself and my Companions I ask that you grant us shelter and assist
us, and defend us as you defend yourselves.' They said. 'So what is there for us
if we do that?' He said, 'Paradise is for you.' They said, 'Then we will do this
for you.'
And from Jaabir ibn 'Abdullaah -radiyallaahu 'anhumaa,
who said ' Allaah's Messenger (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) spent ten years in Makkah following up the
people in the places where they settled in 'Ukaaz and Majannah and in the times
of pilgrimage at Minaa, and he would say, 'Who will shelter me, who will assist
me. so tint I may convey the messages of my Lord, and Paradise will be his.' To
the point that a man would arrive from Yemen or from Mudarr (he said) and come
to his people, and they would say: 'Beware of the young man of Quraysh. do not
let him put you to trail' He would walk amongst them and they would point at
him- until Allaah sent us to him, then from Yathrib and we gave shelter to him
and affirmed the truthfulness of his message. So a man from us would go out and
believe in him and be, taught the Qur'aan by him, then he would go back to his
family and they would accept Islaam as a result of his Islaam. To the point that
there did not' remain a single household amongst the Ansaar except that it
contained a number of Muslims who openly manifested their Islaam. Then they all
'Umrah. so we said, 'For how long will we leave Allaah's Messenger (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) cast
out amongst the mountains of Makkah in a state of feai!!!' So a group of seventy
of our men travelled to him and came to him at the time of the pilgrimage, We
agreed to meet him in the ravine at 'Aqabah. So we came in ones and twos until
we had all gathered and we said, '0 Messenger of Allaah. May we give you pledge
of allegiance?' He said, 'Give me the pledge that you will hear and obey, in
that which is pleasing to you and in that which is burdensome, in difficulty and
in rase, and that you order the good and forbid the evil, and that you speak for
Allaah's sake and do not fear the reproach of anyone when speaking for Allaah's
sake, and that you assist me, and defend me when I come to you just as you would
defend yourselves and your wives and your children, and Paradise is yours.' He
said, 'So we stood and gave him the pledge and As'ad ibn Zuraarah took his hand,
and he was the youngest of them. so he said, 'Do not be hasty, 0 People of
Yathrib, for we have not travelled this long distance except because we know
that he is Allah’s Messenger (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) , and that fulfilment today will mean
splitting away from the rest of the Arabs, and that the best of you will be
killed, and that the sword will be used against you. So either you are a people
who will withstand that, and your reward will be with Allaah, or you are-people
who fear that you may prove to be cowardly, then you should make this clear, and
it will be an excuse for you with Allaah.' They said, 'Withhold, 0 Sa'd, for by
Allaah, we will not abandon this pledge ever, nor will we be robbed of it.' So
he took it from us upon these conditions. and promised us Paradise in return for
that.'
So here also he would cultivate his Companions upon the
Book and the Sunnah, and upon Eemaan, sincerity and purity of intention for
Allaah in every action, far from political methods and from tempting them with
positions of authority. He did not give any of them, either before or after they
entered Islaam, any wish or hope for a position of authority in the State. So
with regard to 'Umar ibn al-Khattaab, radiyallaahu 'anhu, one of the greatest of
the Companions and the strongest personality amongst them, Allaah's Messenger
(sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) did not promise him any position of authority, nor did he himself have any
desire for that at all, until the day of Khaybar, twenty years after the
beginning of the Messengership, when Allaah's Messenger (') surprise them by
saying, 'I will give the flag tomorrow to a man who loves Allaah and His
Messenger, Allaah will grant victory at his lend.' So 'Umar, radiyallaahu 'anhu,
and the of the Companions spent the night wondering whom he would give it to,
and 'Umar, radiyallaahu 'anhu, said, 1 never had any love for leadership except
on that day,'~~4
So what was it that those noble Companions hoped for?!
Was it leadership itself, or was it tint great rank of loving Allaah and His
Messenger'? So why did 'Umar ibn al-Khattaab not love leadership if it was
indeed something which Allaah's Messenger (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) endeared to them, and trained
them for and caused them to desire it.
