The Importance of Da'awa : Part V

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

I thought that I had finished the part of the importance of da'awa but then there are few writings behind my notes' commentaries from what I heard and read. There are few hadiths for the importance of da'awa. InshaAllah we will try to put it up here for everyone to share.

The first part of the commentary interpret the meaning of the verse 104 in Surat Aal-Imran : "And they are those who achieve success..." Although in idiomatic sense, the translation of this text seems quite stiff, but we still can sense the content of the message. It means that those who are consistent in performing da'awa are the successful ones. Why? Because through da'awa, vices and crimes could be avoided and charity or chastity will continuously flowing in the universe and the nation will be the promoter of peace and charity around the world.    

Some Hindus View about Evil : Vaalmiki Ramayan

Urm, before we go further I have something to share here only for fun. During our discussion with non-Muslims for example Hindu friends. We also heard a slightly different ideas about evil or vices. They accept evil as a fact and maybe some of them were quite harsh when I talked with them but I am not a Muslim as per Muslim people everywhere talked with. I am not talking here and there to "convert" so I don't feel offended at all. 

I know about this notion since before I talked face to face with them and I didn't tell them my confusing background, hehe. I read adaptations of Ramayan into Thai or Malay and Mahabharat portions through Bhagavadgita. About the monster Ravann in the Ramayan, he was a Brahman and a devout devotee of lord Shiva Shankar. He knows about the evolution of the universe, the secret of spirituality and the path to heaven from earth that made him an emperor of the three worlds. He also performed the sacrifice and penance for lord Brahma until he was granted with the boon of longer life. The roots of his fall-down began when he had kidnapped Sita Devi, the wife of Raam and it is because his mental state was damaged by evil thoughts. So, there must be something wrong with a religious guy or religious-looking guy if we see them committing evil.  It does not mean that a person does not know about religious teaching. It is about at what time a person performs the act of charity and chastity? Is it continuously or at certain times?

For Muslims, Allah taught us to always pray to Him so our Faith would be strengthen and our spirit and soul would be purified through His boundless Mercy and Love.     

The Importance of Amar Ma'aruf Nahi Munkar

Now back to the topic, the beginning of the verse 104 in Surat Aal-Imran is also appropriate with the hadith from our noble teacher and prophet, Muhammad s.a.w. Reported by Hudzaifa r.a from Muhammad s.a.w the prophet says: "I swear by the Lord in which myself in His grip that we are commanded by Him to diligently perform charity and to diligently prevent vices and crimes. Or else the Lord will raise up calamity upon everyone. And you will pray to Him invoking help but He will never listen to it anymore!" (Narrated by at-Tirmidzie from the report of Hudzaifa)

Sometimes, da'awa has to be a little bit stern when there are people who are stubborn, refuse to leave crime and vices and spreading mental illness to others. It is mentioned through a hadith:

"The most principal above all is the struggle with the word of Justice in front of the evil and cruel administrators, governors or earthly kings." (Narrated by Abu Dawud and at-Tirmidize from the report of Abu Sa'id al-Khudri)

In another hadith reported by Abu Sa'id al-Khudri, it says: "Any one of you who sees something evil, crime or vice so he must change it to the good and proper one with his hand. If he has no capability to change it with his hand, then with his tongue. If yet still incapable, then change it with his heart. And with the heart, it is the weakest of the Faith." (Narrated by Muslim)

The last hadith from the report of Abdullah bin Mas'ud mentions that prophet Muhammad s.a.w says: "No one of the prophets sent by the God to nations who were not accompanied amongst the nations with companions and supporters who firmly supporting the traditions and executing the command of the Lord through the tongue of noble prophets. Then appear the descents (after them) who did not walk what they talk and performing what has not been commanded by the God. And for those who oppose these with his hand, they are the faithful ones. And those who oppose these with their tongue, they are the faithful ones. And those who oppose these with their heart, they are the faithful ones. After the heart, nothing that could be mentioned as the Faith even with the size of mustard." (Narrated by Muslim)

Sealed with prayers for mercy, peace and love, amin!

The Importance of Da'awa : Part III

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

Da’awa Fields

General Da’awa

There are two major fields of da’awa which are the general and the specific ones. The general one has many subs as the society is of different sub-sections. It is the da’awa in Muslim communities itself so that they may properly hold their religion and living it. Muslims are of varied society such as the farmers, merchants, skilled workers, labors and officials. Also the intellectual levels being considered as important such as those in the village, in the city, men, women, young, old, those with high academic achievements and those of lower education background. There is also the effort to explain the purity of religion to others as a general da’awa. It is characterized by the calling for others to understand the wisdom and the virtue of Islam and the teachings of Allah through Muhammad s.a.w. Sometimes it has to deflect nonsensical accusations and attacks by others made on the path.  

Specific Da’awa

It is the da’awa among our family member. Bringing the religious atmosphere into the family, educate everyone to obey the command of the Lord and competing to perform charity. Da’awa never stops even among us. 

I found that this is the most difficult part of da’awa dear brothers and sisters. People in my family are not as religious as our ancestors because time passing many had also disconnected from the teachings and forgetting who they are. They live like nomads moving here and there. They don’t care about religion, manners, traditions and customs nor bother to get help from religious teachers or listening to lectures anymore. Sometimes I feel like giving up because it is so suffocating and just run away yet I still feel pitiful to people around that stops me. 

When I talked with brothers outside of my family for example brother Idris in the hostel, he did listen to me and obeyed the sunans that I mentioned to him though he maybe knew about those things earlier than me. I feel so happy at least I know there are people listening for their own goodness and looking at them also reminding to perform worship for Him but they are not my family member.

