Islaam is not just there for amusement and pleasantries. Part of our obligation, the blessing of Islaam, and being grateful for the blessing of Islaam is to become supporters of the Messenger of Allaah pbuh and the message of Islaam.
We have nothing to be ashamed about. We are telling people to follow the most amazing person to step foot on this earth. Muhammad Peace Be Upon Him.
Laa yasalukum ajran
The Messenger of Allaah pbuh did not have any ulterior motives or agenda. For example, he pbuh would give away personal gifts. We should help people for the sake of helping them. For the sake of pleasing Allaah.
Muhtadun
Next, we should be proper, good, effective presenters of Islaam. Our lives should show that we have guidance. We can't just keep speaking or writing, we have to live it eventually. The primary means of da'wah will always be our behaviour and interactions with people. One of the biggest problems today for those coming into religion is seeing religiously active individuals saying one thing, claiming to represent one thing, but their personal life, business life, and self-conductance are not lived in accordance.
Speak about one's own self
Come down to speak to people at their level. Don't speak downwards to people. Empathize with people. The best one in speech is the one who relates himself to people (41, 33)
ومن أحسن قولا ممن دعا إلى الله وعمل صالحا وقال إنني من المسلمين
And who is better in speech than one who invites to Allaah and does righteousness and says, "Indeed, I am only one among the Muslims."
The khatib, imaam, and scholar are just muslims at the end of the day.
Reflection
Give people something real to think about. Where will we return after this life?
Relevance to the recipients
Talk to people about something they understand and can relate to.
Firm in faith
At the end of the day, our da'wah requires us to be very clear and confident in what we believe in.
These are the major guidances from this surah. The messengers have come and done their job. This man could have thought what more he could have done if the townspeople were not listening to messengers? Did he, though? Of course not! What about the Companions? They were carriers of the message and spread it to people with the etiquettes and guidance taught to them by the Messenger of Allaah pbuh and presented to us in this passage.
Ayah 26:
قيل ادخل الجنة قال يا ليت قومي يعلمون
Qeelad khulil Jannnah qaala yaa laita qawmee ya'lamoon
It was said, "Enter Paradise." he said, "I wish my people could know."
There is a consensus among the mufassirun. When the Qur'aan describes to us a situation, tells us a narrative, it doesn't tell us step by step everything that has occurred. When this man spoke up and stated his faith to his own people, it seemed to them as if one of their own had confronted them.
These townspeople responded as people in such a situation usually do. The scholars agree that the transition is that they killed this man. Now, we will learn what happened to this man after his death.
Qil meaning it was announced, proclaimed to him udkhuli al-jannah enter into the gardens of Paradise. He's being commanded! There is no reckoning, no questioning, no hisaab, no kitaab. This is that ultimate status of specific groups of people who will be entered into Paradise without any reckoning.
At that time, that man says that he wishes his people could have known this. This shows his sincerity of this individual. His true concern for his people is apparent even in his afterlife.
When we give da'wah we take a lesson from this man. Its not done to establish hujja/proof of islam against people. Its done with sincere care for the people, to improve their condition.
Ayah 27:
بما غفر لي ربي وجعلني من المكرمين
Bimaa ghafara lee Rabbee wa ja'alanee minal mukrameen
Of how my Lord has forgiven me and placed me among the honoured."
What does he wish his people would know? How his Lord has (past tense) forgiven him. His slate was wiped clean! Whatever he might have done, we don't know. That's the whole point, he could have been anything (a thief, liar, crook, mutaqiI), but it doesn't matter because of what he has engaged in.
Ghafara literally means to cover something up. So this means not just to forgive, but to have it hidden such that nobody ever knows about it. We don't know anything about this man before this situation. Allaah has hidden that from us in this narrative!
Wa ja'alni and he made me min from among al-mukramin.
Mukramin comes from ikram meaning to honour someone. Mukramin are those who are honoured.
This is an interesting sentence structure. He doesn't say, mukramani (= He honoured me) where ikram is in the verbal form. Instead he used the nominal form (mukramin = the honoured people). The significance of the noun over the verb is that the verb is bound by time, but nouns are eternal. So it is as if Allaah has granted him this honour for all of eternity.
In the life of the hereafter, honour is eternal. In this world, honour today could be disgrace tomorrow.
What's even more in the sentence structure is that he is min al-mukramin. He's honoured, but he's not alone. He's among a group of people. He's among others who are also equally honoured. The company we keep reflects upon who we are. We feel distinction and honour based upon with whom we associate. This person is among the most amazing, awesome people.
Part 8
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