From Aboo Hurairah, radiyallaahu 'anhu, who said,
'Allaah's Messenger (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) said, 'You will indeed desire for leadership, but it
will be a cause of regret on the Day of Resurrection. So what a good wet nurse
it is, but what an evil weaning one it is.' So he forbade seeking for it and
desiring it
From Abdur-Rahmaan ibn Samwah, radiyallaahu 'anhu, who
said, 'Allaah's Messenger (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) said to me. 'O 'Abdur-Ralunaan! Do not ask for
leadership, since if you are given it having requested it, then you will be all
alone to discharge it, but if you are given it without requesting it you will be
helped (by Allaah) in it."'
Indeed on top of all this he firmly implanted the
Islamic principle that positions of authority are prohibited for those who
earnestly desire and crave after them. From Aboo Moosaa al- Ash'aree,
radiyallaahu 'anhu, who said, 'I entered upon the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) along with two
men from the sons of my uncle, so one of the two men said, '0 Messenger of
Allaah! Appoint us to take pledge of one of the lands which Allaah, the Mighty
and Majestic, has given you authority over.' The other man also said the same.
So he (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) said. 'We do not appoint to that position anyone who asks for it.
nor anyone who is keen to have it.' In a wording of Muslim there occurs, 'What
do you say, 0 Aboo Moosaa. or 'Abdullaah ibn pays?' He said, 'So I said, 'By Him
Who sent you with the truth, they did not disclose to me what they had in their
minds, nor was I aware that they were going to seek this appointment.' He said,
'And it is as if I can still see his (i.e., the Prophets (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) ) tooth-stick
between his lips.' So he said, 'We shall not, or. do not appoint to authority in
this affair of ours of ours anyone who desires it. Rather you go, 0 Aboo
Moosaa.' So he sent him to Yemen, and then sent Mu'adh in addition to him.' And
in the version of an-Nasaaee there occurs, 'We do not seek the assistance in
this affairs of ours of those who request it’ and al-Haafiz ibn Hajar
said, 'al-Muallib said, 'Desire for leadership is the cause for peoples fighting
each other for it to the point that they shed blood and make wealth and private
parts lawful. and therefore great corruption results in the land. Then the
reason for regret is that he may be killed, deposed or die and then regret
having entered into it in the first place. Since he will be held to account for
the evils he has committed and that which he craved for will be lost to him as
soon as he leaves it. He said, 'And an exception of this is the case of one who
has to take it on due to the fact that the ruler dies and no one else is to be
found to take over but him, and if he does not take over then this will cause
corruption and chaos.' But leadership and the office of judge are matters which
are essential, and vital to the life of the Muslims, and necessary for the
protection of blood and wealth.
However it is obligatory that in choosing the governors
and the judges that we follow the methodology of Allah's Messenger (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) , so
these positions are not to be given to those who ask for them, or desire for
them, or put themselves forward, in elections for example, since this pertains
to desiring these positions.
Rather the ones to be chosen are those who are suitable
in knowledge, absence of desire for such a position and piety. Then we must also
benefit from this Prophetic methodology in our education and training. So we
should not bring up the youth to have love for leadership, authority and
position. If we bring them up upon love of these things, then we have acted
contrary to the way and guidance of Allaah's Messenger (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) and love led the
youth to that which will only destroy them. Then what success can we expect in
this world or the Hereafter if we act contrary to the methodology of Allaah's
Messenger (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) '!
Meaning: And the Hypocrites say, 'We believe in
Allaah and His Messenger, and are obedient to Allaah and His Messenger. Then they turn
away from Allaah's Messenger (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) to others for judgement, and they are not Believers.
And if they are called to the Book of Allaah and to His Messenger for judgement about that
which they dispute in, then a group of them turn away from acceptance of the truth.
So in what has preceded we have come to know the
methodology of the Prophets in calling to Tawheed and in fighting against Shirk
and its manifestations and causes, and that it is a methodology built upon
intellect, wisdom and the true sad inborn nature. We have also come to know the
proofs for this both the general proofs and the proofs in detail, from the Book
and the Sunnah, and from the intellectual angle. So now we ask. 'Is it
permissible for those who call to Allah, in any time. to turn away from the
methodology of the Prophets in calling to Allaah? The answer; In the light of
what has preceded and what will come, is that it is not permissible in the
Sharee'ah nor intellectually that anyone should turn away from these methodology
and prefer a different way.
