obligation upon such a person to exalt Allah's command and His prohibition and not to pay attention to what those who spread rumors claim against truth and its adherents, out of their trust in Allah and their belief in what His Messenger Muhammad and all other messengers (peace be upon all of them) promised as stated in what Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) says:
And those who disbelieved, said to their Messengers: "Surely, we shall drive you out of our land, or you shall return to our religion." So their Lord revealed to them: "Truly, We shall destroy the Zâlimûn (polytheists, disbelievers and wrongdoers).
"And indeed, We shall make you dwell in the land after them. This is for him who fears standing before Me (on the Day of Resurrection or fears My punishment) and also fears My threat."
Thus, the seeker of knowledge, the scholar, the religious guide and the insightful leader do not pay attention to the rumors of the grave worshippers, the rumors of the superstitious ones nor to the rumors of the enemies of those who antagonize Islam from any kind, but will be strong in the battlefield, be patient, connect his heart with Allah, fear Him (Glorified and Exalted be He) and seeks victory from Him (Glorified and Exalted be He), since He is the Provider of victory and He (Glorified and Exalted be He) is the Protector.
O you who believe! If you help (in the cause of) Allâh, He will help you, and make your foothold firm.
and (as for) the believers, it was incumbent upon Us to help (them).
However, this victory is conditioned by abiding by Allah's religion, belief in Him, belief in His Messenger (peace be upon him) and remaining straight on the religion of Allah.
Verily, Allâh will help those who help His (Cause). Truly, Allâh is AllStrong, AllMighty. Those (Muslim rulers) who, if We give them power in the land, (they) enjoin IqamatasSalât [i.e. to perform the five compulsory congregational Salât (prayers) (the males in mosques)], to pay the Zakât and they enjoin AlMa'rûf (i.e. Islâmic Monotheism and all that Islâm orders one to do), and forbid Al Munkar (i.e. disbelief, polytheism and all that Islâm has forbidden) [i.e. they make the Qur'ân as the law of their country in all the spheres of life].
Allâh has promised those among you who believe and do righteous good deeds, that He will certainly grant them succession to (the present rulers) in the land, as He granted it to those before them, and that He will grant them the authority to practise their religion which He has chosen for them (i.e. Islâm). And He will surely give them in exchange a safe security after their fear (provided) they (believers) worship Me and do not associate anything (in worship) with Me.
This is His (Glorified and Exalted be He) promise for those who remain straight on faith, guidance and righteous acts that He will grant them succession to the present rulers in the land, will grant them the authority to practice their religion, will give them safe security and will protect them from the evil of the enemies and from their plots and will support them against those enemies.
Implementation of the testimony that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah requires magnifying his Sunnah, inviting people to it, achieving its purposes, warning against what opposes it and explaining what might be ambiguous of the Qur'anic verses through it, since the Qur'an is interpreted and explained by the Sunnah. The Sunnah explains the Qur'an, manifests it, refers people to it and expresses it as He (Glorified and Exalted be He) says:
And We have also sent down unto you (O Muhammad ﺻﻠﻰ ﺍﷲ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻭ ﺳﻠﻢ) the Dhikr [reminder and the advice (i.e. the Qur'ân)], that you may explain clearly to men what is sent down to them, and that they may give thought.
This great foundation should be the starting point for the sincere callers to Islam and the reformers on earth who want to reform the society and lead it to the shore of safety and to the ship of salvation, so that this reform will be founded on the greatest factor; namely, sincerity to Allah in worship and belief in His Messenger (peace be upon him) and the magnification of His command and prohibition by following His legislation and being cautious of what opposes them.
Thereafter, other factors following this foundation should be considered, and thus, one should invite to the performance of Allah's obligations such as Salah (Prayer), Zakah (obligatory charity), Sawm (Fast), Hajj, and other obligations, and prohibit people from violating the prohibitions ordained by Allah such as Shirk (associating others with Allah in His Divinity or worship) and other sins and evils. Moreover, one should endeavor to bring reconciliation among people by the propagation of virtue and prevention of vice, inviting people to Allah, reconciling any two fighting parties in addition to other good acts.
Therefore, one exerts every possible effort to establish the religion of Allah on His land, to set aside Allah's prohibitions, to stop at the limits set by Allah and to be cautious of committing Bid`ah (innovation in religion). This should be the way of the reformer that he should consider the factors, one by one, along with paying attention to the strong foundation; namely, the implementation of bearing witness that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah with knowledge and action, and therefore, he teaches it to people and acts according to it himself. Accordingly, one should stick clearly to Tawhid, directs his worship to Him and follows His legislation as practiced by the Messenger of Allah Muhammad (peace be upon him). Thus, one receives the Sunnah and magnifies it as it was magnified by the Companions and follows its way and acts according to it along with the Book of Allah as the Companions did, because the knowledge of the Companions had been taken from the Book of Allah and from the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace be upon him). They did not have other books, because such books were compiled after them.
