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This was how they presented to us the spread of Islam in Africa across its towns in succession according to history from the era of the caliphate of Uthmaan till today, we came across nations who have with them pollination of the religion, then they will answer to the truth and make findings about it, and what is more appropriate for us on the face of this fertile earth and upon this pleasant soil is to foster in it what has been sown previously from the fundamentals of Islam, and in pulling away from ignorance about them (fundamentals of Islam) which is now eating away the yearning towards Islam, and to sow new seeds within the people who did not get to know Islam except from the hands of traders and Suufis, who then took everything they heard from them and remained upon their superstitions and Idolatory of the early times or even intensify upon what the Mutasawwifun had presented to them in form of Idolatory pledge till the point of death.
In a similar way, should plant this Islam that had come from the book of Allah the magnificent, and that which one of the messengers of Islam had presented to the grand leader and controller of Persia in his statement: “We have come to liberate people from the worship of humans to the worship of Allah, and from the constriction of Dunya to its spaciousness and from the oppression of religions to the Justice of Islam†– (Al-Bidaayah wan-Nihaayah: 7/39).
And what Abu Sufyaan - radiyallaahu an'hu - had presented to Ihraqil (Heraclitus, Emperor of Rome) in a similar image, and the response of Ihraqil, the King of Rome, was that he said to him: “If what you have said is correct then Muhammad —Allah raise his rank and grant him peace— will conquer the two territories under my dominion, and if I were to be with him I will wash his feet, and if I had known that I will come upon him I wouldn’t have endured meeting with him†– (Saheeh al-Bukhari: 102, Musnad Ahmad: 1/263)
And that is Islam and other than it is not Islam, and it is that when one becomes liberated into its pledge, it gives him life as it is in the statement of Allah:
یَـٰۤأَیّÙهَا ٱلَّذÙینَ ءَامَنÙوا۟ ٱسۡتَجÙیبÙوا۟ Ù„Ùلَّه٠وَلÙلرَّسÙول٠إÙذَا دَعَاكÙÙ…Û¡ Ù„Ùمَا ÛŒÙØÛ¡ÛŒÙیكÙÙ…Û¡Û–
“O you who believe! Answer Allah (by obeying Him) and (His) Messenger when he (sallaLaaahu alayhi wasallam) calls you to that which will give you life†– (Al-Anfaal: 24)
The dignified author who wrote this prestigious treatise of great influence if Allah wills, portrayed the Arabian Kingdom of Saudiyyah with its attribute as the first and foremost custodian of this striving and that blessed da'wah which is obligatory to be taken from in this domain, so as to attain the desired objective, in the way that they have dignified their scheme in the domain of da'wah, this scheme should be employed for use by all towns and Islamic societies in Africa and other places, and this is a task for the Muslims as a whole, that which is not appropriate to be idle from in any period or generation:
ÙƒÙنتÙÙ…Û¡ خَیۡرَ Ø£Ùمَّة٠أÙخۡرÙجَتۡ Ù„Ùلنَّاس٠تَأۡمÙرÙونَ بÙٱلۡمَعۡرÙÙˆÙ٠وَتَنۡهَوۡنَ عَن٠ٱلۡمÙنكَر٠وَتÙؤۡمÙÙ†Ùونَ بÙٱللَّهÙÛ— ÙˆÙŽÙ„ÙŽÙˆÛ¡ ءَامَنَ أَهۡل٠ٱلۡكÙتَـٰب٠لَكَانَ خَیۡرࣰا لَّهÙÙ…Ûš مّÙÙ†Û¡Ù‡Ùم٠ٱلۡمÙؤۡمÙÙ†Ùونَ وَأَكۡثَرÙÙ‡Ùم٠ٱلۡÙَـٰسÙÙ‚Ùونَ
“You [true believers in Islamic Monotheism, and real followers of Prophet Muhammad (sallaLaaahu alayhi wasallam) and his Sunnah (legal ways, etc.)] are the best of peoples ever raised up for mankind; you enjoin Al-Ma'ruf (i.e. Islamic Monotheism and all that Islam has ordained) and forbid Al-Munkar (polytheism, disbelief and all that Islam has forbidden), and you believe in Allah. And had the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) believed, it would have been better for them; among them are some who have faith, but most of them are Al-Fasiqun (disobedient to Allah - and rebellious against Allah's Command)†– (Aale Imraan: 110).
May Allah harmonize our Islamic Ummah with working towards honouring Islam and elevating the word of the Muslims.
Ramadan 1396.
Doktuur Ibraheem Ibraheem Hilaal
Lecturer of Islamic Studies at Ayn Shams Girls College
