الحمد لله، الحمد لله الذي جعل الدعوة أفضل مقامات العبد، إذا لم يشرك في دعوته بالله أحد، نحمده تعالى ونستعينه، ونشكره تعالى ونستغفره ونستغيثه، نعوذ بالله من شرور أنفسنا ومن سيئات أعمالنا، من يهد الله فهو المهتد ومن يضلل فلن تجد له وليا مرشدا، ونشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له، له الملك و له الحمد، يحيي ويميت، بيده الخير، وهو على كل شيء قدير،  ونشهد أن سيدنا و مولانا محمداً عبده ورسوله، وحبيبه وصفيه، بلغ الرسالة وأدى الأمانة ونصح الأمة، النبي الأمي الذي أرسله الله بالهدى والدين الحق، بشيرا ونذيرا بين يدي الساعة، صلى الله عليه وسلم وعلى آله وأصحابه ومن تبعهم بإحسان إلى يوم الدين.

أما بعد! فيا عباد الله اتقوا الله حق تقاته ولا تموتن إلا وأنتم مسلمون. يأيها الذين ءامنوا اتقوا الله وقولوا قولا سديدا يصلح لكم أعمالكم ويغفر لكم ذنوبكم. ومن يطع 

الله ورسوله فقد فاز فوزا عظيما. اتقوا الله فيما أمر وانتهوا عما نها عنه وزجر.

 

Since the beginning of creation, Allah has sent Messengers to mankind to bring them out of the darkness and into the light, and commanded them to that to do that by conveying His message to them, His deen. Allah says, addressing the Prophet,

 

يَا أَيُّهَا الرَّسُولُ بَلِّغْ مَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ مِن رَّبِّكَ وَإِن لَّمْ تَفْعَلْ فَمَا بَلَّغْتَ رِسَالَتَهُ

 

the translation of which is, “O Messenger! Transmit what has been sent down to you from your Lord. If you do not do it you will not have transmitted His Message.” This was the role of the Messengers, and indeed is at the very heart of what it means to be a Messenger. And, in truth, it is at the very heart of what it means to be a Muslim, for Allah has given us the same degree of responsibility over the rest of creation as He gave the Prophet over us. He says,

 

وكذلك جعلناكم أمة وسطاً لتكونوا شهداء على الناس ويكون الرسول عليكم شهيداً

 

the translation of which is, “In this way We have made you a middlemost community, so that you may act as witnesses against mankind and the Messenger as a witness against you.” If the Prophet was sent and commanded to call us to Allah, then we are commanded to call the rest of creation to Him. For we are commanded to follow him, especially in this matter of calling others to the deen of Allah. Allah says, addressing the Prophet,

 

قُلْ هَذِهِ سَبِيلِي أَدْعُو إِلَى اللّهِ عَلَى بَصِيرَةٍ أَنَاْ وَمَنِ اتَّبَعَنِي

 

the translation of which is, “Say: ‘This is my way. I call to Allah with inner sight, I and all who follow me.” ana ma man ittabani - I call to Allah, and so must all who follow me. And that is because the knowledge that Allah gives us brings with it a responsibility. If we conceal it, it brings down upon us the curse of Allah, for Allah says,

 

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَكْتُمُونَ مَا أَنْزَلْنَا مِنَ الْبَيِّنَاتِ وَالْهُدَى مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا بَيَّنَّاهُ لِلنَّاسِ فِي الْكِتَابِ أُولَئِكَ يَلْعَنُهُمُ اللَّهُ وَيَلْعَنُهُمُ اللَّاعِنُونَ

 

the translation of which is, “Those who hide the Clear Signs and Guidance We have sent down, after We have made it clear to people in the Book, Allah curses them, and the cursers curse them.” But if we pass it on, then we will be among the successful ones, for Allah says,

 

وَلْتَكُن مِّنكُمْ أُمَّةٌ يَدْعُونَ إِلَى الْخَيْرِ وَيَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ وَأُوْلَئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ

 

the translation of which is, “Let there be a community among you who call to the good, and enjoin the right, and forbid the wrong. They are the ones who have success.” For Allah created the whole of the human race, every man, woman and child on this earth, and He loves nothing better than what brings them good. The Prophet said,

 

الخلق كلهم عيال الله، فأَحَبُّهم إلى الله أنفعهم لعياله

 

“All of mankind are Allah’s dependents, and Allah loves best those who bring the most benefit to His dependents.” And there is nothing more beneficial to a person than Islam, since by it every action of his that was previously rejected becomes accepted, and before him lies an eternity with Allah and not an eternity in the Fire.

