Many people believe that a Muslim’s mission is limited to earning a living, establishing profitable ventures, obtaining the highest degrees, advancing in one’s career, and pursuing wealth and prosperity, and these achievements are without a doubt—necessary and legitimate; indeed, the fundamental principle in Islam is to attain strength in all its meanings; there is no contradiction between working for this world and devotion to the Hereafter.
However, do these gains alone grant us the true happiness we seek?
Do they make us the kind of person who views life with a clear perspective?
No; true happiness lies in choosing the path that Allah has ordained for us, the path of calling others to Him and elevating the self above its desires. Allah, the Exalted, says:
And who is better in speech than he who
[says: "My Lord is Allah (believes in His Oneness)," and then stands
straight (acts upon His Order), and invites (men) to Allah's (Islamic
Monotheism), and does righteous deeds, and says: "I am one of the
Muslims.
(41:33)
This verse places da'wah at the forefront of all statements and makes it the supreme goal from which all righteous deeds originate.
The honor of the nation of Muhammad, peace be upon him, lies in following this path; which is the noblest and greatest of all obligations. Allah, the Exalted, says:
And let there be [arising] from you a nation inviting to [all that is] good, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong, and those will be the successful.
(3:104)
What path could be nobler and better than this one, which Allah has chosen for us and in which He has placed success?
It is obligatory for those who tread this path to possess the most effective methods and the most skilful approaches, and for their first goal to be for Allah, the Exalted. It is a path we follow, using knowledge as a means to enlighten minds, so that people may find their way and their lost happiness in the beauty of our moral character, and choose to walk in the company of those whose concern is calling others to Allah, whose concern is hastening to do good deeds, and who take pride in belonging to this religion.
One of the most effective methods in da'wah is setting a good example. Such an example is characterized by staying away from areas of controversy, argument, and the spreading of conflicts. It also instils hope in people’s hearts and combats the despair sown by the pessimists who await every new initiative with hostility.
Say, "This is my way;
I invite to Allah with insight, I and those who follow me. And exalted is
Allah; and I am not of those who associate others with Him.
(12:108)
This verse clearly outlines the methodology of calling people to Allah: The da’wa must be based on awareness, understanding, and sound reasoning, and the caller must be knowledgeable about what he is calling people to.
And here the central question arises: Will we remain captive to hostilities and enmities, or will we rise above, to the level of leading by example and through moral conduct, so that we may truly be messengers of peace and mercy in this world?
Da’wa is not the sole responsibility of the prophets, but rather the path of
those who follow them.