Shaykh ‘Arafāt ibn Ḥasan:
There is no doubt that the people are in a state of ignorance, and this is not only in your country but in many countries; the predominant condition is ignorance.
Okay, if we know that the people are ignorant, does this make us declare them disbelievers, speak ill of them, and push them away from Islām? Or does it compel us to strive to remove their ignorance and teach them the Sunnah? This is what is obligatory.
As for the issue of testing the laymen (‘awām), we don't actually need it. What we need is educating. Why do we keep saying: "Strive to acquire knowledge, strive to teach people, be diligent in attending mosques, be keen on such and such.."—so that we can lift ignorance from the people! The people have goodness in them and love to hear "Allāh said, His Messenger said." In fact, when they come to know that something is wrong or that something is ignorance, they actually become happy! But sometimes they might not trust the speaker, that's all. They might say, "Who is this person? Where did he study? How old is he? I'm fifty years old, and he's twenty teaching me the religion of Allāh?!" So pride takes over them. Why? Because they've been raised that way. So don't think that if the laymen (common people) don't accept what you've brought, it's because it's false or because... No! It's simply because they don't trust you. If they trusted you, they would accept everything you say.
So how can I influence the laymen to accept my da‘wah? Let's look at the da‘wah of the Prophet ﷺ—how did he influence people? Through his good character! They used to call him "Aṣ-Ṣādiq al-Amīn" (the Truthful, the Trustworthy) in Jāhiliyyah times. When Islām came, they stood against him out of arrogance: {..it is not you that they deny, but it is the Verses of Allāh that the Ẓālimūn (polytheists & wrong-doers) deny.} (6:33) So if you influence people with your good manners, your speech, your attributes, your good way of speaking with them, your good dealings, they will be affected by you and say, "This is a man who, when he speaks, he speaks [truthfully], and when he acts, he acts [truthfully]," and then they will accept (from you).
But if your actions contradict your words, will anyone accept from you? Impossible! They will say, "First of all, he didn't advise himself nor did he act upon what he says, so how can we accept from him?" As Shu‘ayb ﷺ said: {I wish not, in contradiction to you, to do that which I forbid you. I only desire reform..} (11:88) So you should influence people with your good manners, be role models, be exemplary. It is impossible for a da‘wah (call) to be successfully established if it is not based on Tawḥīd, and if the caller does not invite to the truth, which is Tawḥīd, because there are many da‘wahs—73 sects, 72 in the Fire. The da‘wah that people will truly accept is based on foundations, and the first of these foundations is knowledge, the second is action, and the third is that – when doing da‘wah – you invite to what is most important, then to what is next important.
Is it reasonable for me to approach laymen, knowing that they have fallen into Shirk and superstitions, influenced by the Maturidis and the superstitious, and then invite them to something unrelated to Tawḥīd? That's wrong! I want to save them from the Fire! Therefore, what was the first thing the Prophets began with? Tawḥīd. It is not permissible for a Muslim to call to anything other than Tawḥīd in a place where there is Shirk. Otherwise, if you say to me, "But akhī, this is a Muslim society!" we say, praise be to Allāh, it is a Muslim society. But if you have ascertained that this Muslim society contains Shirk, superstitions, and calls to grave worship—especially since we know what the Ḥanafis, Maturidis, and Ash‘aris do, and what these misguided people do in the name of Abū Ḥanīfah and in the name of Ash-Shāfi‘ī.
So: knowledge, action, calling to the most important and then to what is next important, and then acting upon knowledge—this is more crucial with the laymen. By Allāh, even if you preach day and night and have the most beautiful voice in reciting the Qur-ān, but you contradict what you say, they will not accept from you! Except for someone who seeks worldly gain or similar motives.
Good character, brothers! And also dignified self-sufficiency: {Say: "No reward I ask of you for this.."} (6:90) If they see that you only want money or that you're doing da‘wah solely for financial gain, they will despise you! But when they see that you have sufficed yourself through work or trade, they recognize that you are dignified & honorable, that you do not need money, and that you are doing da‘wah solely for the sake of Allāh. "If he were doing da‘wah for money—he has his trade, and his tribe is wealthy.." For this reason, Allāh prohibited zakāt for the Prophet ﷺ; he does not take zakāt. Why? So people wouldn't say, "Muḥammad came, collected wealth for himself, and gave it to his children." It is not permissible for him to take zakāt, nor for his children to inherit from him. "We, the community of prophets, are not inherited from." Why is this? To safeguard the status of prophethood, so no one could slander.
And his lineage is the noblest lineage from Banū Hāshim, so no one could defame him. This is what Heraclius asked about when he questioned Abū Sufyān: "How is his lineage among you?" He said, "He is of noble lineage among us," well-known! Heraclius said, "Such are the Prophets; Allāh does not send them except from noble lineage."
So where is his (the Prophets) provision? From the most excellent of provisions, which is under the shade of his spear, as he said, "Allāh has made my provision under the shade of my spear," meaning through jihād. He does jihād and takes the fifth (of the spoils). Regarding zakāt, he said, "It is only the impurities of people," that's how he put it, "It is only the impurities of people," because people give charity seeking Allāh's forgiveness for their sins and misdeeds. So he said, "It is not permissible for me nor for the family of Muḥammad," as mentioned in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim. Therefore, when a student of knowledge hears this biography and this approach, he must emulate it for his da‘wah to succeed; otherwise, his da‘wah would be a failure.
A da‘wah that is not the da‘wah of the Prophets, and a methodology other than that of the Prophets, is a failed da‘wah with no value! The evidence is—look at these numerous da‘wahs! They may have large numbers, money, and centers, but all these da‘wahs are failures. As soon as you debate a Tablīghī, he collapses. As soon as you debate an Ikhwānī, a Māturīdī, or an Ash‘arī, he collapses due to his ignorance—no knowledge, just mere doubts. Is this clear?
And take care of the laymen! Our da‘wah is in reality a da‘wah to the laymen. Why have I been repeating since I came, "The mosques, the mosques, the mosques..."? Because the laymen are in the mosques! We must invite them, and when Allāh ﷻ facilitates for us to have a mosque, then we could greet these laymen, shake their hands, and say, "We have a lesson; come to such-and-such center. We have a place where we can learn. Come, and we will teach you Tajwīd and the Qur-ān..." And this is for their benefit; otherwise, everyone will be accountable for himself. Yes.
Source: https://t.me/Arafatbinhassan/12301
Translation: Yasin ibn Jamal