 

الحمد لله على نعمة الإسلام وكفى بها نعمة

 

“Praise be to Allah for the blessing of Islam. It is enough of a blessing.” Islam is THE ni‘ma /blessing of your Lord.

وَأَمَّا بِنِعْمَةِ رَبِّكَ فَحَدِّثْ

 

“And as for the blessing of your Lord, speak out!” Speak out and tell other people. Convey it. It is a gift from Allah, an unparalleled treasure. It is not your birthright, or your private property. It is not Arab, Pakistani or Cape Malay. Allah sent His Messenger with Islam as a mercy for all the worlds. No one race has a greater claim to the deen than any other. If da’wa had not been made to your forefathers, then none of you would have been here, for at one point the people of your forefathers’ lands were just as lost and misguided as the people of this land. So go out and extend the same courtesy to the people of this land. There is no better way for you to spend your time, and there is nothing that will bring with it a greater reward. The Prophet said, 

 

“لأن يهدي الله بك رجلاً واحداً خير لك من حمر النعم”, وفي رواية: “خير لك مما طلعت عليه الشمس”

 

“That Allah guides one person to Islam through you is better for you than the rarest of camels”, and in another version, “than everything over which the sun has risen.” Ibn Kathir interpreted this as meaning, ‘better than owning all of that and giving it all away in the way of Allah’, because nothing of this world compares to what guarantees a person the Next world. You could spend your whole life giving sadaqa but never obtain the same reward.

And, if that were not enough in itself, the Prophet also says,

 

من دعا إلى هدى كان له من الأجر مثل أجور من تبعه لا ينقص ذلك من أجورهم شيئاً

 

“Whoever calls a person to right guidance, receives the reward of anyone who follows him, without decreasing from their reward in any way.” Every time they pray, every time they fast, every time they give sadaqa, every time they do dhikr of Allah - you get the same reward that they do. Every good action they do is counted as a good action of your own. And that applies even to the reward they receive for someone becoming Muslim at their hand. It is very much like a pyramid scheme, but one in which no one loses and every one gains. And you will continue to receive those rewards even after your lifetime when you are in your grave, for as long as Muslims remain whom Allah has guided through you or through those to whom you have given da’wa. And the more reward Allah grants, the greater your station with Him becomes, so you can imagine the station of our noble Messenger, who receives the reward for every good action that every Muslim on the planet does or has ever done since he was sent, or the station of our own Shaykh, through whom Allah has guided many thousands to His Deen.

But remember that your task is but to convey - guidance is in the hands of Allah. Allah says, 

فَإِنْ أَسْلَمُوا فَقَدِ اهْتَدَوْا وَإِنْ تَوَلَّوْا فَإِنَّمَا عَلَيْكَ الْبَلَاغُ

 

the translation of which is, “If they become Muslim, they have been guided. If they turn away, you are only responsible for transmission.” If you see no immediate results in your da’wa, then do not lose hope for you are not charged with guiding them. No matter what you do, no matter what you say, you will never guide them. Guidance is solely in the hands of Allah, and He only guides whom He wills. Allah says,

يَهْدِي اللَّهُ لِنُورِهِ مَنْ يَشَاءُ

 

the translation of which is, “Allah guides to His light whomsoever He wills.” Even our own Prophet, despite all his efforts could not guide his uncle Abu Talib to Islam. Allah says, addressing him,

 

إِنَّكَ لَا تَهْدِي مَنْ أَحْبَبْتَ وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ يَهْدِي مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِالْمُهْتَدِينَ

 

the translation of which is, “You cannot guide those you would like to but Allah guides those He wills. He has best knowledge of the guided.” You never know whom Allah will guide at your hands or when that guidance will happen. Some of those who were the greatest enemies of the deen became, many years later, its greatest protectors and supporters - men like Khalid ibn al-Walid, ‘Amr ibn al-‘As, ‘Ikrimah, the son of Abu Jahl, and Mu‘awiya, the son of Abu Sufyan. They heeded the Prophet’s call, but at the time that Allah wished. So all you need to concern yourself with is making the da’wa and trust that Allah will guide through you those for whom He has written guidance. And be patient, for sometimes Allah will plant the seed of guidance in a person’s heart through your da’wa, but that person may not become Muslim until many years later when that seed bears fruit. We ask Allah to grant us that sabr, keep us constant in our da’wa, give us a full appreciation of the gift He has granted us and through us bring many many people to the deen. 

 

أقول قولي هذا و أستغفر الله لي و لكم و لسائر المسلمين من كل ذنب فاستغفروه إنه هو الغفور الرَّحيم.الحمد لله الحمد لله رب العالمين، وأشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له وأشهد أن محمداً عبده ورسوله، صلى الله وسلم وبارك عليه وعلى آله وصحبه، والتابعين وتابعي التابعين ومن تبعهم بإحسان إلى يوم الدين.