Firstly, This is the
straight and upright way which Allaah laid down for all the Prophets, from the
first to the last of them. And Allaah, who laid down this methodology, is the
Creator of mankind, and the One Who knows everything about human nature, and
knows what is most beneficial for their souls and their hearts:
Meaning: "How can He Who created not know
when He is the One Who knows the innermost secret of the His servants and is fully aware
of them and their actions.' "
Secondly. The Prophets
adhered to it and followed it, which shows clearly that it is not an area for
ijtihaad (independent interpretation and Judgement), so we do not find,
(1) Any Prophet beginning his call with Sufism.
(2) Another one beginning with philosophy and theological rhetoric (Kalaam).
(3) And others beginning with
politics.
Rather we find that they all followed a single
methodology, and all gave the same primary importance to Tawheed of Allaah.
Thirdly, Allaah made it
obligatory upon our noble Prophet, whom Allaah made it obligatory upon us to
follow. that he should follow then and their methodology. So He said, after
mentioning eighteen of them,
Meaning: They are those whom Allaah has guided.
so follow the way and guidance which they were upon.
And he followed their way by beginning with Tawheed and
giving the greatest importance to it.
Fourthly, Since their call
in its most complete form was to be seen in the call of 1braaheem, alaihis-
sallaatus was-salaam, Allaah further emphasised the matter and ordered our
Prophet Mohammed (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) to follow his methodology. He says,
Meaning: Then We revealed to you, 0 Muhammad,
that you should follow the religion of Ibraaheem who was a Muslim upon the true religion
and was not one of those who worshipped idols and associate partners with Allaah.''
So the order to follow Islam covers adherence to his
religion which is Tawheed and fighting against Shirk, It also covers following
his methodology in beginning by calling to Tawheed. Then Allaah, the Most High,
further emphasised this order also, ordering the Ummah of Muhammad (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) to
follow the way and the religion of this Prophet who was upon the true religion,
So He, the Most High says,
Meaning: 'Say, 0 Muhammad, Allaah has indeed
spoken the Truth, so follow the religion of Ibraaheem who was upright, upon the religion
of Islaam, and he did not make any share of his worship for any created being.'
Therefore the Ummah of Islaam is commanded to follow his
religion and way. So just as it is not permissible to act contrary to his
religion, then likewise it is not permissible to turn away from his methodology
in calling to Tawheed and fighting Shirk and its manifestaions and causes.
Fifthly, Allaah, the Most
High, says,
Meaning: So if you disagree in any of the affairs
of your religion, then refer it back to the Book of Allaah and the, Sunnah of His
Messenger, if you truly believe in Allaah and the Last Day. That is better for you in this
world and the Hereafter, and better in its final consequences.
So if we refer back to the Quraan we are informed that
ail of the Messengers had as their 'Aqeedah the 'Aqeedah if Tawheed and that
call began with Tawheed, and that Tawheed is the most important and greatest
thing which they came with. We also find that Allaah ordered our Prophet to
follow them and to follow their methodology. Then of we also refer back to the
Messenger we find that this call from start to finish gave the greatest
importance to Tawheed and to fighting Shirk and its manifestations and causes,
and we have already seen this in what has preceded.
Sixthly, Allaah created the creation and organised and
ordered it with laws governing its nature. and laws and prescriptions relating
to and ordering its behaviour. So He caused it to proceed upon natural laws
which are such that if they were broken then this creation would end in
destruction. So He made the heavens and the earth, the planets and the stars,
the sun and the moon and provided laws by which they proceed, and if they were
to be broken then this creation would cease to be. From these natural laws laid
down by Allaah is that animals, humans and others cannot live except with a
spirit and a body. So if the spirit leaves the body then the body dies and rots,
and this body must be buried so that other animals are not harmed by its stench.
