C.D.L. P.1

COLLECTION OF DA'WAH LETTERS

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PART 1

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

This is our call

(Had'ihi Da'watuna)

Imam Abu Nasser Al-Arousi

Dhu al-Hijjah 1441

Indeed, all praise is due to Allah; we praise Him, seek His help, and seek His guidance. Whomsoever Allah guides, none can lead astray, and whomsoever He leaves astray, none can guide. I bear witness that there is no God but Allah, alone without partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. To proceed:

"O mankind, fear your Lord, who created you from one soul and created from it its mate and dispersed from both of them many men and women. And fear Allah, through whom you ask one another, and the wombs. Indeed Allah is ever, over you, an Observer."

A. Tawhid (To worship Allah alone)

Indeed, the first pillar of Islam is the testimony that there is no God but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. Its meaning is to single out Allah for worship and devotion alone, and to disbelieve in whatever is worshipped besides Him.

In Sahih Muslim, on the authority of the Prophet (peace be upon him), who said:

"Islam is built upon five: that Allah is worshipped and disbelieve in what is besides Him, establishing prayer, giving Zakat, pilgrimage to the House, and fasting Ramadan." (Sahih Muslim)

Thus, Islam is not realized except through disbelief in Taghūt (false deities), which is everything worshipped besides Allah. Allah the Exalted said:

"So whoever disbelieves in Taghūt and believes in Allah has grasped the most trustworthy handhold with no break in it. And Allah is Hearing and Knowing." (Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:256)

The opposite of Tawhid is Shirk (associating partners with Allah). Whoever associates partners with Allah has not disbelieved in Taghūt and has not become a Muslim; rather, he remains a disbeliever. Allah the Exalted has informed us about various types of Shirk and disbelief in the Quran, including:

• Worshipping other than Allah:

"And they worship besides Allah that which neither harms them nor benefits them and they say, 'These are our intercessors with Allah.' Say, 'Do you inform Allah of something He does not know in the heavens or on the earth?' Exalted is He and high above what they associate with Him." (Surah Yunus, 10:18)

• Supplicating to other than Allah:

"And when those who associate others with Allah see their partners, they will say, 'Our Lord, these are our partners to whom we used to supplicate besides You.' But they will throw back at them the statement, 'Indeed, you are liars.'" (Surah Al-Ahqaf, 46:5)

• Taking intermediaries between oneself and Allah to invoke and draw close to them:

"Unquestionably, for Allah is the pure religion. And those who take protectors besides Him [say], 'We only worship them that they may bring us closer to Allah in position.' Indeed, Allah will judge between them concerning that over which they differ. Indeed, Allah does not guide he who is a liar and [confirmed] disbeliever." (Surah Az-Zumar, 39:3)

• Declaring lawful what Allah has forbidden:

"And do not eat of that upon which the name of Allah has not been mentioned, for indeed, it is grave disobedience. And indeed do the devils inspire their allies [among men] to dispute with you. And if you were to obey them, indeed, you would be polytheists." (Surah Al-An'am, 6:121)

• Legalizing what Allah has forbidden:

"Indeed, the postponing [of restriction] is an increase in disbelief by which those who have disbelieved are led astray. They make it lawful one year and unlawful it another year to correspond to the number that Allah has made unlawful and thus make lawful what Allah has made unlawful. Made pleasing to them is the evil of their deeds. And Allah does not guide the disbelieving people." (Surah At-Tawbah, 9:37)

• Excessiveness in obeying scholars (in legislating independently of Allah):

"They have taken their scholars and monks as lords besides Allah , and [also] the Messiah, the son of Maryam. And they were not commanded except to worship one Allah; there is no deity except Him. Exalted is He above whatever they associate with Him." (Surah At-Tawbah, 9:31)

• Skepticism regarding the Resurrection:

"And his fruit was encompassed [with ruin], so he began to turn his hands about [in regret] for what he had spent on it, while it had collapsed upon its trellises, and said, 'Oh, I wish I had not associated with my Lord anyone.'" (Surah Al-Kahf, 18:42)

