Dawah should echo everywhere
Sheikh Arshid
The current age of mass transit and modern technology offers a Muslim about the feelings of complete comfort and ease from the physical pain. But the Muslim never bothered about the need of a spiritual revival and spread of Islam.
Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and his companions have during their own times, shown their dedication and perseverance and spread Islam throughout the world with utmost sacrifices.
Religion is not just remaining busy in prayer and Zikr at home. That too is mandatory and nobody can deter it, but overall it is action, it is effort and it is sacrificing the lovable things in the way of Allah. We Muslims have never been involved actively in carrying “Kalima” to doorstep of every individual of the world.
Dawah urges all Muslim Ummah to revive the spiritual and sacrificing journey in the manner of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and his followers ( Suhabbas). Their task is to travel lightly or heavily: “Go forth, whether light or heavy, and strive with your wealth and your lives in the cause of Allah. That is better for you, if you only knew”( Al- Quran) spread the words of ” Kalima” among fellows of Muslims and non-Muslims – go from village to village, masjid to masjid without having any monetary means in return so that more are brought into the fold. Armed only with backpacks, sleeping bags, and a simple message of Allah and his last Messenger (SAW). Dawah activists are going door-to-door on foot and don’t leave any stone unturned.
But in the past few years, no region of the world which has not been observing the spread of Dawah, where tens of thousands of jaded youth have been actively involved in call of Dawah. The rise of Dawah totally rejects the discrimination of caste, creed, colour and race. It is urging all the followers to heed the ways of Muhammad (SAW) and Suhabbas by insisting that the spread of “Kalima” needs hardships and sacrifices. It primarily focus on women to be involved in the Dawah directly as their involvement can shoulder betterment among their children.
The Dawah insists that its message is nonviolent and that it harbors no hatred for other faiths or peoples. Instead, it seeks to show Muslims the right path that was followed by all Suhabbas.
When Mohammed Ilyas Kandhlawi (RA) began this revivalist movement in northwest India in 1927, the response was quite aggressive. He wanted to take his teachings from the classroom to the common man and woman and had done toiled work in the path of Allah and brought a new hope to the Muslim Ummah .
Kandhlawi died in 1944 but he successfully decentralized the movement he created. It has become a global network, propelled by its simple revivalist message and by the dedication of mostly young men has attracted all the Muslim followers and its effect has now deeply rooted in the whole world.
Every day, thousands of groups of Dawah followers go on missions, called Kharooj (movement in the path of Allah) they approach the people door-to-door. Their dress is quite simple following the dress worn by Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and his followers. In the path of Allah, there is proper ” Mushwara” and on the order of Ameer of the Jammat two or three meeting couples (Mulakat ki joodi) go in the locality from door to door and they give a two-minute speech, offer a blessing to the people they visit, and make one request that they join them for prayer and a brief lecture (at Magrib Nimaz) or Taleem especially at the neighborhood Masjid.
In their lessons, drawn from Quranic verses and the recorded sayings of Muhammad, Dawah supporters lay out two simple aims. First, they encourage fellow Muslims to return to what they believe are the standards and morals of the prophet’s companions. Second, they recruit, asking worshipers to join Dawah and take part in kharooj.
In Dawah work, supporters are urged to proselytize three days per month or 40 consecutive days, and in four month-long mission is the schedule of the Kharooj every year. This helps in a constant influx of fresh recruits so that Dawah work will reach to each and every household as promised by Mohammad (SAW) to his daughter Hazrat Fatima ( RA). Keep in view that there is no physical product to sell, only a set of six principles that Dawah members must uphold, including a commitment to prayer and study, to honor fellow Muslims, and to sincerity of intention.
To set an example, Dawah followers attempt to emulate the social practices of Prophet Muhammad( SAW) in all aspects of life, ranging from which foot should exit the Masjid first to which direction to face when sleeping at night. They eat from communal platters on the ground and brush their teeth with twigs known for their antibacterial properties, as did the prophet’s companions and trying their best to follow and reviving every kind of Sunnah.
The followers of Dawah believe on sacrifices and don’t want to broadcast their teachings via any social media. The movement has no website, no social media channels, no advertisement and no posters. It even forbids its followers to involve in any political or social organisation they only believe to go individual to individual with the message that there is no one but Allah.
Dawah urges women, who are barely visible in the movement now looking to wear the full face veil while moving in the path of Allah. Women followers gather in homes in Kharooj where all neighborhood women gather in the same house and these Dawah women help the neighbouring women in Deen and urging them to go in “kharooj”.
The Dawah men (Mohram) who gather in the nearby Masjid of same locality providing groceries and food for the female activists. (Male Dawah members, who support a highly segregated approach and don’t allow any strange person of the locality to visit the guest house of Dawah women. This helps the feminine side of the society to be involved in Deen and its principles.
Dawah wants to improve the perception of Islam among non-Muslims also. By showcasing the tenets of Islam among Muslim such as generosity, loving whole humanity, respect for nature, cleanliness, humility, to combat prejudices, stick to the principles of Islam is mandatory etc that will bring them on the right track with all moral standards that are claimed by Islam.
Indeed, Dawah’s greatest strength may be its simplicity: It has no larger platform or agenda, but the call to proselytize. During Kharooj everybody comes with own money and own backpacks and sleeping bags they don’t want to depend upon the service of locality or any individual or organisation. The Dawah work doesn’t want any power, followers of it do not want money, they do not want influence but strictly focussing on the spread of “Kalima” among human beings.
Keeping in view the present scenario of the humanity it is necessary for all parents to send their children in the path of Allah so that they can be morally correct by removing all social crookedness if it is not done so then forthcoming generations may build and stick to all social crimes and delinquencies that can lead to huge social destruction.
The forethought of Dawah has solid foundation and Inshallah will bring morally correct behaviour and righteousness among coming generations.
(The author is involved in Dawah work and hails from Kuchmulla Tral)
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