Also from the creational laws laid down by Allaah in the world of plants is that
trees cannot stand and survive except upon a trunk, so if the trunk is cut off
then the branches die.
Then with regard to the world of prescribed laws, not
system of prescribed laws can stand except based on belief system/creed
('Aqeedah). So if a system of prescribed laws has no 'Aqeedah, then it will be
ruin and will not remain as a correct and sound system of prescribed laws. So,
for example. the prescribed laws followed by Ibraaheem,: alaihis-Salaatu
was-Salaam, remained for centuries amongst the Arab nation, then when 'Amr ibn
Luhayyal-khuzaa'ee entered shirk into it, then it became an idolatrous system of
laws and its reality changed and it became corrupted and ruined. This was
because it was the 'Aqeedah of Tawheed which provided its firm foundation upon
which it stood. From Aboo Hurairah, radiyallaahu 'anhu, who said: Allaah's
Messenger (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) said: I saw 'Amr ibn 'Aamir al-khuzaa'ee dragging his intestines
in the Fire. he was the first one who introduced the practice of setting free
animals for the sake of their deities.'~4 So Aktham said; 'Perhaps the fact that
I resemble him' will cause harm to me, 0 Messenger of Allaah?' He (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) said:
?Co, you are a Believer and he was an Unbeliever. He was the first one who
altered the religion of Ismaa'eel. He created the idols, and established the
practice of keeping the milk of certain animals for the deities. and of freeing
animals for the sake of the idols, and of freeing for their idols the she camels
which gave birth to female camels as their first and second deliveries, and of
freeing for their idols male camels completing their allotted number of sirings.
So after 'Amr ibn Luhayy corrupted the 'Aqeedah supporting the Sharee'ah which
Ibraaheem came with and which was followed by Ismaa'eel, then it became an
idolatrous religion, and the Arabs became idol worshippers, even though they
continued to associate themselves and attach themselves to 1braaheem and his
religion and his code of laws, and even though they still clung to a few
remnants of what he came with such as honouring the Ka’bah, and performing
Tawaaf around it, and making Hajj and 'Umrah, and standing in 'Arafah and
Muzdalifah, and making sacrifices, and other acts of devotion to Allaah.
Likewise the message of Moosaa and 'Eesaa was a message of Tawheed and a
revealed system of laws. But when they lost their basis of Tawheed due to the
saying of the Jews: ' 'Uzayr is the son of Allaah', then the saying of the
Christians: 'The Messiah is the son of Allaah', then they became religions of
Unbelievers, which it is not permissible to attribute to Allaah, nor to those
noble Prophets,
Allah the Most-High, says
Meaning, Fight those who do not believe in
Allaah, and do not believe in the Hereafter, nor make unlawful that which Allaah and His
Messenger declare unlawful, nor obey the Allaah truly by following Islaam, from the People
of the Book (Jews and Christians), until they pay the Jizyah tax in a state of being
subdued and debased. Far the Jews said that 'Uzayr is the son of Allaah and the Christians
said that the Messiah is the son of Allaah. That is merely the false saying of their
tongues, like the saying of the idolaters before them. Allaah's curse is upon them, how
can they deviate form the truth which is manifest.
