The Three Punches
The major pillars of da’wah are to deliver a punch in the face (with good manner, behaviour and character), a punch in the stomach (to be generous in food, gifts and different things) and a punch in the heart, which is the spinal cord of da’wah: to supplicate to Allah to accept your efforts and embed the message in the other person’s heart. This is returning the matter to the Owner, because who is the better doer rather than the One you are inviting others to?
If Allah makes you the cause of guiding one person, it is better than the earth and what it contains. If Allah opens for you, the gift is better than the whole world. If we believe this, what do we have to worry about, and what is the need to accumulate in dunia? If we do not invite to Allah, what kind of loss will we suffer as a result?
This is why we should always supplicate to be the ones who spread mercy, light and goodness in Allah’s kingdom, to leave a good reminder on earth and to work day and night, because no one deserves worship more than Allah. Insha Allah we should discharge this duty in the right way, with Allah’s ability, power, support and guidance, without which we are incapable of doing anything.
Priorities in life: Allah v Shaitan
When we watch a game or concert, we are willing stand in line for hours for a ticket. Even if there is delay in the start, we do not mind waiting. We can memorize the names of the different players and performers, and we know all the details of their lives. Yet, what can these people do for us? How much happiness can they give to themselves and to us? In matters concerning Allah or Islam, do we have the same patience to bear a bit of discomfort or waiting time purely for the sake of Allah? Do we research as much about the lives of Islamic heroes as we do our favourite singer or team member?
Even this article is a form of da’wah, because if you are reading it, you have already been invited. What are you inviting others towards, and what are other people inviting you towards? What topics overwhelm you to invite others towards? At any given time, we are either the inviter or the invitee.
There is the internal invitation, which is generated from our desire and from Shaitan, and the external invitation from the community, family, friends, companions and surroundings. Human beings are a reflection of their companions and friends. Look at who your companions and friends are.
This is a principle from the teacher of mankind. If you are packed with hate, envy and jealousy, Shaitan will not only invite you towards increasing these characteristics, but will also recruit you as his soldier and invite others to have the same diseases. Each of us, is an inviter to Allah or to Shaitan at any given time. Who are we are inviting others to, Allah or Shaitan?
For example, if you are connected to Allah, Allah will supply you with a high speed “ilahi” connection. Your supplications and prayer will be answered, and your talk will be filled with the beautiful blessing from Allah which will radiate to the environment with the “wi-fiilahi” which spreads hidayah, rahmah and noor by the message of Allah.
If you have a disease of the heart, Shaitan will make you radiate “Shaitanwi-fi” spreading gossip, jealousy, nonsense talk or just inviting people to dunia life and competition.
The tricks of Shaitan
Shaitan will not directly order you towards him or to disobey Allah, but will persuade you to invite others towards this life, to accumulate, build monuments and chase success in this life in order to feel peace and security. The same trick was utilised with Adam AS, where Shaitan invited him to an eternal lifetime free from need and suffering. Shaitan made him forget Allah’s promise, and persuaded Adam AS to eat from the tree in order to gain everlasting life.
Allah has already given the correct advice to us, but Shaitan makes us forget the message, and replaces it with his own corrupted format. He keeps going on until we are deep into our own corruption, misery and misguidance.
Which message should we follow: the message of Allah or the message of Shaitan? Assess who we follow, who our friends are and who we are spending our time with. This is one of the main cores to make us realise what we are striving for in life.
Shaitan makes us forget our duty to Allah and makes us concentrate on our dunia tasks, money, career and dedication to earn more money and status. He makes us forget that it was Allah who gave us all these bounties and provisions in the first place.
We forget that we are the ambassador of Allah on earth, and Allah gave us all the material life as a means to be living on this earth, either to carry His message, believe it, be a role model and invite to it, or be attracted and misled by the material life and Shaitan, and now we are abusing all the means and bounty that Allah gave us.
Glimpse of the Revelation
Allah gave the revelations to Muhammad SAW over the course of 23 years, starting from when he was 40 until he died at the age of 63. Muhammad SAW never set foot outside the Arabic Peninsula, but Allah already said that he was a messenger for all mankind. How can the message be for the whole of mankind until the Day of Judgement then? How will it spread?
This is because Muhammad SAW was given a definitive book aimed at all the mankind. Once one embraces Islam, submits and surrenders to the will of the Creator, he has received the message. Once received, he has a duty to pass the message to the others. Muhammad SAW has the final ummah of mankind to continue relaying the message. The message will not be delivered by itself: we have the book but someone has to deliver it.
