The Da'wah of the Messenger of Allaah - sallallahu alayhi wa sallam - was based on mercy to the people. Didn't Allaah say He sent him as a mercy to all the word.
He was not sent to make things hard for the people.
He was sent to exemplify the best character for the world, he said - sallallahu alayhi wa sallam
Ø¥Ùنَّما بÙعÙثْت٠لÙØ£ÙتَمّÙÙ…ÙŽ صالÙØÙŽ الأَخْلاقÙ
'I was raised to complete the good character.' Saheeh Al-Jaami
He also said - sallallahu alayhi wa sallam -
بعثت٠بالØنيÙيَّة٠السَّمØÙŽØ©Ù
'I was sent with the merciful way of (Prophet Ibrahim - alayhi salaam)'. As-Saheehah
And he warned his Ummah:
Ø¥Ùنَّما بÙعÙثْتÙمْ Ù…ÙيَسّÙرÙينَ، ولمْ تÙبْعَثÙوا Ù…ÙعَسّÙرÙينَ
'You were sent as a people making things easy for the people not making things difficult:. Saheeh Al-Jaami
He said - sallallahu alayhi wa sallam -
أثقل٠شيء٠ÙÙŠ ميزان المؤمن٠خÙÙ„ÙÙ‚ÙŒ Øَسَنٌ، إنَّ اللهَ يبغض٠الÙاØØ´ÙŽ المتÙÙŽØÙ‘ÙØ´ÙŽ البذÙيءَ
'The weightest thing on the scale of a believer is good character. Indeed Allaah hates the insolent and vulgar person.' Saheeh Al-Jaami
البذيء
Al-Badhee'u is anyone that lets loose his tongue to say things that are unpleasant to the hearing about others, and he arrogantly belittles the people.
He - sallallahu alayhi wa sallam - said destroyed are those who are extreme in their affairs.
ألا هلكَ الْمÙتَنَطّÙعونَ ألا هلَكَ المتنطّÙعونَ، ألا هلكَ المتنطّÙعونَ
'Destroyed are the extremists, destroyed are the extremists, destroyed are the extremists.' Saheeh Muslim
He told us that the basis of this Deen is ease.
إنَّ هذا الدينَ يسرٌ، ولن يشادَّ الدينَ Ø£Øدٌ إلا غلبهÙ
'This Deen is indeed based on ease, none will make it difficult (upon himself and others) except that it will overpower him.' Saheeh Nasaaee.
Those who went extreme in matters yesterday were all brought down by their extremism except those who repented.
Allaah the Mighty Lord taught His Messenger - sallallahu alayhi wa sallam - the good character, especially being good in speech and not be hard-hearted to his Ummah.
He - the Mighty Lord - said:
ÙَبÙمَا رَØۡمَةࣲ مّÙÙ†ÙŽ ٱللَّه٠لÙنتَ Ù„ÙŽÙ‡ÙÙ…Û¡Û– ÙˆÙŽÙ„ÙŽÙˆÛ¡ ÙƒÙنتَ Ùَظًّا غَلÙیظَ ٱلۡقَلۡب٠لَٱنÙَضّÙوا۟ Ù…ÙÙ†Û¡ ØÙŽÙˆÛ¡Ù„ÙÙƒÙŽÛ– ÙَٱعۡÙ٠عَنۡهÙÙ…Û¡ وَٱسۡتَغۡÙÙرۡ Ù„ÙŽÙ‡ÙÙ…Û¡ وَشَاوÙرۡهÙÙ…Û¡ ÙÙÛŒ ٱلۡأَمۡرÙÛ– ÙÙŽØ¥Ùذَا عَزَمۡتَ Ùَتَوَكَّلۡ عَلَى ٱللَّهÙÛš Ø¥Ùنَّ ٱللَّهَ ÛŒÙØÙبّ٠ٱلۡمÙتَوَكّÙÙ„Ùینَ
'And by the Mercy of Allah, you dealt with them gently. And had you been severe and harsh-hearted, they would have broken away from about you; so pass over (their faults), and ask (Allah’s) Forgiveness for them; and consult them in the affairs. Then when you have taken a decision, put your trust in Allah, certainly, Allah loves those who put their trust (in Him).'
[Surah Âl-`Imrân: 159]
O reader, ponder over how Allaah instructed His Messenger to relate with his followers.
That he should be gentle with them.
That he should not speak harshly to them.
That he should not be hard hearted towards them.
And he said the repercussion of failing to apply that is that the people around him would flee.
The Messenger of Allaah - sallallahu alayhi wa sallam - applied what he was instructed to do, and he was made to have the best of the people as his Companions. Companions that were ready to lay their lives for him.
Allaah describes him further:
لَقَدۡ جَاۤءَكÙÙ…Û¡ رَسÙولࣱ مّÙÙ†Û¡ Ø£ÙŽÙ†ÙÙسÙÙƒÙÙ…Û¡ عَزÙیزٌ عَلَیۡه٠مَا عَنÙتّÙÙ…Û¡ ØَرÙیصٌ عَلَیۡكÙÙ… بÙٱلۡمÙؤۡمÙÙ†Ùینَ رَءÙÙˆÙࣱ رَّØÙیمࣱ
'Verily, there has come unto you a Messenger (Muhammad ) from amongst yourselves (i.e. whom you know well). It grieves him that you should receive any injury or difficulty. He (Muhammad ) is anxious over you (to be rightly guided, to repent to Allah, and beg Him to pardon and forgive your sins, in order that you may enter Paradise and be saved from the punishment of the Hell-fire), for the believers (he is) full of pity, kind, and merciful.'
