CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CALLED-1

KEEP OBJECTIVES FOREMOST:-

Conversion or Clear Communication?
Before entering into our main topic, I would like to make three introductory remarks, the
first of which is that we have to keep in mind that our primary objective in da‘wah is not
to convert the individual whom we are inviting. Conversion is in the hands of Almighty
Allaah. He said in the Qur’aan:

“Indeed you cannot guide whom you love, but Allah guides whom He wills.”
(Soorah al-Qasas, 28: 56)
Our job is the same one that was given to all the prophets and messengers, and given to
the Prophet Muhammad (r). It is to convey the message clearly, as Allaah said:

“The only obligation on the messenger is to give the clear message.”
(Soorah an-Noor, 24: 54)
Therefore, we have to constantly remind ourselves whenever we are in a discussion with
an individual or giving a lecture to a group, that we are not there to win the argument or
the debate. Our goal is to make sure they properly understand the true message of Islaam
in its pristine purity. It may be impossible to convince them in an hour or a day to change
the course of their whole life, but at least they should understand the reality of what you
are calling to, the Oneness of Allaah, the finality of Muhammad’s (r) prophethood, the
certainty of the Day of Judgment, etc. Therefore, what is most important regarding those
being called to Islaam is that the message should be crystal clear.

Listen Before You Speak:

The second point is that we should strive to listen before we speak, to understand the
other party and the other side, before we explain our points of view. If we care about the
person that we are giving da‘wah to and if we care whether they receive this message or
not, then we should take care to listen to them. Many times when we are in a da‘wah
situation, we are more interested in getting our point of view across than in hearing their
opinions. Either because we have already heard their arguments before, and or we know
their opinions are wrong anyway, so what is the point in listening to them? “Jesus is not
the son of God because of reasons one, two, three, four, and five. Furthermore, the Bible
says this and the Qur’aan says that, and this Christian scholar said this and Paul said that,
etc., etc.” But the person you are telling that may not be interested in it because he does
not believe that Jesus is literally the son of God, or he or she may be interested in some
other issue. They may have some confusion about formal prayers in Islaam, why
Muslims have to pray five times a day? So, we should take some time out and listen to
1 This chapter was delivered as a lecture by Ubayd Qadhi and edited by Dr Bilal Philips.
the person before we begin our discussion, and allow further time during the discussion
listen to them.
Put Yourself in the Other Person’s Shoes:-

The third and final point is to put ourselves in their shoes. After discussions, people
generally do not remember what was actually said, the particular words that were used,
the precise issues which were discussed, but how it was said, they way the words were
used and the issues presented. They do not really remember what we say, yet we spend so
much time bringing points and explaining proofs, because this is the style we have
developed in learning Islaam. Consequently, we want to use texts from the Qur’aan and
hadeeth to prove our points. However, if we stop and think for a moment, we know that
most of the non-Muslims whom we give da‘wah to do not understand this style of
speaking. They do not understand, “Allaah said,” “The Messenger (r) said,” “The
Companions said,” “Shaykh so and so said,” etc.” They do not understand this type of
terminology, nor its significance. So, we should put ourselves in their shoes and be gentle
with them. We should try to be conscious of the impression we are giving them.
Let us try our level best to keep these three critical points in the back of our minds
whenever we are in a discussion with somebody else.

READING THE SITUATION:-

When you find yourself in a situation, you have to read that situation in a way similar to
the way you read a book. When you enter a room and find yourself in front of a group of
people, or you go to a shopping center and you see somebody interested in Islaam, you
have to read that situation carefully before making any statements. Meaning, you have to
be conscious of the unique elements of the situation and tailor your approach accordingly.
We must be conscious of two main things: first the environment, and second the actual
individual.
TIMING-THE MOST VALUABLE THING:-

