Allah Almighty says: {call people to your Lord} [Surat al-Qasas: 87] Allah Almighty also says: {Call to the way of your Lord with wisdom and goodly exhortation} [Surat an-Nahl: 125] Allah Almighty also says: {cooperate with one another in goodness and righteousness} [Surat al-Mā’idah: 2] Allah Almighty also says: {Let there be a group from among you who call to goodness} [Surat Āl ‘Imrān: 104]
1) A servant is commanded to call for what is good through his words, actions, or good manners.
2) Having knowledge is a requirement for the caller to Allah as the one who enjoins what is good and forbids what is evil must have knowledge of what he preaches.
3) Callers to Allah are encouraged to use wisdom and fair preaching while calling people to Allah.
4) The command of Allah Almighty for this nation is to have among it a group of people who enjoin what is good and forbid what is evil, as this is one of the signs of success.
173/1- Abu Mas‘ūd, ‘Uqbah ibn ‘Amr al-Ansāri al-Badri (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: “The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: ‘Whoever guides to a good deed gets the same reward as the doer of that deed.’” [Narrated by Muslim]
174/2- Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that Allah’s Messenger (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Whoever calls to guidance shall receive a reward similar to that received by those who follow him without that diminishing anything from their rewards. And whoever calls to misguidance shall incur a sin similar to that incurred by those who follow him without that diminishing anything from their sins.” [Narrated by Muslim]
1) Calling for guidance or misguidance may be done by words or actions.
2) Causing something to be done is the same as doing it. Therefore, whoever calls to good or evil gets the like of the reward or the burden of whoever else does it.
3) Giving great attention to calling to goodness and righteousness and preventing evil and corruption.
175/3- Abu Al-‘Abbās Sahl ibn Sa‘d al-Sa‘idi (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said on the day of Khaybar: “Tomorrow, I will give this banner to a man at whose hands Allah will grant victory; a man who loves Allah and His Messenger and whom Allah and His Messenger love.” The people spent the night thinking as to whom it would be given. When it was morning, the people hastened to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him). Every one of them was hoping that the banner would be given to him. He asked: “Where is ‘Ali ibn Abi Tālib?” They said: “O Messenger of Allah, his eyes are sore.” He said: “Send for him to come.” When he came, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) spat into his eyes and supplicated Allah for him. Thereupon, ‘Ali recovered as if he had no ailment at all, so he (the Messenger of Allah) gave him the banner. ‘Ali said: “O Messenger of Allah, shall I fight against them until they are like us (Muslims)?” He replied: “Advance cautiously until you reach their courtyard; then invite them to Islam and inform them what is obligatory on them of the rights of Allah, for, by Allah, if Allah guides even one person through you, it is better for you than possessing a fortune of red camels.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri and Muslim]
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1) The Hadīth highlights the excellence of the great companion ‘Ali ibn Abi Tālib (may Allah be pleased with him) since he is among those whom Allah and His Messenger love. What a blessing it is! So Allah granted victory at his hands.
2) Allah Almighty may shower a servant with virtues that have never come across his mind.
3) A servant may be deprived of something although he is keen to have it, and may be granted something while he is not keen to have it.
4) Encouraging people to pursue goodness and be foremost in doing good deeds.
5) Calling to Islam is one of the most important duties, given the great reward that results from guiding people to the right path.
176/4- Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that a young man from Aslam tribe said, “O Messenger of Allah, I wish to fight in the cause of Allah but I do not have anything to equip myself with for fighting.” The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Go to so-and-so, for he had equipped himself (for fighting) but he fell ill.” So, the young man went to him and said, “The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) sends you his greetings and says that you should give me the equipage that you have provided yourself with.” The man said (to his wife or maidservant), “O So-and-so, give him the equipage I have collected for myself and do not withhold anything from him; by Allah, if you withhold anything from him, it will not be blessed for you.” [Narrated by Muslim]
1) A servant is rewarded for guiding others to do goodness.
2) If a servant intended to do a good deed and was prevented by any cause, like illness for example, he has to give what he has already prepared for doing that good deed to someone else to do it, so as to gain full reward and maintain the intended benefit.