[Surah At-Tawbah: 128]
In the Verse above, the Messenger of Allaah - sallallahu alayhi wa sallam - was described as being desirous of guidance for his people. He was not lackadaisical about them.
Allaah the Mighty also describes how Muslims shouid relate with one another:
{ مّÙØَمَّدࣱ رَّسÙول٠ٱللَّهÙÛš وَٱلَّذÙینَ مَعَهÙÛ¥Û¤ Ø£ÙŽØ´Ùدَّاۤء٠عَلَى ٱلۡكÙÙَّار٠رÙØَمَاۤء٠بَیۡنَهÙÙ…Û¡Û– تَرَىٰهÙÙ…Û¡ رÙكَّعࣰا سÙجَّدࣰا یَبۡتَغÙونَ Ùَضۡلࣰا مّÙÙ†ÙŽ ٱللَّه٠وَرÙضۡوَ Ù°â نࣰاۖ...
'Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, and those who are with him are severe against disbelievers, and merciful among themselves. You see them bowing and falling down prostrate (in prayer), seeking Bounty from Allah and (His) Good Pleasure...'
[Surah Al-Fath: 29]
Unfortunately today some people are rather harsh on their fellow Muslims than they are harsh on the disbelievers.
The proponents of harsh Da'wah would say, the state of affairs have changed. People have become disobedient to Allaah. The innovators are everywhere. Bla Bla.
The Messenger of Allaah - sallallahu alayhi wa sallam - said:
إذا قال الرجلÙ: هلك الناس٠Ùهو أهلَكÙهم.
'When a person says: 'the people are destroyed', he is rather the most destroyed of them.' Saheeh Muslim
It is the way of the Khawarij to see the Muslim societies as corrupt, bad and deviated. So the Khawarij oftentimes try to cleanse the society by killing and maiming the Muslims.
The Muslims are the first target of the Khawarij. They will first declare them as kuffar then try to kill them.
So no matter the perceived corruption and deviations in the Muslim societies, Islam requires that we are generally gentle with the people.
Ibn Mas'ood - radiyallahu anhu - said: 'Speak to the people based on their level of intellect.'
People's understanding differs. It is part of wisdom in Da'wah to take note of this when relating with the people especially the Muslims.
The Messenger of Allaah - sallallahu alayhi wa sallam - said:
عليكَ بالرّÙÙÙ‚ÙØ› Ùإنَّه٠لا يكون٠ÙÙŠ شَيء٠إلاَّ زانَهÙØŒ ولا ÙŠÙنزَع٠مÙÙ† شيء٠إلّا شانَهÙ
'Upon you is gentleness because it will not be present in a thing except that it adorns it, and it will not be taken away from a thing except that it brings it blemishes.' Saheeh Muslim
So any Da'wah that is built in harshness is doomed to fail.
Yes there are occasions we are expected to be harsh to certain wrongdoers.
Those who have been in learning for long and then do what is contrary to the well established principles of the Shariah would not be treated with kid gloves, if necessary. If necessary, take note.
The Messenger of Allaah - sallallahu alayhi wa sallam - was harsh on Mu'aadh bn Jabal - radiyallahu anhu - for prolonging the Salat, he said:
'Do you want to be Fitnah for the people O Mu'aadh? ' (Saheeh Abee Daawud)
He - sallallahu alayhi wa sallam - was also harsh against Abu Dharr al-Ghifaaree - radiyallahu anhu - when he abused another person's mother.
He said - sallallahu alayhi wa sallam:
'You are a person with (a trait of) Jaahiliyyah in him'. (Saheeh Al-Jaami)
Those examples of the rare cases.
But that the Prophet - sallallahu alayhi wa sallam - would move about in the city with hard face and postures, no.
When he speaks, he speaks gently (except in some of his Friday sermons). He would relate well with all.
Yes, he was also harsh against the Munaafiqoon, even though he would not give them attention most times. He would not busy the Muslims with them. He saw them as inconsequential.
Yes, we are allowed to speak and write harshly against the innovators and deviants, but the strong conviction that those people are really innovators or deviants. This is where lies the problem.
Many youths today are so hasty that they have called people that are not innovators as innovators.
The matter of innovation and innovators is a clear one.
An innovation (in the Deen) is a thought act, or a belief that cannot be sources from the Qur'aan, the Sunnah and the practice of the early Muslims.
Every given society of Muslims have their heretics as well as their righteous ones.
The heretics are those who oppose the Qur'aan and Sunnah, and the practice of the early Muslims.
Those who are knowledgeable know those people quite well. We know them here in Yorùbáland. It is not a hidden fact except for the one who is deprived of guidance.
So when any of the teachers of Sunnah makes a mistake that looks like a heresy in the Deen, the next thing is not to treat him like we treat the well-known heretics such that we start applying all the statements of the Salaf about the Jahmiyyah, Shiah, Murjia, etc against him.
This is the bane of the youth in Da'wah in our society. It is one of the key issues this discourse is meant to discuss Inshaa Allaah.