When it comes to the environment, the first thing to be remembered is the timing, finding
the appropriate time. Is it a suitable time to talk about this subject or not? The Prophet
(r) used to select certain times to give his lectures. On one occasion one of ‘Abdullaah
ibn Mas‘ood’s students came to him and said: “We love your lectures and sermons.
Please give us more!” as he only used to give one lecture a week. He replied: “I wish that
I could give more. The only thing that prevents me is the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad
(r). He used to take care of us in giving sermons by selecting a suitable time, so that we
would not become bored.”2 From this incident we can see that the Messenger (r) knew
the characteristics of the called better than they knew themselves. People, in their
enthusiasm and excitement, usually want more lectures in the beginning of any new

2 Sahih Al-Bukhari, vol. 1, no. 68. Ibn ‘Abbaas also said, “Lecture the people once per week, if you must,
then twice, and if you must be frequent then thrice. But, do not make the people bored of this Qur’aan. Do
not let me catch you going to people when they are in conversation, and you relate some story to them, cut
their conversation and make them bored. Instead be silent and if they request that you speak to them, talk to
them while they desire it. And beware of rhyming supplications and avoid them, for I was used to the
Prophet () and his companions not doing that.” (Fat’h al-Baaree, vol. 11, no. 6337, p. 151 [Kitaab ad-
Da’awaat, Baab: Maa Yukrahu minas-Saja‘).
program. However, the reality is that if you give too much or you speak for too long, they
will eventually become bored. It is the nature of human beings to become lazy with time.
Thus, the common saying “Familiarity breeds contempt.” Yes, there will be a few who
are keen and will remain enthusiastic due to their sincerity and high level of commitment.
However, in such cases, we have to consider the norm and not the exceptions.
Consequently, we have to consider our timing. We must ask ourselves, “Is this the right
time? Am I giving them too much?” In another hadeeth, the Prophet (r) said, “Among
the signs of an individual’s understanding of his religion is the length of his prayer and
the shortness of his speech.” Therefore, we have to think about the length of our
discussion, to insure that it is not too long, and we also have to think about the time we
wish to engage in discussion, to insure that it is not at an inappropriate time. So read the
environment, look around you. If you are in a busy market place, is it a suitable time to
talk about the reality death, will you get your point across concerning punishment of the
grave when everything around him is reminding him of the material world? Perhaps
another topic would be more appropriate, or if you need to talk about reality, then take
him alone in a room and have that discussion.

AUDIANCE:-

The second principle governing the environment is the audience. We have to read the
audience as we read the circumstances and the situations. Are we talking to a group or an
individual? There is a difference. Remember that when you are in a group of people you
cannot convince them. Look at the example of as’haabul qaryah (People of the Village),
mentioned in Soorah Yaaseen. Allaah, Most High, sent a messenger to the village, and
village people rejected him. Then he sent another messenger, and they also rejected him.
The scholars of Tafseer say that they imprisoned them and tortured them. So, Allaah sent
a third messenger to support them against this group, but still they would not listen.
Later, Almighty Allaah said:
\
“A man came running from the farthest corner of the village, [saying], ‘O my people
follow the messengers!’ ” (Soorah Yaaseen, 36: 20)

“Follow those who do not ask any reward from you, and they are rightly guided.”
(36: 21)

“And what is wrong with me that I do not worship the One who created me and to
Him I return.” (36: 22)

The story continues, with another person from the village who accepted the message
trying to convince the villagers. Although he used logic and emotion to convince them,
they remain unconvinced because they were a group. The scholars say that he was killed
and he has his reward with Allaah Almighty.

“He said: ‘If only my people knew that my Lord has forgiven me and put me
among the honored.” (36: 26-7)

The point here is that there is a difference when you are talking to a group and
when you’re talking to an individual. This is why Allaah Most High advises humankind:

“I advise you with one thing to stand before Allah alone or in pairs and reflect.”
(Soorah Saba, 34: 46)

