Creed | Worship | Character | Tazkiyaa | Innovation

The Correct Methodology in Giving Da'wah
by Shaykh 'Abdul 'Azeez ibn 'Abdullaah ibn Baaz
Translated by Bint Feroz Deen & Bint 'Abd al-Ghafoor
"Words of Advice Regarding Da'wah"
© Copyright 1998 Al-Hidaayah Publishing and Distribution

Nothing will rectify the latter part of this Ummah except that which rectified it's former part; this is what the people of knowledge and faith have said. Amongst them is the well known Imaam Maalik bin Anas, the imaam of Medina in his time, and a well known jurist. He was one of the four imaams who made this statement. The people of knowledge during his time as well as after him, all agreed upon and accepted it. "The end of this Ummah will not be corrected except by that which corrected its first part".

 

Meaning that, that which rectified the early generations of Muslims i.e. following the book of Allaah and the Sunnah of the noble Messenger (ﷺ), is what will rectify the generations after him until the Day of Resurrection.

 

Whoever wishes to reform the Islamic society or any other society in this world by using other means besides the ones used to rectify the first generations, then he is in manifest error and is far from the truth. As there is no other way besides the way of the early generations.

 

Indeed the way towards reforming the people and establishing them on the correct path is by following the path which our Prophet (ﷺ) and his Companions, radiyallaahu 'anhum, were upon and then those who have followed them in righteousness until this day. This path is the path of adhering to the great Qur'aan and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allaah (ﷺ), calling the people to both of them and studying their laws; by spreading the Qur'aan and the Sunnah amongst the people, upon knowledge and deep understanding (baseerah), and by clarifying what these sources of revelation teach us about the correct basic 'aqeedah.

 

It is common knowledge that the ways in which the Islamic and non-Islamic societies can be reformed, are only through those which were employed by the leader of the Messengers, the seal of the Prophets Muhammad (ﷺ). His noble Companions employed these ways, who were headed by the rightly guided Caliphs; Aboo Bakr as-Siddeeq, 'Umar al-Faarooq, 'Uthmaan Dhun-Nurayn, 'Alee ibn Abee Taalib Abul-Hasan al-Murtada and then those who were with them. May we become from amongst those who follow them in righteousness.

 

Every innovation, misguidance and methodology (minhaaj) that contradicts that law of Allaah, must be discarded. Everyone must follow the minhaaj (methodology) that the Messenger of Allaah (ﷺ) was upon in his life time, then his Companions, radiyallaahu 'anhum, after that, and the rightly guided Caliphs who followed him  (ﷺ) and the rightly guided Imaams and the righteous predecessors who followed them. They were all upon the correct methodology and the siraat al-mustaqeem (the straight path).

 

This is the methodology that everyone must take hold of and cling on to, be steadfast upon and call people towards, and anything which the people have introduced into the deen which contradicts this must be discarded and rejected.