Obligations upon Every Muslim to Perform Da'awa

In the verse 104 that we learned just now, we could see three obligations being placed upon us. I’ll put them in the form of points where the first one is the center which brings forth the following two:

• Calling for ma’aruf or calling everyone to perform obedience to the Lord and perform charity.
• Helping others to avoid munkar or vices and crimes through differentiation between what is appropriate and what is inappropriate. 
• Calling for ma’aruf and reminding others about the disasters caused by munkar vices and crimes.

Sealed with prayers for mercy, peace and love, amin!

Science of Pillars of Islam: Obligation to Study the Path

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

Tomb of our noble father, prophet Abraham a.s - Hebron

We return to this science because it is very very important yet crucial. It is obligatory for every Muslim to study about their own path. Those who neglect it will be sinful. This is the order of the path as what has been generally mentioned by noble prophet Muhammad s.a.w: "Getting the knowledge is obligatory on every Muslim."

Other than that, it is obligatory for every Muslim to ma'arifatullah. What is this term means? It means knowing Allah or the God. Learning about His characteristics which bring everyone to confidence. It has been explained in the Zubad: "Early obligatory on human-being is to know their Lord as possible as they can."

Another explanation from the sermon of Habeeb Tahir bin Hussain mentions: "Be known to you dear brothers and sisters. Indeed the root and branches of religion is to know whom should we direct our worship to before we perform acts of worship. And that is the fact of the testimony of faith."

It is almost similar to an officer who works with the employer or his boss. The employer gives him his wages for the job. When he do his task, he should also know what is his job about, its rule and regulation and its specification. The Lord is our Boss. He gave us sustenance which is His grace in term of air for us to breath, minerals in the earth for us to stay sustainable (one of my current institution getik's mottos is sustainability, lol), natural resources, and etc for creatures to do a job for Him which is to worship Him and to glorify Him. 

If we know the interpretations of the testimony of faith, we should also know the Lord. And everyone should also aware about the jazam on the rightful with evidence which is rational with evidences and their explanations.

Definition of Jazam

This is the definition according to the science of usool. It means the strong faith or the faith without doubt. According to today's terminology, it means a firm faith, strong with a basis and without any compromise. Jazam also means unanimous and final decision. 

Division of Jazams 

Division of jazams refer to four types of people regarding their attitude toward their knowledge and sciences regarding the path. I am not sure how to clearly explain about these but one needs to ask their teachers and clerics regarding these terms. Find the right ones and not those who are like the 'scriptures on the donkey' although they look like a cleric. In certain creed science books, the terms are quite ambiguous because of the language style used are backward. We have to update those kitabs in term of language style too. Using simple words and checking compatible terms especially in modern languages such as modern English and according to the field such as the law.

1. Ma'arifa 

Ma'arifa refers to a person who knows and realize that he knows about these particular sciences. He is a specialist in his field of knowledge and is not stingy with his knowledge. Instead he shares it with others since he knows the obligation and his responsibility to spread the knowledge or science about the Lord in the society who needs it. This person does not associate his knowledge with money or materialism. He only teaches it for His sake and not to make a living. This is the type of human which refers to past imams that we learned about some of them in our schools or in our fellow brothers' and sisters' sites. The Lord says in glorious Quran surah al-Baqara verse 41 which means: "...never change My verses with lower price, and only to Me should you be dependent!!!" This type of person is represented by minority of people in the earth.    

2. Taqlid Shaheed

A person who knows but he does not realize that he knows about the Lord. Maybe he knows that he is aware about the Lord, but due to few problems he does not know how to use his knowledge and could not spreading it widely. There are few factors or reasons which lead to these such as occupied, financial problem, didn't given the chance by people or environment around. But if given the chance, having sufficient financial support and his worldly occupation being loosen up that he could benefit society with the wisdom and knowledge that he posses.   

3. Jahel Murakkab

I always heard this term, hahaha. In Malay it is used to mean bodoh nak mampos but the definition according to the science is slightly different if without the twice word. This is actually a tasawwuf science term but not many are aware about this and using it even in daily speeches without knowing the definition. It refers to double ignorance. He is ignorant and aware that he is ignorant. He is humble with his ignorance and asking others who are more knowledgeable than him. This kind of person always attend the sciences lecture in masjids. He is easy to accept advises, listening to others and is open toward criticism on his ignorance. This kind of person needs to only learn more and his ignorance will shy away. 

4. Taqlid Bateel

This refers to an ignorant person who is not aware that he is ignorant. If he has an assumption, he would treat it as his faith without checking it with others who are more knowledgeable than him. It also refers to a civilian who is ignorant and refuses to accept his ignorance or stupidity. Noble prophet Jesus a.s mentions this as ahmaq or in rudimentary word means stupid! Many tasawwuf specialists use the word Jahel Murakkab twice to refer to this type of person since he is ignorant in term that he has no knowledge in certain science and he is ignorant because of his attitude. In the easiest way to explain this, he is stupid but he thinks that he is a smarty ass. This type of person is in the majority of society in the world and they could easily being influenced by rumors or fake news like what we always read in comments in youtube or other sites by those who call themselves as anti-Islam or Western civilization ass-wipers. It is not only unique to these people but there are also these kind of people in Muslim society as well as other society in the world. Those fanatics are in this group of person. Sorry for some rude words as it is easier to explain in street way of talking, haha.

Closing

Next time insha Allah we would learn about the definition of daleel or evidence according to our path sciences. There are also definitions for taqlid, fanaticism and taqlid bateel/jahel murakkab twice. When we look around, watching TV programs like forum in Western medias, accusations of political parties on each other, quarrels between Muslim denominations or movements and etc... We could see all of these and compare it what we get from this division of jazams.     

Sealed with prayers for mercy, peace, and love, amin!