If you really want to convince someone about something, you need to talk to them one on
one or maybe two. Once I went to a church, and I began addressing my audience about
Tawheed and the realities of Laa ilaaha illallaah. After the talk, I realized from their
questions that they were not interested in Tawheed. No one asked any questions about
Tawheed, instead all their questions focused on what Islaam had to say about
homosexuality. And in the course of their questions I came to realize that I was in a
homosexual church and the members of my audience were mostly homosexuals and
lesbians. Consequently, the time was not appropriate for the subject of my lecture. I was
giving them the message of Tawheed and they were interested in what Islaam says about
homosexuality. However, once I have read the audience and found myself in a group of
homosexuals, do I tell them that the punishment for homosexuality is death, or should I
inform them that they are to be thrown off the highest mountain? No. This is neither the
appropriate time nor the suitable circumstance. They are in a group, so it is likely that
they will not listen properly. Instead, I gave them a general answer, and after the talk and
the answer session, I went to them and talked to them individually about purity, about
relations with a wife, and about the blessings of having a wife, or a spouse, etc. As
individuals they listened for another hour, but as a group they just wanted a quick answer
then they left. So we have to carefully read the situation and determine if our topic is
suitable for a group of people or if it is more appropriate for individuals.

LOCATION:-

The third thing is to look at is your location. For example, Mount Safaa in the time of the
Prophet (r) was used for announcements. So the Prophet (r) went there to make his
point. He chose that particular location because he knew the people he was inviting to
Islaam. He knew their nature and characteristics, so he chose Mount Safaa. He climbed
up to its summit and addressed his people saying: “O people of Quraysh, if I were to tell
you there was an army behind this hill would you listen to me?” He used his location to
make his point.
As one calling to Islaam must choose the most suitable time to address a given
audience, he or she must also choose the most suitable location. The location may be a
public hall, a university auditorium, a school classroom, a mosque, an Islamic center’s
hall, etc., or it may be a restaurant, a coffee shop, a park, the beach, out on the desert, etc.
One must choose the appropriate location for the type of message one intends to deliver.
What may be said over lunch in a restaurant may not be suitable for a university
auditorium and vise versa.

INDIVIDUAL:-

Demographics
Almighty Allaah said:

“I did not send any messenger except that he spoke the language of his people to
explain to them.” (Soorah Ibraaheem, 14: 4)
There is great wisdom in this principle. In general, the best person to talk to
people is one who shares a similar background with them. I, as an American, understand
the American society and culture in general, but, because I am descended from Indo-
Pakistani emigrants to America, I know that I have limitations in addressing certain
American audiences. It is better to get a reverted or converted Muslim from America to
go give certain talks. Similarly, here in Qatar there is a wide mixture of people. Although
it is good to give da‘wah to any and everybody, we should know our limitations. At
times, some people would only feel comfortable to listen to certain things from somebody
of the same background. Someone from Philippines or one who has visited Philippines
and has intimate knowledge of their culture can make their talks more effective and
relevant to a Filipino audience by giving local examples. Similarly, someone from
England, or from Germany, etc. will likely have a greater impact on Brits and Germans,
respectively. Their impact may be far greater than a very knowledgeable foreigner.
There are three elements that we must keep in mind when giving da‘wah:
Islaamic knowledge of the Qur’aan and the Sunnah is one element you may use to talk to
somebody. However, a great scholar quoting Allaah and His Messenger (r) not touch
the heart of the person being called. Besides knowledge, one needs a degree of
eloquence. Evidences and proofs are important, but for them to reach the audience, you
need to have a good speaking manner. Even if you can quote the whole of Saheeh al-
Bukhaaree, you still may not reach that person unless you can speak to them in an
eloquent manner. The Prophet (r) was given jawaami‘ul-kalim (concise effective
speech), to convey his message. However, even that is not enough, you also need to build
relationships and that is where it becomes important to get someone from the same
background as the person being called. To build a relationship with somebody, you have
to have some common background. Perhaps you do not come from the same culture, but
you speak their language or you work in the same profession. Wisdom becomes manifest
when you are able to link your knowledge to eloquence in speech and your ability to
build relationships. That is true wisdom.
                                                                                                          SOURCE:- DR. BILAL PHILIP                                               ,                                                                                                                               BOOK OF DAWAH