From Aboo Sa'eed al-khudree, radiyallaahu 'anhu, &am
the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) who said: 'On the Day of Resurrection a caller will call out
that every nation should follow that which it used to worship. So none will
remain from those who used to worship others besides Allaah, idols and false
deities, except that they will fall into the Hell-Fire until none remain except
those who used to worship Allaah, the righteous and the impious, and the
remainder of the People of the Book. So the Jews will be called and it will be
said to them: 'Whom had you used to worship? They will say: 'We used to worship
'Uzayr, the son of Allaah.' So it will be said to them: 'You have lied, Allaah
did not take any wife, nor any son, so what do you want.' So they will say: 'We
are thirsty, 0 our Lord, so give us something to drink.' So they will be
directed: Will you not then drink? And they will be gathered and taken to the
Hell-Fire, which will be like a mirage, some parts of it devouring others, and
they will fall into it. Then the Christians will be called, and it will be said
to them: 'Whom had you used to worship?' They will say: 'We used to worship the
Messiah, the son of Allaah.' So it will be said to them: 'You have lied. Allaah
did not take any wife, nor any son.' It will be said to them: 'What do you wants
So they will be treated like the others, until none remain except those who used
to worship Allaah (alone), the righteous and the impious. The lord of the Worlds
will come to them in form closet to what they will except. Then it will be said
to them; 'Why are you waiting? every nation has followed what it used to
worship.' They will say: 'We separated ourselves from the people in the world
despite being in need of them. and we did not associate ourselves with them, and
we are waiting for our Lord whom we used to worship.' So He will say: 'I am your
Lord.' So they will say twice: 'We do not worship anything besides our Lord.' So
the point in question which is seen in both of the Aayahs and the hadeeth is
that the messages of Moosaa and 'Eesaa, two messages comprising Tawheed and
Eemaan were corrupted by the Jews and the Christians, by their worship of 'Uzayr
and 'Eesaa and their saying about them. So because of this they became idolaters
and Unbelievers, and these two messages due to their abominable action and their
foul distortions turned into false and idolatrous religions, which it is not
permissible to attribute to Allaah, nor to those two noble Messengers, even
though very many of the laws from the prescribed law of Moosaa and 'Eesaa still
remained.
So it will be clear to the reader that the 'Aqeedah of
Tawheed is the relation to all of the prescribed law system of the Prophets,
including the final Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) like the relation of the foundation to the
building. So the building cannot stand without the foundation, and it is like
the trunk of the tree, it cannot stand without it, Or like the spirit with
relation to the body, the body cannot live without the spirit. So the person
with intellect must compare and judge all other calls with these intellectual
and Sharee'ah proofs in order to see which of them are upon the way of the
Prophets and which are far removed from that. Then I wish to add three examples
which will increase our understanding of the prescribed ways laid down and
commanded by Allah and that the organisation and order found in them is
something required, and must be followed, and that it is not permissible to turn
aside from it.
FIRST:THE PRAYER. Allaah's Messenger (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) taught the Prayer
by practical examples, and he said: 'Pray as you have seen me praying ' So he
(sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) began by standing, then the takbeer, then the recitation. then the rukoo',
then the sujood, and he did this in every rak'ah. He performed the second rak'ah
in the same way, followed by the tashahhud, then at the end of the Prayer the
final tashahhud, followed by salaam.
So if a Jamaa'ah now said that it is better in this age,
or that it is obligatory that we should begin the Prayer with the salaam and
finish it with the takbeer, or that we should say the tashahhud in the place of
Faatihah and vice versa, if this Jamaa'ah did this, or any of these things, then
would this Prayer be correct, and would it be Islamic?!!
SECOND: THE HAJJ: Allaah's Messenger (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) performed Hajj and
taught the people the rites of Hajj. and said, 'Take your rites of pilgrimage
from me.' He made the standing in Arafah in a specific place, at a specific
time, the ninth day, and he made the night-stay in Muzdalifah on a particular
night. and he made the Day of Sacrifice, and the days and nights of Tashreeq in
a particular time and place. He also made the Tawaafut-Ifaadah at a particular
time, and he laid down a particular place for the,S'a'ee between .Safaa and
Marwaa, its starting point and finishing point were laid down. So if a Jamaa'ah
wished to change any of these rites and alter their time or place, for example
saying. 'We want the Tawaaful-Ifaadah to be performed on the ninth day, and to
be done between, Safaa and Marwaa, and we what to move the standing in 'Arafah
to the eight or the tenth day, and that it should be done in Muzdalifah or
Minaa, and we want the sacrifice to be done in Arafah, or we want to be some
rites forward and delay others according to what will be helpful and according
to the situation of the pilgrims. Then would this be an Islamic Hajj, or would
it rather be an evil distortion and a disfigurement of this rite'!!