أما بعد! فيأيها الذين ءامنوا اتقوا الله ما استطعتم واسمعوا وأطيعوا وأنفقوا خيرا لأنفسكم. يا عباد الله أوصيكم وإياي بتقوى الله وطاعته وأحذركم وإياي عن معصيته ومخالفته. قال الله عز وجل في كتابه الكريم: قُلْ هَذِهِ سَبِيلِي أَدْعُو إِلَى اللَّهِ عَلَى بَصِيرَةٍ أَنَا وَمَنِ اتَّبَعَنِي وَسُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ وَمَا أَنَا مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ

 

Allah says in His Noble Book, the translation of which is, “Say: ‘This is my way. I call to Allah with inner sight, I and all who follow me. Glory be to Allah! I am not one of the mushrikun!’”

In the first khutba, we talked about the necessity and excellence of doing da’wa, but said nothing of how one should go about doing it. This ayat from surat Yusuf gives us a number of pointers as to how to make it successful.

Firstly, Allah’s Words, ala basiratin - ‘with inner sight’, mean ‘with knowledge and absolute certainty’. You must only call people to that which you have knowledge of and of which you are certain, otherwise you are in danger of telling lies against Allah. This does not, however, mean that only ‘ulama can do da’wa, for the Prophet said, 

بلغوا عني ولو آية

 

“Transmit the deen from me, even if that be only one ayat.” No, what it means is ‘call people to what you know and do not engage in pointless argumentation or debate about things that you do not know’. No good ever comes from argumentation. Imam Malik said,

 

ليس هذا الجدال من الدين في شيء

 

“This argumentation has nothing to do with the deen.” You must not allow yourself to get pulled down to their level. Rather, you must do as Allah says, 

 

ادْعُ إِلَى سَبِيلِ رَبِّكَ بِالْحِكْمَةِ وَالْمَوْعِظَةِ الْحَسَنَةِ وَجَادِلْهُمْ بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ

 

the translation of which is, “Call to the way of your Lord with wisdom and fair admonition, and argue with them in the kindest way.” ‘Wisdom’ is putting things in their rightful place, so before you do da’wa, you must see who is in front of you, and then say or do what is suitable to the person and the occasion. There is not one key that fits all - the locks that Allah has placed on people’s hearts are of many shapes and sizes. Some people are guided by action and some by words. Some require a firm hand and some require a gentle one. But always maintain your adab and composure, and do not be rude or harsh with them when you are not making any headway. Allah says, addressing his Prophet, 

 

فَبِمَا رَحْمَةٍ مِنَ اللَّهِ لِنْتَ لَهُمْ وَلَوْ كُنْتَ فَظًّا غَلِيظَ الْقَلْبِ لَانْفَضُّوا مِنْ حَوْلِكَ

 

the translation of which is, “It is a mercy from Allah that you were gentle with them. If you had been rough or hard of heart, they would have scattered from around you.” And He commanded Musa to be gentle with Pharaoh, despite his stubborn disbelief and the disrespectful way he referred to Allah, saying:

فَقُولَا لَهُ قَوْلًا لَيِّنًا لَعَلَّهُ يَتَذَكَّرُ أَوْ يَخْشَى 

 

the translation of which is, “But speak to him with gentle words so that hopefully he will pay heed or show some fear.’” If someone says something that you cannot bear to listen to, then either jadilhum bil-lati hiya ahsan - argue with them in the kindest way, or leave. Do not get involved in a pointless debate or a slanging match. 

Secondly, Allah’s Words, anna wa mani-tabani - I and those who follow me, indicate two things. First, following the sunna of the Messenger, and putting that into practice in your life, is itself da’wa, and indeed is a far more effective form of da’wa than words ever can be. When the sunna of the Messenger of Allah was fully implemented in the behaviour and everyday lives of the Muslims in Madina, far more people entered the deen of Allah, than in the time when its full implementation was impossible in Makka. In Makka, it was the light that drew people to the deen, whereas in Madina it was the power and justice. Simply seeing the people that are spawned by such a society and being witness to the way they interact with one another and with others has a far more profound effect than any number of words can ever do, because it is in such people that the sunna of the Messenger is alive and embodied. Indeed, simply by seeing how Muslims conducted themselves when trading brought whole continents to the Deen of Allah. So, take on the sunna of the Messenger in all aspects of your life, and you will see the society in which you live transformed. And take care to never view any of that as an imposition, but rather as a means to freedom and a fuller enjoyment of life and of everything that Allah has provided you.

