IMPACT OF GENEROSITY AND KIND WORDS IN DA'WAH

By

Ibn Abdillah As-sudaisiy Al-Iloori

Like my brother, Aboo-Abdilhaqq Ibn Hajar Al-hanbalee (may Allaah increase his goodness) pointed out in one of his admonitions recently, generosity plays a great role in assisting da'wah process. In most cases, people need to eat first before any lecture can enter their head. One of my Alfas had once told me that it is poverty that is making them to run away from the Sunnah. He said: "we want to practise sunnah too", "amaa ki laa man je" (what are we going to be eating). "Owo lo dun se Sunnah!" (sunnah is easy with money). Lool. It is not funny. That is their main dilemma. Many of them have wasted many years upon jalabi business and bid'ah activities without anything to show for it. So, they need our help. By Allaah, he was nearly crying when he was talking. He said: "you now, you are a lawyer, you are working, you have a father who assisted you to have sound education. That is why the Sunnah is easy for you". "But as for we, the children of almaajiris, we have to look for alternative", "that is what plunged us into jalabi business". "But we are ready to leave it if you can assist us to establish a good business".

Although, poverty cannot be an excuse for engaging in kufr and illegalities. But we truly need to assist ourselves in leaving evils as much as possible. Then, this is a lesson for all of us. We should start looking for reasonable business to do before it will be too late. Muslim parents should also strive to train their children and make sure they have a business or handwork from the beginning of their lives. We should try to empower our children right from their young age, so that they don't grow up to become liability upon their families and the community at large. By Allaah, the jalabi people are a serious liability to the Muslim community. They are responsible for many of the problems facing the Muslim community. Even those who engage in it know this truth. The only solution to this menace is for us to start training ourselves to have jobs and be financially independent. This will also solve the problem of begging in our society to a great extent.

Sometimes, uf you want people to understand what you have been explaining to them in the sunnah very well, surprise them by visiting them with gifts. Get them astonished by inviting them to a moderate ma'dubah (it doesn't need to be tied to an event). Serve them nice food and lawful drrnks, give them take away in addition, and use the opportunity to address them on taoheed and sunnah. Do this time from time, don't restrict it to time of Ramadan. It would motivate them towards the words of Allaah and His Apostle صلى الله عليه وسلم. Allaah used the wealth of Abubakar and Uthmaan رضي الله عنهم to assist the da'wah of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم in many ways. This is one of the methodologies we lack today that makes it difficult for people to listen to us. Many rich Muslims are heartless, they don't help. We need to build our brotherhood very well and use it to achieve the ultimate objectives.

Secondly, we need to be careful of the kind of words we use in da'wah process. The use of beautiful, merciful and kind words to win hearts of listeners is very important, especially at first meetings. Some people don't need money, what they need is kind words. They want to be respected and addressed in a polite manner.

For instance, yesternight, I stumbled on one of the sellers of "Oruka Alfa Ajijola Annabi" (magic ring) at Omoda Roundabout. He was marketting that kufr with pride and a lot of people were patronizing him. This is kufr being sold in the heart of Ilorin (Oke-male for that matter), very close to Sheikh Adam (رحمه الله)'s residence. I wasn't surprised because the same people advertise their evil comfortably in front of the Central Mosque at Oja-Oba, and no one is talking. Many of our people don't know its implications. I thought of what to do to correct the situation. I later decided to politely approach the old men sitting at a nearby assembly where they also pray. I greeted them and advised them on the implication of that business. I admonished them to use their power to stop the man from selling the magic ring there. They were happy, they thanked me and they vowed to stop it henceforth.

This is the type of methodology our people need now, and not to start by declaring them kuffar, even before admonition. Like Sheikh Rabee' حفظه الله said in one of his admonitions, this is the time of gentleness, a lot of people are ignorant. The best approach is to call them to order with wisdom and manners. If an ignorant person is handled harshly, it could compound his problem. But if one is patient, the ignorant person might later reason with one's explanation. Even if they insult us while trying to guide them, we should be patient. If someone gives an admonition and he is attacked by an ignorant person, if he is patient enough to absolve the insult for Allaah's sake, he will later see the benefit in his decision not to respond to the insults. That is why a scholar said:

إذا كنت ذا علم وماراك جاهل ** فأعرض ففي ترك الجواب جواب

وإن لم يصب في القول فاسكت فإنما ** سكوتك في غير الصواب صواب

We have been told we would face insults and intimidations in the cause of this exercise. The advice of scholars is that we should be patient in order to achieve our ultimate goal. Scholars of Sunnah are firm upon truth, they don't compromise. Yet, they are careful not to shut doors of guidance on deviants. Islaam is a religion of moderation. When some scholars blow hot on some matters, some of them will cool it with water. Both of them are apparently sincere. May Allaah preserve them all upon goodness l. Some scholars of the past (and present) were lenient in refuting people of bid'ah of their time. This doesn't mean compromise and it doesn't make them mumayyi'un (people who are melting in the affairs of their religion).

May Allaah guide us aright