Oh Sincere Dawah Carriers

To the pious sister Romana and sister Roshan and the many others who are experiencing severe difficulties for the sole reason of being a carrier of the Islamic dawah.

You took this noble obligation of carrying the dawah on yourselves, as you understood what Allah revealed in the following verses:

(كُنْتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ تَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ)

“You are the best of the nation raised up for mankind because you enjoin what is right and forbid the wrong and believe in Allah” [TMQ Ale-Imran: 110].

(وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتُ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلِيَاء بَعْضٍ يَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ وَيُقِيمُونَ الصَّلاَةَ)

“The believers, men and women are Auliya (helpers, protectors) of one another, they enjoin the good and forbid the evil, they perform salah and give away zakah and obey Allah.” [At-Tawba: 71]

You understood that the above verses had been revealed in a general form placing this important requirement of carrying the dawah not only on the shoulders of the noble men of this Ummah but also on the pious women of this Ummah.

You were also very familiar with the hadith narrated by Ahmed in which the Prophet (saw) said:

إِنَّ النَّاسَ إِذَا رَأَوُا الْمُنْكَرَ لاَ يُغَيِّرُونَهُ أَوْشَكَ أَنْ يَعُمَّهُمُ اللَّهُ بِعِقَابِهِ» ‏

“If the people see the Munkar (evil, wrong doing) and they do not change it, Allah will take them with a punishment.”

And bearing witness to all the Munkar surrounding your Ummah you could not just sit back a look on. You became compelled to change the evil. You needed to remove the ignorance surrounding your beautiful Deen and you worked hard to increase its awareness. No more could you be an idle witness to the immense suffering amongst your brothers and sisters worldwide and you could not bear the thought of belonging to those with the weakest of Iman.

The Prophet (saw) said in a hadith narrated from Imam Muslim from Abu Sa’id al Khudri:

«مَنْ رَأَى مُنْكَرًا فَلْيُغَيِّرْهُ بِيَدِهِ فَإِنْ لَمْ يَسْتَطِعْ فَبِلِسَانِهِ فَإِنْ لَمْ يَسْتَطِعْ فَبِقَلْبِهِ وَذَلِكَ أَضْعَفُ الإِيمَانِ»

“Whosoever sees a Munkar (an evil or wrong) let him change it by his hand, if he could not let it be by his tongue. If he could not let it be by his heart, and this is the weakest of Iman.”

This is what motived you to continue your noble work by speaking out when seeing wrong and by spreading the word of Islam.

Were you ignorant of the dangers that come with this noble duty?

No, of course you were not. You had familiarized yourself with what it meant to be a true believer. You studied the words of your Creator making you stronger every step of the way.

(وَلَنَبْلُوَنَّكُم بِشَيْءٍ مِّنَ الْخَوْفِ وَالْجُوعِ وَنَقْصٍ مِّنَ الْأَمْوَالِ وَالْأَنفُسِ وَالثَّمَرَاتِ وَبَشِّرِ الصَّابِرِينَ)

“And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and a loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give good tidings to the patient.” [TMQ Al-Baqara: 155]

But you remained firm in your decision to carry this dawah as you filled your hearts with tawakul.

(فَبِمَا رَحْمَةٍ مِّنَ اللَّهِ لِنتَ لَهُمْ وَلَوْ كُنتَ فَظًّا غَلِيظَ الْقَلْبِ لَانفَضُّوا مِنْ حَوْلِكَ فَاعْفُ عَنْهُمْ وَاسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُمْ وَشَاوِرْهُمْ فِي الْأَمْرِ فَإِذَا عَزَمْتَ فَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُتَوَكِّلِينَ)

“So when you have made your decision, then put your trust in Allah.” [TMQ Al-i-Imran: 159]. And now you will put your trust in Him completely

(الَّذِينَ يُبَلِّغُونَ رِسَالَاتِ اللَّهِ وَيَخْشَوْنَهُ وَلَا يَخْشَوْنَ أَحَدًا إِلَّا اللَّهَ وَكَفَى بِاللَّهِ حَسِيبًا)

“...Those who convey the message of Allah and fear Him, and fear none except Allah, Allah is sufficient as a Reckoner.” [TMQ Al-Ahzab: 39]

Through your noble deeds as a dawah carrier you made sure there was no room in your hearts for fearing anything besides Allah. It is this Taqwa dear sisters that will give you the greatest of strength even during the most difficult of trails. It is this Taqwa that will get you and your families through this difficult period.
You will fill your hearts with sabr (patience) knowing that:

«مَا مِنْ مُصِيبَةٍ تُصِيبُ الْمُسْلِمَ إِلاَّ كَفَّرَ اللَّهُ بِهَا عَنْهُ، حَتَّى الشَّوْكَةِ يُشَاكُهَا‏‏

"No calamity befalls a Muslim but that Allah expiates some of his sins because of it, even though it were the prick he receives from a thorn." (Bukhari)

And you will wait patiently understanding:

(فَإِنَّ مَعَ الْعُسْرِ يُسْرًا) “For indeed, with hardship [will be] ease.” [TMQ Ash-Sharh: 5]

And you my dear sisters, your words will be the best of speech:

(وَمَنْ أَحْسَنُ قَوْلًا مِمَّنْ دَعَا إِلَى اللَّهِ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا وَقَالَ إِنَّنِي مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ)

“Who is better in speech than the one who calls (people) to Allah, works righteousness, and says I am one the Muslims?” [TMQ Fussilat: 33]

And your affairs will be the most amazing:

«عَجَبًا لِأَمْرِ الْمُؤْمِنِ إِنَّ أَمْرَهُ كُلَّهُ خَيْرٌ وَلَيْسَ ذَاكَ لِأَحَدٍ إِلَّا لِلْمُؤْمِنِ إِنْ أَصَابَتْهُ سَرَّاءُ شَكَرَ فَكَانَ خَيْرًا لَهُ وَإِنْ أَصَابَتْهُ ضَرَّاءُ صَبَرَ فَكَانَ خَيْرًا لَهُ»

“Amazing is the affair of the believer. This is because there is good for him in every matter and this is not the case with anyone other than the believer. When he is in a state of happiness, he is thankful to Allah, and within that there is good for him, and if he is harmed, then he keeps to being patient and thus there is good for him in that.”

Stay strong my dear sisters!

Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by
Yasmin Malik