And second, ana wa man-t-abani suggests that da’wa is best done in company with others who are on the same path as you, and indeed it is so, for when you attempt to call people to the Deen on your own, you are in danger of going astray, for Shaytan is the companion of the one who goes out on his own. So, take care and always keep to the company of the salihin.

And finally, Allah’s Words wa subhana-llah! wa ma ana mina-l-mushrikin - Glory be to Allah! I am not one of the mushrikun!’, indicate that one must always ensure that one is calling to Allah and Allah alone. Anything else is shirk. Always remember that you are not calling people to yourself or for any personal gain. Your heart must be pure. Otherwise it is conflict and nothing will be achieved. One of the sayings of our tariqa is, “One thousand words from an impure heart achieve nothing, whereas one word from a pure heart achieves a thousand things.” Your da’wa will only be successful when you call to the Truth by the Truth. That is the secret. That is when you will see people,

يَدْخُلُونَ فِي دِينِ اللهِ أَفْوَاجاً

 

“Entering Allah’s deen in droves” So we ask Allah to give us pure ikhlas in our da’wa, and protect us from shirk, open or hidden. And we ask Him to give us the necessary knowledge and wisdom and guide the people of this land to His deen, and bring about its establishment here in all its might and majesty. 

 

إِنَّ اللهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ، يَا أَيُهَا الذِينَ آمَنُواْ صَلُّواْ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُواْ تَسْلِيماً. اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ وَبَارِكْ عَلَيْهِ وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَصَحْبِهِ  أَجْمَعِينَ. 

وَارْضَ اللَّهُمَّ عَنِ الْخُلَفَاءِ الرَّاشِدِينَ أَبِي بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرَ وَعُثْمَانَ وَعَلِيٍّ، وَعَنْ سَائِرِ الصَّحَابَةِ أَجْمَعِينَ، خُصُوصاً اِلأَنْصَارَ مِنْهُمْ وَالمُهَاجِرِينَ، وَعَنِ التَّابِعِينَ وَتَابِعِي التَّابِعِينَ وَمَنْ تَبِعَهُمْ بِإِحْسَانٍ إِلَى يَوْمِ الدِّينِ.

اللَّهُمَّ اهْدِ وُلَاةَ أُمُورِ المُسْلِمِينَ لِمَا يُرْضِيكَ وَلِاتِّبَاعِ سُنَّةِ نَبِيِّكَ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَثَبِّتْ أَقْدَامَهُمْ عَلَى الصِّرَاطِ المُسْتَقِيمِ، وَأَصْلِحْهُمْ يَا رَبَّ الْعَالَمِينَ.

اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ عَلَى شَيْخِنَا، وَعَلَى أَمِيرِنَا، وَعَلَى جَمِيعِ أُمَرَاءِ وَزُعَمَاءِ المُسْلِمِينَ.  

اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ عَلَى المُسْلِمِينَ فِي هَذِهِ المَدِينَةِ، وَوَفِّقْهُمْ لِمَا تُحِبُّهُ وَتَرْضَاهُ يَا أَكْرَمَ الأَكْرَمِينَ. 

اللَّهُمَّ أَعِزَّ الإِسْلَامَ وَالمُسِْلمِينَ (3) وَاخْذُلِ الْكُفْرَ وَالْكَافِرِينَ، وَانْصُرِ المُجَاهِدِينَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ. وَاجْعَلْ كَلِمََتَكَ هِيَ العُلْيَا وَكَلِمَةَ الْكُفْرِ هِيَ السُّفْلَى.

رَبَّنَا ءَاتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقَِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ. 

اللَّهُمَّ لاَ تَدَعْ فِي مَقَامِنَا هَذَا ذَنْباً إِلاَّ غَفَرْتَهُ، وَلاَ عَيْباً إِلاَّ سَتَرْتَهُ، وَلاَ مَرِيضاً إِلاَّ شَفَيْتَهُ وَعَافَيْتَهُ، وَلاَ مَسْجُوناً إِلاَّ طَلَقْتَ سَرَاحَهُ، وَلاَ مُسَافِراً فِي بَرِّكَ وَبَحْرِكَ إِلاَّ سَلِِمْتَهُ وَغَنِمْتَهُ.

إِنَّ اللهَ يَامُرُ بِالْعَدْلِ وَالإِحْسَانِ وَإِيتَاءِ ذِي الْقُرْبَى، وَيَنْهَى عَنِ الْفَحْشَاءِ وَالمُنكَرِ وَالْبَغْيِ، يَعِظُكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَّكَّرُونَ، وَلَذِكْرُ اللهِ أَكْبَرُ وَاللهُ يَعْلَمُ مَا تَصْنَعُونَ. وَقُومُواْ إِلَى صَلاتِكُمْ يَرْحَمُكُمُ اللهُ.