THIRD: AND THIS IS THE MAIN
POINT: Allaah's Messenger (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam)
began his da'wah with Tawheed, and likewise all the Messengers. He also used to
command his governors and daa'ee’s to begin by calling to Tawheed. There
are many examples showing this. from them is his saying to Muadh when he sent
him to Yemen. 'You are going to a People from the People of the Book, so let the
first thing which you call them to be the testification that none has the right
to be worshipped except Allaah. So if they accept that from you. then inform
them that Allaah has obligated upon them five Prayers in every day and night. So
if they accept that then inform them that Allaah has obligated upon (them) a
charity which is to be taken from their rich and given to their poor,'
So do you not see that it was an organised call and an
ordered Sharee'ah. It begins with the most fundamental principle and then moves
on to what is next in importance, then what follows in importance. So why do we
fail to understand this precise organisation'! Why do we fail to comply with it?
And why do we understand that it is obligatory upon us to comply with the way
laid and prescribed by Allaah and the precise organisation in matters of worship
and its parts, but we do not understand the way laid down and prescribed by
Allaah and the precise organisations in the field of da'wah, which was followed
closely by all of the Prophets in succession. How is it that we make it
permissible to act contrary to this great and fundamental methodology and to
turn aside from it?!! This is a very serious matter and the callers must
re-examine their minds and change their standpoints. Has the Islamic Ummah, and
in particular its callers. benefitted from this great methodology, the
methodology of the Prophets, in giving importance to Tawheed and in making it
the starting point for their da'wah?!! The answer is that the state of the Ummah
is a very painful and bitter one. If a person were to die due to pain and grief
at this dark and painful situation, then that would be fully appropriate. How is
that'! I! Indeed many of the people of the Ummah of Islaam, which includes its
daa'ees and its thinkers. are ignorant of this methodology, and some of them
merely pretend to be ignorant of it, the devils have come between them and have
led them away from it. Instead they have taken up methodologies contrary to the
methodology of the Prophets, methodologies which are disastrous for their
religion and their worldly life. How appropriate is the saying of the truthful
and trusted Messenger (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) to them. 'You will certainly follow the ways of
those who came before you, handspan by handspan, and cubit by cubit. even to the
point that if they were to enter a lizards hole you would enter it.' We said, '0
Messenger of Allaah, the Jews and the Christians?' He said, 'Who else.~ And his
(") saying, 'The Jews split into seventy one sects, and the Christians
split into seventy two sects. and this Ummah will split into seventy three
sects, all of them in the Fire except one. and that is the Jamaa'ah.'~' And in a
wording, 'Which is that, 0 Messenger of Allaah'!' He said, 'That which I and my
Companions are upon.'
So the people have become like the scum found upon the
surface of flood-water just as Allaah's Messenger (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) said, 'It is about to
happen that the nations invite one another to come upon you just as those
invited to a meal come together to eat from the dish.' So someone said, 'Is that
because of our small number on that day's' He said, 'Rather on that day you will
be many, but you will be like the scum found upon flood-water, and Allaah will
pluck away fear of you from the hearts of you enemies, and Allaah will cast wahn
into your hearts.' Someone said, 'And what is wahn?' He said, 'Love of this
world and hatred of death.'
Certainly they have become like the scum upon
flood-water, and the nations have invited each other to attack them just as
those invited to a meal come together to eat from the dish. They have attacked
them within their own lands, humbled then and subjugated them. Taken possession
of then and their lands, plundered their riches, and corrupted their manners,
all of this is a result of being far from the methodology prescribed by Allaah,
the methodology of the Prophets. Then when fully submerged in this painful state
and when it was too late, many people opened their eyes and awoke from their
slumbers; SO they began shouting out to the people, 'Return to Allaah, for these
are the ways to salvation.' They began writing and delivering speeches, giving
directions to the people, making plans and outlining the means to attain might,
honour and salvation. Each of them strove and acted according to what appeared
to them to be the truth. So I say in truth, 'They put forward a great deal in
the field of manners, society, politics and economics, and they are many and
represent a number of different orientations. If their efforts were united and
they began with what the Messengers began with and they earnestly strove to
follow their methodology, then their Ummah would escape from what it has fallen
into and they would be able to reach what they desire. The most significant of
these orientations are three:
The first, Is represented by
a group who follow the methodology of the Messengers in its 'Aqeedah and its
da'wah, and who cling onto the Book of their Lord and the Sunnah of their
Prophet, and who follow in the footsteps of the Pious Predecessors
(as-Salafus-Saalih) in their 'Aqeedah, their worship and their da'wah. This is
the orientation which it is obligatory upon the Muslims to adopt, in obedience
to the saying of Allaah, the Most High,
Meaning, - And hold fast
all of you together to the rope of Allaah, and be not divided (amongst yourselves).
