The Correct Manner of Calling to Allāh (Part 5) – Shaykh Rabīʿ bin Hādī ‘Umayr al-Madkhali

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

This is a continuation of the series on “The Correct Manner of Calling to Allāh” by Imām Shaykh Rabīʿ bin Hādī ʿUmayr al-Madkhali (ḥafiẓahullāh). Read Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4.

Part 5:

وَقَالَ إِنَّنِى مِنَ ٱلْمُسْلِمِينَ

“And says: Indeed, I am one of the Muslims.” [Fussilat: 33]

Meaning, I am one of this group that has submitted, surrendered and yielded to Allāh, the Most High. Thus, he does not differ from this group, separate from it, oppose it or deviate from it.

I am one of the Muslims in heart and soul, in Daʿwah and Manhaj. I am one of those who have submitted and yielded to Allāh, the Most High, and not one of those who are Muslims in name only, without being Muslims in reality.

Those who submit and yield to Allāh, the Most High, and follow His Messengers in their beliefs, methodologies and manners—this is the type of Muslim who submits himself to Allāh. He does not submit to anyone other than Allāh, nor does he yield except to Allāh, His Messenger ﷺ and that which he came with.

Responding to Evil with That Which Is Better

وَلَا تَسْتَوِى ٱلْحَسَنَةُ وَلَا ٱلسَّيِّئَةُ ۚ ٱدْفَعْ بِٱلَّتِى هِىَ أَحْسَنُ

“The good deed and the evil deed are not equal. Repel (the evil) with that which is better.” [Fussilat: 34]

This is an important lesson in moral conduct. How different good and evil are!

That is, if someone wrongs you, then as a matter of justice, you are entitled to take your right. However, out of virtue and for the sake of this Daʿwah, you should adorn yourself with forbearance and patience, forgive and overlook, and neither seek revenge nor retaliate.

Do not respond to evil with evil; rather, respond to evil with that which is better. Be good to him, for this will have a very positive effect on the heart and mind of the person who wronged you.

How much harm the caller to Allāh will encounter! If he fortifies himself with patience, forbearance, pardon and noble manners, then these are the qualities required by Daʿwah, and it is through them that Daʿwah efforts succeed.

The Effects of Responding to Evil with Good

فَإِذَا ٱلَّذِى بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَهُۥ عَدَٰوَةٌ كَأَنَّهُۥ وَلِىٌّ حَمِيمٌ

“Then the one between whom and you there was enmity will become as though he were a close friend.” [Fussilat: 34]

Suddenly, the effects of this kindness cause him to change.

It was narrated to me that there was a caller who resembled Ibn Taymiyyah in intelligence, knowledge and memorisation. Thousands of disbelievers entered Islam through him. He was someone who never retaliated against anyone. He would respond to harm with goodness.

It was even said that a wicked person once came to him and struck him on the head with a pickaxe until he was almost dead. He lost consciousness due to the beating he received.

Then the authorities came, apprehended this offender and placed him in prison. This occurred while the caller was unconscious.

When he regained consciousness, the first person he asked about was the one who had beaten him, and where he had been taken.

The people said to him, “They have taken him to prison.”

The caller replied, “Never! I am not content for him to remain imprisoned.”

He requested that the man be released from prison. However, the authorities refused to release him.

Consequently, the caller continued spending money on the offender’s family until he was released from prison.

Upon his release, the offender went directly to the caller, embraced his Daʿwah and became one of his finest followers!

Therefore, the callers to Allāh, the Blessed and Most High, must adorn themselves with these noble qualities.

Patience and Noble Manners in Daʿwah

وَمَا يُلَقَّىٰهَآ إِلَّا ٱلَّذِينَ صَبَرُوا۟ وَمَا يُلَقَّىٰهَآ إِلَّا ذُو حَظٍّ عَظِيمٍ

“But none is granted it except those who are patient, and none is granted it except one who possesses a great portion (of good).” [Fussilat: 35]

No one is granted success in attaining these noble qualities except those who are patient: calling to Allāh, exercising patience, pardoning others, showing forbearance, refraining from seeking revenge, and responding to an evil deed with good—with that which is better, not merely with good, but with that which is better—so that these excellent efforts come to fruition.

فَإِذَا ٱلَّذِى بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَهُۥ عَدَٰوَةٌ كَأَنَّهُۥ وَلِىٌّ حَمِيمٌ

Then Allāh explained that those who possess these manners are the people of patience, and they possess a great share of good with Allāh, the Blessed and Most High.

Therefore, these are among the methods of Daʿwah.

The Salafi Daʿwah and the Unity of the Muslim Ummah

Among the successful methods and means of Daʿwah employed by the callers to Allāh are knowledge, patience, affiliation with Islam, and being eager to unite the Muslims.

People accuse the Salafi Daʿwah of causing division.

By Allāh, I do not know of any Daʿwah among the various movements present today that can compare with the Salafi methodology in this regard.

I do not find any Daʿwah more eager than the Salafi Daʿwah to see the entire Ummah become one Ummah, with all Muslims submitting to Allāh, the Most High.

For this reason, they call to holding firmly to the Rope of Allāh and returning to the Book of Allāh and the Sunnah of His Messenger ﷺ.

In contrast, others besides them do not possess this same commitment. Thus, implicitly, even if they do not openly declare it, they approve of these differences, conflicts, divisions and fragmentation within the Ummah.

Whereas the Salafi Daʿwah does not approve of any of this whatsoever. It rejects this division and calls upon all Muslims to hold firmly to the Rope of Allāh and return to the true religion of Allāh, which He revealed to them.

Due to their departure from many of the fundamental principles, subsidiary matters and texts of this religion, humiliation and disgrace descended upon them. This is something witnessed and well known to every person of intellect and insight.

The adherents of the Salafi methodology understand that Allāh will not remove from this Ummah the humiliation and disgrace under which it lives until it returns to the Book of Allāh and the Sunnah of His Messenger ﷺ.

The Prophetic Narration Concerning Humiliation

إِذَا تَبَايَعْتُمْ بِالْعِينَةِ، وَأَخَذْتُمْ أَذْنَابَ الْبَقَرِ، وَرَضِيتُمْ بِالزَّرْعِ، وَتَرَكْتُمُ الْجِهَادَ، سَلَّطَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْكُمْ ذُلًّا لَا يَنْزِعُهُ حَتَّى تَرْجِعُوا إِلَى دِينِكُمْ

“If you engage in ʿīnah transactions, take hold of the tails of cattle, become content with agriculture, and abandon jihād, Allāh will impose upon you humiliation which He will not remove until you return to your religion.”⁽¹⁾

We believe in Allāh, and we affirm the truthfulness of the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ.

We call upon all Muslims to believe in all the Qur’ānic and Prophetic texts, to give these Prophetic texts great importance and the utmost consideration, and to be firmly convinced, in the depths of their souls, that all these slogans, approaches and proposed solutions can neither resolve the problems of the Muslims nor remove the humiliation that weighs upon their hearts.

This humiliation that weighs upon the hearts of the Muslims cannot be removed except through one matter—and it is a matter that is easy for whomever Allāh makes it easy for: returning to that which the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ and his Companions, may Allāh be pleased with them, were upon, namely, the Qur’ān and the Sunnah.

Have we understood?!

“Allāh has imposed humiliation upon you, and He will not remove it from you until you return to your religion.”

It is impossible for this humiliation to be removed from this Ummah through any other means.

Even if all the powers of the world were to unite to remove this humiliation from the Muslims, they would be unable to do so.

How could that be, when all the powers of the world are uniting to inflict humiliation and disgrace upon this Ummah?!

There is only one thing that can remove this humiliation from the Muslims: returning to the Book of Allāh, the Most High, and the Sunnah of His Messenger ﷺ; returning to the sound beliefs brought by the Prophets, peace and blessings be upon them; and returning to the correct methodologies brought by this noble Messenger ﷺ, whose Book has authority over all the revealed Books and Messages.

1. Reported by Abū Dāwūd (no. 3462), from Ibn ʿUmar (raḍiyallāhu ʿanhumā); graded ṣaḥīḥ by al-Albānī (raḥimahullāh).