Those who carry the da’wah should not assess the da’wah by their number. Such assessment is absolutely wrong and harmful to the da’wah because it distracts the da’wah carriers from focusing on the society to focusing on the individuals. This will cause the da’wah to slowdown and perhaps cause failure in that place. The reason behind this is that society is not composed of individuals as many people think. Rather the individuals are parts of the group (community). What bonds the individuals in the society are other components such as their thoughts, emotions and systems. The da’wah is carried in order to change the thoughts, emotions and systems. It is collective da’wah and a da’wah taken to the society and not to the individuals. Reforming the individuals is only to make them become part of a group (bloc) that carries the da’wah to the society. Therefore those who carry the da’wah and have a deep understanding of its nature rely on society to carry the da’wah to it. They will consider that reforming the individual will not lead to reform in the society. It will not even guarantee the permanent reform of any individual. Instead, reforming the individual comes through reforming the society, for once the society is reformed, the individual is reformed. Therefore the da’wah should focus its attention to the society at large, following the principle;

“Reform the society, this will lead to reform of the individual constantly.”

The society is similar to water in a large kettle; If anything that causes the temperature to drop is placed beneath the kettle then the water freezes and transforms to ice. Similarly, if corrupted ideologies are introduced into the society then it would freeze in corruption and continue in deterioration and decline. However if a contradictory ideology were introduced into society, then contradictions would appear in it, and the society would struggle with these contradictions and instability will prevail. However if flaming heat was put under the kettle, the water would warm and then boil and effuse an intense stirring vapour. Similarly, if the correct ideology was introduced into the society it would be a flame whose heat would transform the society to boiling point and then to a dynamic force. It then applies the ideology and carries its da’wah to other societies. Although, the transformation of society from one state to the opposite state cannot be noticed just like the transformation of the water in the kettle is not noticed, those who are aware of societies and have confidence that the ideology which they carry is the fire and light which will burn and enlighten, know that society is in a state of transformation and it will definitely reach boiling point and the points of movement and dynamism. Therefore, they give attention to societies (and not number of individuals).

As a matter of fact the place which is suitable to become the support point (nuqTat elirtikaz), cannot be known because it depends on the readiness of the society and not solely on the strength of the da’wah in that place. The Islamic da’wah in Makkah was strong, and although it was the starting point (nuqTat el-ibtidaa) for the da’wah, and was also suitable to become a departure point – where the da’wah launched - yet it was not suitable to become a support point. Rather, it was Madinah which became the support point (nuqTat el-irtikaz) to which the Messenger (saw) migrated after being satisfied with the situation in the society there. There he established the state, which conveyed the strength of the da’wah to the different regions of the Arab peninsula and later on to the different parts of the world.

Accordingly, we can say that the carriers of the da’wah will not know the place which would be suitable as a departure point (nuqTat el-inTilaq), nor that which could become a support point, nor would they be able to identify it, regardless of their intelligence and analysis. Only Allah (swt) is aware of this and therefore the da’wah carriers should depend on one thing only, this is their iman, belief in Allah (swt). Also all their effort should be built only on this belief and not anything else, because the success of the da’wah will be through iman in Allah and nothing else.

The belief in Allah (swt) requires true Tawakkul (dependence) on Him as well as seeking help from Him. Allah (swt) alone knows the secrets and what is hidden, and Allah (swt) is the One Who grants the da’wah carriers success and guides them towards the right path. It is necessary to have strong iman, and complete Tawakkul in Allah as well as the continuous seeking of help from Him. Iman requires that the believer believes in the ideology, that iman in Islam, because it is from Allah (swt). It is necessary that this conviction be firmly established without any doubt, or the smallest possibility of any doubt in it. This is because the smallest doubt in the Islamic ideology will lead to failure. It could even lead to kufr and rebellion, may Allah forbid.

This strong unquestionable iman is an inevitable matter for the da’wah carriers, for it guarantees the continuity of progress of the da’wah in quick and lengthy steps in its right path. This iman makes it obligatory that the da’wah be open and challenges everything, the customs and traditions, the incorrect thoughts and the distorted concepts; challenging even the public opinion if it is wrong, even if it has to struggle against it; challenging the false creeds and the false deens regardless of the stubbornness and bigotry of their adherents. Therefore, the da’wah based on the Islamic ‘aqeedah, is distinguished by frankness, daring, strength, thought and the challenge to everything that disagrees with the Fikrah and the Tareekah and exposing their fallacy, irrespective of the consequences and circumstances and of whether the ideology agrees or disagrees with the masses, and whether the people accept, reject or oppose it. The carrier of the da’wah does not flatter the people, nor compromise with them. He does not praise the ruler or influential people in the society, nor does he court them, rather he adheres to the ideology and to it alone, without giving any account for anything else. This belief mandates that the sovereignty (siyadah) belongs to the ideology, i.e. to Islam alone and not to any other thing, and to consider other ideologies as kufr, no matter how diverse and numerous these ideologies are,