They must do this so that their efforts can achieve
success and so that they attain the Pleasure of their Lord, and so that they
achieve strength in order to attain the honour, nobility and success which they
desire. A point to be held against them is that they have not expended the
necessary monetary and physical efforts needed to broadest the true da'wah, and
have not presented the truth vigorously in the form of da'wah and publications
such as benefit the rank and loftiness of their da'wah.
The second, is represented
by a group who direct their attention to some of the actions of Islaam, and are
dominated by Soofee tendencies which have seriously undermined the 'Aqeedah of
Tawheed in the souls of many of its followers, and have produced that which is
to be held against them in their creed ('Aqeedah) and their worship. Shaikh
Taqiyyuddeen al-Hilaalee and Shaikh Muhammad Aslam, a graduate of the Islamic
University. and others have written critiques directed to this group, and it is
binding upon them to benefit from this and to return to the truth and the
correct wsy.
The third is represented by
a group which directs its attention to the political, economic and social
aspects of Islaam. It has put forward a good deal, and what they have forwarded
is known by what is to be found in the libraries, upon the pulpits and in the
Universities. They are to be thanked for the efforts they have expended. From
the criticisms that need to be made of this orientation is that they have
written a great deal in the political field in the name of Islamic Politics, and
the call to the supremacy and authority of Allaah, and the establishment of the
Islamic state. They urge the Islamic Ummah, especially its youth, to devote all
their efforts and to mobilise their potential in order to realise this goal.
They use very forceful and captivating methods, so as to captivate the hearts
and seize the minds. They have written a great deal of good and beneficial
things in the field of Islamic economics and about the virtues of Islaam, such
things as are needed by the Ummah, particularly at this time. and this is
something for which they deserve praise. But at the same time they are to be
criticised for the fact that while giving importance to these aspects they have
clearly neglected the right of 'Aqeedah. SO if they had directed the same vigour
and importance to correction of 'Aqeedah upon the methodology of the Prophets,
and had utilised their efforts and their pens to uproot practices of Shirk and
its manifestations. and innovations, and false superstitions and fables, then
they would have been able to achieve a great deal of good for Islaam and the
Muslims, and they would have set about the matter in the correct manner. Then
they would have truly been upon the methodology of the Prophets
alaihinws-salaatu was-salaam. So since their da'wah and their intellectual
writings are as I have described, and I am one of the many readers of these
writings, I wished to put forward some observations to the leaders of this
orientation, bearing in mind the heavy responsibility which they bear before
Allaah. Who said in the clear and decisive Aayahs of His Book,
Meaning: Remember when Allaah took the covenant from the
People of the Book that they would explain it to the people and not hide it.
This a duty to be done following the way of the scholars
of this Ummah and its sincere callers, beginning with the Companions and
continuing right up to the sincere scholars of this present time. So I hope
those who are inclined to this orientation will have good thoughts about their
brother and share his feelings concerning the heavy responsibility which we bear
before Allaah, and open their hearts to criticism which I hope will and
foundation for and will lead to good and benefit the Islamic Ummah. I also hope
that they will understand that the Companions of Allaah's Messenger (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) used
to discuss some of his decisions with him and he would open his heart to
discussion and would give up his own view if he saw that something else was more
correct, from the view and opinions put forward by his Companions, and sometimes
the Qur'aan was sent down in support of their views.
So from the greater leaders of this orientation is
the thinker Abul-Alaa al-Maududi There are concerning him very serious and
severe criticisms to be made, and it is not permissible for a Muslim who fears
Allaah and respects Islam, which raises its followers above veneration of people
and their ideas. to remain silent about this.