PREACH THE SUNNAH WITH WISDOM AND GENTLENESS

By

Ibn Abdillah As-sudaisiy Al-Iloori

There are many of those who taught us useful things in life (Qur'an, hadiths, Arabic grammar) and so on, who are afflicted with one form of bid'ah or the other. Some of those who contributed to our successes in life are Christians. But does that mean we cannot greet, honour and pray for them without exceeding limits? Habba! Beware of ghuluww (exaggeration) in the practice of the Sunnah so that it would not ruin you. Islaam is easy, and whoever overburdens himself regarding it will not be able to stand on it. Some people have left their own parents and relatives in the name of not wanting to deal with People of Bid'ah. They withdraw tasleem from people without basis in the Qur'an and Sunnah. They forget the statement of Allah:

"وصاحبهما في الدنيا معروفا"

"Yet keep company with them showing uniform courtesy, love and kindness to them in (all) worldly affairs" [Q31:15]

Who else would guide them if you flee completely from your own people? The rahmah of the People of Sunnah is so great to the extent that they don't lose hope, they don't stop calling people to guidance till their last breath. So, where did you come across your own wickedness of staying away from your own people, leaving them in ignorance and misguidance. Yes, guidance is in Allaah's Hand. But we don't get tired of calling till our last breath on the surface of the earth.

What is discouraged and prohibited is sitting and mixing with People of Bid'ah and Ahwaa' in the practice of their bid'ah and being their close associates and confidants. This principle doesn't mean you should shut the door of admonitions and repentance on them. For instance, we have seen an extreme sufi later becoming an Ahlus Sunnah with sound 'aqeedah and akhlaaq. Maa sha Allah! If he had been neglected in the first palce, who would be the source of his guidance?

The mere fact that a person has some deficiencies in his deen doesn't necessarily remove him from the fold of the sunnah or Islaam. There is need to exercise serious caution in the way we deal with people these days, otherwise, the current fitnah of tabdee' and takfeer will blow beyond our imagination. In any area we think someone or a group of people have issues, we have to keep admonishing them with daleel and avoid screening them out completely in a way that suggests loss of hope. Remember, you are not also perfect, you have your own deficiencies too. So, when you see someone who is afflicted with greater sins, you should pity them, thank Allaah for saving you from what He has afflicted them with and correct affected persons gently with wisdom. Allaah says:

ادْعُ إِلَىٰ سَبِيلِ رَبِّكَ بِالْحِكْمَةِ وَالْمَوْعِظَةِ الْحَسَنَةِ ۖ وَجَادِلْهُم بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ ۚ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَن ضَلَّ عَن سَبِيلِهِ ۖ وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِالْمُهْتَدِينَ

Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good instruction, and argue with them in a way that is best. Indeed, your Lord is most knowing of who has strayed from His way, and He is most knowing of who is [rightly] guided. [Q16:125]

I try to establish good relationship with one of those who taught me Qur'an when I was much more younger than this. As the case of many of our local Mallams, the man is afflicted with different forms of bid'ah and jalabi practices. I do visit him whenever he comes home in order to woo his heart for sunnah and AlhamduliLlaah, he is getting better informed. One day, he was telling me how some people were telling him not to deal with me again because I am a "tableegh". I just laughed saying in my mind "these people don't know the relationship between the tableeghees and the Ahlus Sunnah". He said he told them that they should keep their mouth shut, that I am the one he always see if he has any problem. He said none of them comes to his aid whenever he calls them, and they are telling him not to deal with me again. I can still remember when he said:

"Haaji Abdullateef, ma da won lohun jare, nkan to ba wu e loo pada fimi se, gbogbo sunnah yin yen na l'awa na o pada se, esa se suuru fun wa"

[Haaji Abdullateef, don't mind them, you will later convert me to whatever you want, we would later do all those your sunnah, just be patient with us]

This reminds me of the statement of Sheikh Rabee' Ibn Haadee Al-madkhalee حفظه الله that I saw recently. He said:

"The one who is deficient (in some aspects of the deen) we should not belittle him nor ruin him. The one who makes mistakes amongst us, we should not demolish him. May Allah bless you. Rather, we should rectify the situation with gentleness and wisdom and we should approach him with love, concern, and all the praiseworthy mannerisms. We advise him with true advice in order that he returns and repents" [See Majmoo' Khutub wa Rasaail, Vol. 1, pag 481

May Allah guide us aright.

26th Safar, 1439 (15/11/17)