Gradual Stages of Dawah

Guidance - II

Ibn Abbas relates that when the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be with him) sent Mu'adh towards Yemen (as governor), he said to him: “Verily you would reach a community of the people of the Book. The very first thing to which you should call them is the worship of Allah, may His Glory be Magnificent. And when they become fully aware of Allah, instruct them that He has enjoined five prayers on them during the day and the night. And when they begin observing it, then instruct them that verily Allah has made Zakat obligatory for them, which would be collected from the wealthy among them and distributed to their needy ones; and when they submit to it, then collect it from them and avoid (the temptation) of selecting the best (items) of their riches.”
(Sahih Muslim)

This hadith is one of the ahadith of the Holy Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) which highlight the importance as well as need of Islamic Dawah. It throws a good deal of light on the practical wisdom with which the Divine Faith should be preached among people. They should not, at one and the same time, be burdened with all sorts of beliefs and religious practices. First, the preacher should winnow out the mistaken notions which had taken a firm root in their minds, and correct beliefs about God and Prophethood should be instilled in their minds. Then on the basis of God-consciousness, the religious practices should be enjoined upon the people. On the negative side, an attempt should be made to weed out all those evils which undermine God-consciousness in man and thus hamper his spiritual and moral growth. Mu'adh was especially instructed to be aware of the feelings of the oppressed. He was sent as a governor and it was his bounden duty to see to it that no man in the society becomes victim of high-handedness.

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