• Establishing legislation and submitting to it:

"Or have they partners [other than Allah ] who have ordained for them a religion to which Allah has not consented? But for the word of fact, it would have been concluded between them. And indeed, the wrongdoers will have a painful punishment." (Surah Ash-Shura, 42:21)

• Mocking the religion:

"And if you ask them, they will surely say, 'We were only conversing and playing.' Say, 'Is it Allah and His verses and His Messenger that you were mocking?' Make no excuse; you have disbelieved after your belief. If We pardon one faction of you - We will punish another faction because they were criminals." (Surah At-Tawbah, 9:65–66)

• Teaching and learning magic:

"And they followed what the devils recited during the reign of Solomon. Solomon was not a disbeliever, but the devils were disbelievers, teaching people magic and that which was revealed to the two angels at Babylon, Harut and Marut. But the two do not teach anyone unless they say, 'We are a trial, so do not disbelieve [by practicing magic].'" (Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:102)

• Being content with disbelief:

"And it has already descended upon you in the Book that when you hear the verses of Allah being disbelieved in and ridiculed, do not sit with them until they enter into another conversation. Indeed, you would then be like them. Indeed, Allah will gather the hypocrites and disbelievers in Hell all together." (Surah An-Nisa, 4:140)

• Uttering statements of disbelief:

"They have certainly disbelieved who say, 'Allah is the third of three.' And there is no God except one Allah." (Surah Al-Ma'idah, 5:73)

"They have certainly disbelieved who say, 'Allah is the Messiah, the son of Maryam.'" (Surah Al-Ma'idah, 5:72)

"And the Jews say, 'Ezra is the son of Allah '; and the Christians say, 'The Messiah is the son of Allah.' That is their statement from their mouths; they imitate the saying of those who disbelieved before [them]. May Allah destroy them; how are they deluded?" (Surah At-Tawbah, 9:30)

• Denying the Resurrection:

"And if you are astonished, then [as to their] astonishment is their statement, 'When we are dust, will we indeed be in a new creation?' Those are the ones who have disbelieved in their Lord." (Surah Ar-Ra'd, 13:5)

• Taking disbelievers as closest allies/protectors:

"Let not believers take disbelievers as allies rather than the believers. And whoever [of you] does that has nothing with Allah..." (Surah Ali 'Imran, 3:28)

• Failing to commit to obeying Allah and His Messenger:

"Say, 'Obey Allah and the Messenger.' But if they turn away - then indeed, Allah does not like the disbelievers." (Surah Ali 'Imran, 3:32)

• Abandoning judgment by the Book and the Sunnah:

"And whoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed - then it is those who are the disbelievers." (Surah Al-Ma'idah, 5:44)

• Affiliation with disbelievers and polytheists:

"And it sailed with them through waves like mountains, and Noah called to his son who was apart [from them], 'O my son, come aboard with us and be not with the disbelievers!'" (Surah Hud, 11:42)

"Abraham was neither a Jew nor a Christian, but he was one inclining toward truth, a Muslim [submitting to Allah ]. And he was not of the polytheists." (Surah Ali 'Imran, 3:67)

"So if you turn away, then I have not asked you for any payment. My reward is only from Allah , and I have been commanded to be of the Muslims." (Surah Yunus, 10:72)

• Rejecting the verses of Allah:

"And thus We have revealed the Book to you. And those to whom We gave the Scripture believe in it. And among these [people] are those who believe in it. And none reject Our verses except the disbelievers." (Surah Al-Ankabut, 29:47)

• Belying the verses of Allah:

"Yes, there had come to you My verses, but you denied them and were arrogant, and you were among the disbelievers." (Surah Az-Zumar, 39:59)

• Enmity towards Allah:

"Whoever is an enemy to Allah and His angels and His messengers and Gabriel and Michael - then indeed, Allah is an enemy to the disbelievers." (Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:98)

• Arrogance against worshipping Allah:

"And your Lord says, 'Call upon Me; I will respond to you.' Indeed, those who disdain My worship will enter Hell [rendered] contemptible." (Surah Ghafir, 40:60)

• Forsaking the Muslim Community:

"And whoever opposes the Messenger after guidance has become clear to him and follows other than the way of the believers - We will give him what he has taken and drive him to Hell, and evil it is as a destination." (Surah An-Nisa, 4:115)

" And do not be of those who associate others with Allah, of those who divided their religion and became sects, every faction rejoicing in what it has." (Surah Ar-Rum, 30:32)

• Believing in a part of the Book and disbelieving in another:

"So do you believe in part of the Scripture and disbelieve in part? Then what is the recompense for those who do that among you except disgrace in worldly life; and on the Day of Resurrection they will be sent back to the severest punishment." (Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:85)

These are examples of types of Shirk; a person's Islam is not valid unless he avoids all of them, and it is not sufficient to avoid some while committing others.

If someone asks: "Is not faith in the heart? I am a believer in Allah even if I commit some of the sins mentioned, and this is due to weakness of faith while perfection belongs to Allah alone, and Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."

The response is: Faith in Allah is not what you have assumed; rather, faith in Allah is not realized except by avoiding Shirk. The claim that faith is merely the heart's knowledge that Allah exists is not the statement of Muslims, but rather the statement of the disbelieving Jahmiyyah. The definition of faith according to Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamā'ah is: belief in the heart, speech by the tongue, and action by the physical limbs; it increases with obedience and decreases with disobedience.

The evidence that faith in Allah is not valid merely through heart knowledge of Allah accompanied by disbelief in speech or action is not a single proof. Here are some of the proofs:

1. No one doubts the disbelief of Iblis (Satan), despite his knowing his Lord in his heart:

[Allah] said, "Depart from it, accursed and expelled. And indeed, upon you is My curse until the Day of Recompense." He said, "My Lord, then reprieve me until the Day they are resurrected." (Surah Al-A'raf, 7:13–14)

2. Allah named the action of one who is coerced as disbelief, even though his heart is tranquil with faith, proving that what is intended by disbelief is not merely the disbelief of the heart, but the disbelief of actions:

Whoever disbelieves in Allah after his belief - except for one who is forced [to renounce it] while his heart is secure in faith - but those who [willingly] open their breasts to disbelief, upon them is wrath from Allah, and for them is a great punishment. (Surah An-Nahl, 16:106)

3. The polytheists whom the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) fought knew their Lord in their hearts:

And if you asked them, "Who created them?" they would surely say, "Allah." So how are they deluded? (Surah Al-Ankabut, 29:61)

4. Those who said, "We were only conversing and playing," Allah informed that they had disbelieved even though they used to pray, give Zakat, and fight alongside the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), and they did not deny knowing their Lord in their hearts:

And if you ask them, they will surely say, "We were only conversing and playing." Say, "Is it Allah and His verses and His Messenger that you were mocking?" Make no excuse; you have disbelieved after your belief. (Surah At-Tawbah, 9:65–66)

5. Allah the Exalted clarified that the polytheists' knowledge of their Lord in their hearts does not negate the description of Shirk from them:

And most of them do not believe in Allah except while they associate partners with Him. (Surah Yusuf, 12:106)

Once this is made clear, and it is known that Shirk occurs through belief just as it occurs through speech and action, know that Allah does not forgive whoever dies in a state of Shirk:

"Indeed, Allah does not forgive association with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills. And he who associates others with Allah has certainly fabricated a tremendous sin." (Surah An-Nisa, 4:48)

"Indeed, he who associates others with Allah - Allah has forbidden him Paradise, and his refuge is the Fire. And there are not for the wrongdoers any helpers." (Surah Al-Ma'idah, 5:72)

As for the one who repents and does not die as a polytheist, Allah will forgive him and admit him into Paradise:

Say, "O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful." (Surah Az-Zumar, 39:53)

"And indeed, I am the Perpetual Forgiver of whoever repents and believes and does righteousness and then continues in guidance." (Surah Taha, 20:82)