As for the Companions and their followers, their biography and actions relied on the Great Book of Allah. They used to reflect on it and read it with good intentions, the intention of gaining knowledge, benefiting from it and acting according to it teachings. They also used to learn from the Sunnah, study and memorize it and take knowledge and actions from it.
That was the way of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), and that was the way of those who have followed them in piety and righteousness before the existence of the books of Hadith and other books.
Therefore, follow the same track of those people and deduce from the Book of your Lord and from the Sunnah of His messenger (peace be upon him) and from the opinions of the people of knowledge what will help you understand the Book of Allah and the sound understanding of the Sunnah. Be careful to gain knowledge and understanding of the religion in order to be able to guide the community to the straight path, to take it to the shore of safety and to learn how to act. Thus, you will start by yourself and you will do your best to correct your way of life and your hastening to goodness. In order to achieve this, you should be with the first people in performing Salah, with the first to do good deeds and to be the farthest one from every kind of evil. You should apply the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace be upon him) in your actions and your sayings along with your colleagues, your brothers and your supporters.
This should be the way of the believer as it was the way of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with all of them), the way of their followers and those who had followed them from among the reformers and the Imams of guidance. They used to study
the Book of Allah, act according to it, read it to them, teach it to them and guide them to its meanings. They also used to teach them the Sunnah, urge them to abide by it and understand it, commend them to magnify the commands of Allah and His prohibitions and to stop at the limits set by Allah and His Messenger their entire life in this immediate (worldly life).
Thus, every factor of reform requires sincerity and truthfulness. Calling people to Tawhid requires sincerity, truthfulness and explaining the meaning of: "La ilaha illa Allah (there is no deity but Allah) and that it means: None truly deserves worship but Allah and that it is an obligation to be cautious of Shirk, the minor of it and the major of it and to warn people against it as the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and the Companions (may Allah be pleased with all of them and they may be pleased with Him) did.
By reflecting on the Magnificent Qur'an, this concept will be more clear. By the same token, glorifying the Sunnah and calling people to it in addition to the belief that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, that it is an obligation to follow him and that Allah sent him to all people, Arabs and nonArabs, Jinn and Mankind, male and female, and therefore, it is incumbent upon all people on earth to follow him (peace be upon him) as Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) says:
Say (O Muhammad ﺻﻠﻰ ﺍﷲ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻭﺳﻠﻢ): "O mankind! Verily, I am sent to you all as the Messenger of Allâh to Whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth. Lâ ilâha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He). It is He Who gives life and causes death. So believe in Allâh and His Messenger (Muhammad ﺻﻠﻰ ﺍﷲ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻭﺳﻠﻢ), the Prophet who can neither read nor write (i.e. Muhammad ﺻـﻠﻰ ﺍﷲ ﻋﻠﻴـﻪ ﻭﺳـﻠﻢ), who believes in Allâh and His Words [(this Qur'ân), the Taurât (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel) and also Allâh's Word: "Be!" and he was, i.e. 'Isâ (Jesus) son of Maryam (Mary), ﻋﻠﻴﻬﻤﺎ ﺍﻟﺴﻼﻡ], and follow him so that you may be guided."
So those who believe in him (Muhammad ﺻﻠﻰ ﺍﷲ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻭﺳﻠﻢ), honour him, help him, and follow the light (the Qur'ân) which has been sent down with him, it is they who will be successful.
Thus, whoever follows the Prophet (peace be upon him), magnifies his command, and avoids what he prohibits, is the successful person, and whoever turns away from that and follows his desires and Satan, then he is the loser and the destroyed. There is neither might nor power except with Allah!
It is to be noted that factors vary in accordance with what you call to and prohibit from, and therefore, you should exert your efforts in choosing the factor which befits your action. You should choose the legal factor, the origin of which is known to you and that whose source in the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) is known to you. Keep in mind that you invite people to the religion of
Allah, to the performance of His obligations, and to stay away from the prohibitions of Allah in accordance with the way followed by the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).
It is to be borne in mind that factors and societies are different from each other. Thus, the society which fights against the religion and that in which there is no leader to help you in reform and guidance, you should act in it as the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) acted in Makkah. Invite people to Allah with good admonition, in a good way and with good words so that what you invite people to will penetrate the hearts and will affect them, and thus, hearts will be attracted to obeying Allah and His Tawhid. Cooperate with your brothers and with those who follow in your tracks in inviting people and guiding them with the easy ways in the societies which might accept your invitation so that faith will be strengthened in the hearts and will spread among people with its clear evidence.