“Lo! The Deen with Allah is Islam.” [TMQ Al-i-Imran:19]

From the Islamic point of view whoever disbelieves in Islam is a kafir. It is absolutely forbidden for the Islamic da’wah carriers to say to those who embrace other than Islam, whether it is a religion or an ideology; “Adhere to your ideology or religion”. Rather, it is necessary to call them to Islam through the hikmah and rational evidences so as to embrace it. This is because the da’wah requires from its carriers to work to ensure the sovereignty for Islam alone. Leaving non-Muslims to what they believe in does not mean acknowledgement of their beliefs and religions, rather it is in response to the order of Allah (swt) Who prohibits forcing peoples to embrace Islam. It is Allah’s order which obliges us to leave the individuals to their creeds, beliefs and rituals, as long as they are restricted to their personal and not public affairs, provided they do not have their own entity within the entity of Islam. Islam does not permit the existence of non-Islamic political parties or bloc formations that are established on any basis contradicting Islam, and it permits parties and structures within the limits of Islam. Belief in the Islamic ideology necessitates that the ideology alone will be sovereign in the society without being associated in that by anything else.

Iman in Islam is different from understanding its rules and legislations. Iman in Islam is established through intellect or through evidences proven by intellect. Therefore there is no room for any doubt. Whereas understanding the rules does not depend on the mind alone but also on knowing the Arabic language, having the ability to make derivations and being able to distinguish authentic ahadith from the weak ahadith. Therefore, the da’awah carriers should consider their understanding of the rules as correct, with the possibility that they may be wrong, while the understanding of other people wrong, with the possibility that they may be correct. This is in order to proceed with the da’wah for Islam and its rules according to their understanding and derivation of them, trying to change the opinions of others which they consider wrong, but could possibly be correct. It is totally incorrect for the da’wah carriers to view their understanding as if it is the opinion of Islam, rather they have to present their opinion as an Islamic opinion. The mujtahids who established the schools of Fiqh (madhabs) used to consider their deduction of the rules as correct, accepting the possibility of it being wrong. Each one of them used to say;

“If a hadith was correct then it will be my mazhab, and don’t consider my opinion.”

Likewise the carriers of the da’wah should also consider their opinions which they adopt or derive from Islam in terms of their understanding of such opinions, as being correct but open to error, but their belief in Islam as an ‘aqeedah must not contain any doubt whatsoever. Such an attitude of the da’wah carriers regarding their understanding is because the da’wah implants in their souls the yearning towards perfection, and mandates them to continuously explore the truth, and scrutinise whatever they know or understand. Such a process will purify their knowledge from any alien idea and remove from it anything which has the potential to be considered part of it if it remains close to it. This is to ensure that their understanding remains sound, the thought deep and consequently the Fikrah remains pure and clear. This is because they will truly be able to perform the da’wah as long as the Fikrah remains pure and clear. Indeed the purity of the Fikrah and the clarity of the Tareeqah are the only guarantee for the success of the da’wah and its continuity.

However da’wah carriers exploring the truth and continuously seeking the correct ideas, does not in any way mean that their understanding is not firmly established. It should rather remain firm, because it emanates from a deep thought that is more firmly established than any other understanding. The da’wah carriers should be aware of their da’wah and of their understanding and cautious not to be diverted from this understanding by others. For this diversion is the most dangerous thing for the da’wah. Therefore, Allah warned His Prophet (saw) of this; He (swt) said to him,

“Beware of them lest they seduce you from some part of that which Allah revealed to you”. [TMQ Al-Maidah:49]

It is reported that Omar (ra) said to his judge ShuraiH when he advised him to look in the Book of Allah (swt), he said to him

“Don’t let the people turn you away from it.”

The da’wah carriers should be aware of any word that contradicts Islam though it may come from an honest person, or any opinion viewed by a person concerned about the da’wah and trying to push for it under the pretext of maslahah even though it contradicts Islam. So they should be aware of this and not allow anybody to deviate them from this. If this happens, then it will be a clear deviation. It is necessary to differentiate between the da’wah to Islam and the da’wah to resume an Islamic way of life, and also to differentiate between the da’wah carried by a group as an Islamic group in an Ummah and the da’wah, which is carried by the Islamic state.

The distinction between the da’wah to Islam and the da’wah to resume the Islamic way of life is to define the objective which the da’awa aims at. The da’wah to Islam is carried to non-Muslims who are invited to embrace Islam and enter its domain. The practical method to invite these people is to be governed by Islam by the Islamic State, so as to see the light of Islam. They’ll be invited to Islam through the manifestation of its creed and its rules so as to appreciate the greatness of Islam. Therefore, it is necessary that the call to Islam be carried by an Islamic state.

Regarding the da’wah to resume the Islamic way of life, it must be carried by a group and not individuals. This da’wah to resume the Islamic way of life is viewed as follows; the society whose individuals by their majority are Muslims but not governed by Islam is a non-Islamic society, i.e. Daar al kufr (land of kufr). The da’wah in this society is carried to establish an Islamic State to implement Islam in it and carries the Islamic da’wah to other societies. This is the case when there is no Islamic State. However if there is an Islamic State that implements Islam completely, the da’wah is carried in that society so that it becomes one of the provinces of the Islamic State, to be governed by Islam through the State and become part of it. So it carries the Islamic da’wah that enables it to become an Islamic society on which the definition of Daar al-Islam (land of Islam) applies. This is because it is not permitted for a Muslim to live in Daar al- Kufr. In case the Daar al-Islam in which they live becomes Daar al-Kufr, they must work to make it Daar al-Islam, or emigrate to Daar al-Islam.

The distinction between the da’wah carried by a group within an Islamic Ummah, and the da’wah carried by an Islamic State is important in order to know the type of action to be undertaken by the da’wah carriers. The da’wah carried by the Islamic State is manifested in practical terms, where the State implements Islam internally and in totality, so that it brings happiness to Muslims and the non-Muslims who live in Daar al-Islam will perceive the light of Islam and embrace it freely and willingly and with consent and confidence. The state carries also the da’wah externally not just by way of publicity and explanation of the rules of Islam, but also by preparing the necessary forces for jihad in the way of Allah, so as to rule the neighbouring territories with Islam. Ruling them in this manner is considered the practical method of the da’wah, and it is the method used by the Messenger (saw), and the Khulafa’a after him until the end of the Islamic State. Carrying the da’wah by the State is the practical aspect of the da’wah internally and externally. Concerning the da’wah carried by a group or a structure, all its actions are limited to the intellectual aspect and not related to any other actions. It takes the intellectual aspect and not the practical aspect. The group carries out what Shar’a has mandated upon it in such situations, until the Islamic State is established, where then the practical aspects start in the state. Thus, da’wah is directed to the Muslims, to understand Islam in order that the Islamic way of life may be resumed and it challenges those who oppose the da’wah using the styles required by the struggle against them.

The life of the Messenger (saw) in Makkah should be taken as a model to follow in the da’wah. The da’wah should first start with understanding and performing all the obligations defined by Islam, as was the case in the House of Al-Arqam. Then those who have studied and understood Islam and sincerely believed in it will move to interact with the Ummah, until the Ummah understands Islam and realises the necessity of establishing the Islamic State. The party bloc should take the initiative by addressing the corruption of the people and challenging them in their erroneous concepts and corrupt opinions. The reality of Islam and the essence of its da’wah then must be demonstrated and explained, so that public awareness about the da’wah is established. The da’wah carriers have to be part of the Ummah and the Ummah must be with them as an indivisible whole so that the Ummah as a whole carries the productive effort under the leadership of the party bloc carrying the da’wah, until they assume the ruling authority and bring the Islamic State into existence. Then the life of the Prophet (saw) in Medinah should be taken as the model to follow in the implementation of Islam and in carrying the da’wah to the world. The Islamic party bloc which carries the da’wah has nothing to do with the practical aspects of Islam, and does not occupy itself with anything other than the da’wah. It considers the involvement in any other action other than the da’wah as a distraction that could paralyse and delay the da’wah. Accordingly the group is absolutely not allowed to engage in any of these actions. The Messenger (saw) used to call for Islam in Makkah when it was full of evil and immorality. He did not undertake any physical actions to remove it. The tyranny and oppression, poverty and need were quite apparent, and it has been narrated he did not perform any action to ease or remove these things. He would pray in the Ka’abah, while the idols were above his head, but he didn’t destroy any of them. All he did was to undermine the Makkans’ gods, belittle their thinking, expose their actions as erroneous and restrict himself to the verbal and intellectual aspects. This is in contrast to when he established the state in Medina and opened Makkah, then he destroyed the idols, removed fisq (viciousness) and fujoor (immorality), abolished oppression and suppression, and poverty and need.

Therefore the party bloc while it carries the da’wah, is not allowed to carry out as a group, any other actions and should limit itself to the Islamic thought and da’wah. The individuals within the group are not prevented from performing what they like of the charitable deeds, but the group does not perform these, since its function is to establish a state that will carry the da’wah.

Though the life of the Messenger (saw) in Makkah has to be taken as the model to follow in the da’wah, one must notice the difference between the people of Makkah in being called to Islam, and the Muslims today in being called to resume the Islamic way of life. The Messenger (saw) used to call the Kuffar to Islam, while the da’wah nowadays is to call Muslims to understand Islam and to act according to it.