PREACHING AND CORRECTING PEOPLE WITH PATIENCE

By

Abu Imrān

When we talk about being gentle and calm and using a soft approach to online da'wah, some people say we are courting people's likes and comments and seeking facebook fame. Wallahi the number of students in just one level in just a course I have to teach is more than the average number of likes and comments in my posts. If I want their attention I will fix a test for them and get all their attention!

Yesterday I saw a brother make a post that appeared to place a curse on females who wouldn't take their pictures off facebook perhaps because he repeatedly admonished them without result. My simple question to him was if he had been the one the people of taa'if stoned, what then would he have done? What happened to praying for them?

Being gentle and humble in da'wah doesn't necessarily mean shying away from the truth, or distorting it. The manner and language in which the truth is conveyed matters. I have never seen any beauty in harshness and uncouth behaviour.

As a matter of fact, Facebook is a random audience where you have no idea the psychological state of those who would read your post. They may be at the tipping point where your post would be all that would make a difference, and you go about it with fire and brimstone, pushing him/her off the cliff. Some of us need redress!

We can't all be preachers. If you can't make Islam attractive, at least do not make it repulsive!