On the other hand, in the Islamic society and with the existence of the Muslim leader who helps you, you should be more active in enjoining what is right, forbidding what is wrong and contacting the officials whenever there are stubborn people whose stubbornness might affect the society. In addition to that, you should be following the straight path with kindness, wisdom and patience as He (Glorified and Exalted be He) says:
Except those who believe (in Islâmic Monotheism) and do righteous
good deeds, and recommend one another to the truth [i.e. order one another to perform all kinds of good deeds (AlMa'ruf) which Allâh has ordained, and abstain from all kinds of sins and evil deeds (AlMunkar which Allâh has forbidden], and recommend one another to patience (for the sufferings, harms, and injuries which one may encounter in Allâh's Cause during preaching His religion of Islâmic Monotheism or Jihâd).
Therefore, there has to be patience, advising each other with truth and inviting people to the religion of Islam in order to succeed in your task. By the same token, the officials and those of high positions whose evil might affect inviting people to the religion of Allah, should be advised in a good way and should be guided. They should be invited in writing and verbally from the nobles of the Ummah (nation based on creed), its rulers, leaders and Emirs, as He (Glorified and Exalted be He) says: And by the Mercy of Allâh, you dealt with them gently. And had you been severe and harshhearted, they would have broken away from about you He (Glorified and Exalted be He) said to His prophets Musa (Moses) and Harun (Aaron) (peace be upon them) when He sent them to Pharaoh: "And speak to him mildly, perhaps he may accept admonition or fear (Allâh)."
Therefore, it is the obligation of reformers and those inviting to the religion of Allah to follow this path, tackle society's problems with wisdom and good admonition, and address everyone in the way suitable for him in order to succeed in their missions and achieve their purpose.
Moreover, the one inviting others to the religion of Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) who want to achieve reform to consider two other factors in addition to the two factors previously mentioned. These two factors are the factor of mutual advice between one and his brothers, his colleagues, the nobles of his society and its leaders, and the factor of patience for what might happen to him of harm from the nobles and others, following the meaning of the abovementioned Surah; namely, His (Glorified and Exalted be He) saying: By A l' Asr (the time). Verily, man is in loss, Except those who believe (in Islâmic Monotheism) and do righteous good deeds, and recommend one another to the truth [i.e. order one another to perform all kinds of good deeds (AlMa'ruf) which Allâh has ordained, and abstain from all kinds of sins and evil deeds (AlMunkar which Allâh has forbidden], and recommend one another to patience (for the sufferings, harms, and injuries which one may encounter in Allâh's Cause during preaching His religion of Islâmic Monotheism or Jihâd).
This is also in order to follow the example of the honored messengers (peace be upon all of them) as Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) says to His Prophet (peace be upon him) atthe end of Surah Al Ahqaf,which was revealed in Makkah: Therefore be patient (O Muhammad ﺻﻠﻰ ﺍﷲ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻭﺳﻠﻢ) as did the Messengers of strong will and be in no haste about them (disbelievers). He (Glorified and Exalted be He) also says inSurah Al`Imran,which was revealed in AlMadinah: You shall certainly be tried and tested in your wealth and properties and in your personal selves, and you shall certainly hear much that will grieve you from those who received the Scripture before you (Jews and Christians) and from those who ascribe partners to Allâh; but if you persevere patiently, and become AlMuttaqûn (the pious See V.2:2) then verily, that will be a determining factor in all affairs (and that is from the great matters which you must hold on with all your efforts). In this Surah, He (Glorified and Exalted be He) says after He prohibited taking the Mushriks (those who associate others with Allah in His Divinity or worship) as mates: But if you remain patient and become AlMuttaqûn [the pious See V.2:2], not the least harm will their cunning do to you. Surely, Allâh surrounds all that they do. He (Glorified and Exalted be He) also says at the endof Surah AnNahl,which was revealed in Makkah too: And endure you patiently (O Muhammad ﺻﻠﻰ ﺍﷲ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻭ ﺳﻠﻢ), your patience is not but from Allâh. And grieve not over them (polytheists and pagans), and be not distressed because of what they plot. Truly, Allâh is with those who fear Him (keep their duty unto Him), and those who are Muhsinûn (gooddoers. See the footenote of V.9:120).
There are many Ayahs (Qur'anic verses) supporting this meaning. Every one of the Du`ah (callers to Islam) and the reformers, who follow the way of the messengers, succeed in their invitations and won the good result and victory against their enemies. Whoever fathoms this way and studies the stories of the reformers and their biography, will know the reality of that.
In conclusion, I ask Allah with His Best Names and His High Attributes to reform the affairs of Muslims, grant them a sound understanding of the religion, guide their leaders to every kind of goodness, straighten their retinues, and protect all Muslims everywhere from the misleading tribulations and from the obedience to Satan. Indeed, He is the Grantor of all this and the One Able to do it. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions!