If Allah guides whom he wills, what is the point of dawah?

[czgibson]

Greetings,

This is an odd question that has occurred to me several times. Can anyone explain how it's possible for dawah to have any effect if Allah decides who will be guided and who won't?

What then is the point of trying to persuade people that Islam is for them? Why not just leave it to Allah?

Peace

[alcurad]

he guides those who want to be guided, we don't take a fatalist view at all, the qur'an is not to be taken verse by verse but rather as a whole. guidance in his hands is confirming that he is the god and all matters are up to him in the end, nothing more, nothing less.

[Abu Ilyas]

There are Two Types of Hidayah (Guidance)

Huda here means the faith that resides in the heart, and only Allah is able to create it in the heart of the servants. Allah said,
﴿إِنَّكَ لاَ تَهْدِى مَنْ أَحْبَبْتَ﴾
(Verily, you (O Muhammad ) guide not whom you like) (28:56),


﴿لَّيْسَ عَلَيْكَ هُدَاهُمْ﴾
(Not upon you (Muhammad ) is their guidance) (2:272),


﴿مَن يُضْلِلِ اللَّهُ فَلاَ هَادِيَ لَهُ﴾
(Whomsoever Allah sends astray, none can guide him) (7:186), and,


﴿مَن يَهْدِ اللَّهُ فَهُوَ الْمُهْتَدِ وَمَن يُضْلِلْ فَلَن تَجِدَ لَهُ وَلِيًّا مُّرْشِدًا﴾


(He whom Allah guides, he is the rightly guided; but he whom He sends astray, for him you will find no Wali (guiding friend) to lead him (to the right path)) (18:17).


Huda also means to explain the truth, give direction and lead to it. Allah, the Exalted, said,
﴿وَإِنَّكَ لَتَهْدِى إِلَى صِرَطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ﴾


(And verily, you (O Muhammad ) are indeed guiding (mankind) to the straight path (i.e. Allah's religion of Islamic Monotheism)) (42: 52),


﴿إِنَّمَآ أَنتَ مُنذِرٌ وَلِكُلِّ قَوْمٍ هَادٍ﴾


(You are only a warner, and to every people there is a guide) (13:7), and,


﴿وَأَمَّا ثَمُودُ فَهَدَيْنَـهُمْ فَاسْتَحَبُّواْ الْعَمَى عَلَى الْهُدَى﴾


(And as for Thamud, We showed and made clear to them the path of truth (Islamic Monotheism) through Our Messenger (i.e. showed them the way of success), but they preferred blindness to guidance) (41:17).


testifying to this meaning.
Also, Allah said,
﴿وَهَدَيْنَـهُ النَّجْدَينِ ﴾
(And shown him the two ways (good and evil).) (90:10)


This is the view of the scholars who said that the two ways refer to the paths of righteousness and evil, which is also the correct explanation. And Allah knows best.

[aamirsaab]

Greetings,

This is an odd question that has occurred to me several times. Can anyone explain how it's possible for dawah to have any effect if Allah decides who will be guided and who won't?

What then is the point of trying to persuade people that Islam is for them? Why not just leave it to Allah?

Peace

The way I see it is: Allah presents that person (the guided one) with an opportunity or a door (aka Islam). Dawah is the key to that door.

Can a key unlock a door that isn't there? Nope. Hence the reason for Allah's guidance.

A person needs the direction (Allah's guidance) to get to the door (Islam), the key (dawah) to open it and the will to go through it.

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[crayon]

"What then is the point of trying to persuade people that Islam is for them?"

For me, I don't see dawah as doing that. At least, not the kind that I would normally partake in. Dawah is spreading the message of islam, and then people can choose to accept or reject. So after a person hears of the message, if they are sincerely seeking the true religion, Allah will guide them. If not, they'll remian as they were.

[czgibson]

Greetings,

"What then is the point of trying to persuade people that Islam is for them?"

For me, I don't see dawah as doing that. At least, not the kind that I would normally partake in. Dawah is spreading the message of islam, and then people can choose to accept or reject. So after a person hears of the message, if they are sincerely seeking the true religion, Allah will guide them. If not, they'll remian as they were.

That seems a sensible way to look at it, although the way I summarised it is how it often feels to be on the receiving end of some dawah. That's fine of course; people can attempt to persuade others that their path is the right one. Whether it will be effective is another question.

I still can't quite see how this fits in with guidance being Allah's decision, but in any case, thanks to everyone who has replied.

Peace

[S1aveofA11ah]

Czgibson - maybe the below will help a bit to 'seperate' the dawah part from the 'Allah chooses' part:

Muslims believe in something very important called 'Al-Qadar', which is Divine Predestination, but this belief in Divine Predestination does not mean that human beings do not have freewill.

Rather, Muslims believe that God has given human beings freewill. This means that they can choose right or wrong and that they are responsible for their choices. The belief in Divine Predestination includes belief in four things:

(1) God knows everything. He knows what has happened and what will happen as well as what is happening.
(2) God has recorded all that has happened and all that will happen.
(3) Whatever God wills to happen happens, and whatever He wills not to happen does not happen.
(4) God is the Creator of everything.

Imagine now that Allah chooses to guide someone to Islam. Allah sends that person a book via a Muslim neighbour which explains what is Islam is.

The person reads this book, understands it, likes what it is calling to and then decides to take Islam as his religion.

So Allah chose to guide the person and the guidance was 'transmitted' via the dawah. The dawah in this case specifically was the act of passing on of a book about Islam. You see Allah cannot be seen by mankind as he is 'higher and above' the creation i.e. totally seperate from it. He is nothing like the creation. Therefore dawah is done by us humans.

Now here is some kind dawah to you brother czgibson!. It has an 'explanatory' bit and then a 'challenge' bit.

(1) The explanatory bit - just like a statement if you like!.

I see numerous non-Muslims who like bits of Islam but cannot appreciate the whole due to their lack of guidance and subsequent ignorance. For example they might say - 'Hey Islam has good in it because it says drugs/gambling are haram (not allowed)' or 'Islam doesn't permit cheating on one's spouse - I like that it protects us from a social breakdown in families'. These people are like someone who knows what a brake is, what a steerling wheel is and a gearbox etc. but they never ever understand what a car really ever is. Islam 'is' that car albeit incomparably more important.

(2) The challenge bit!. I challenge you czgibson that if you understood Islam and you were honest you would accept the religion, Allah willing of course!. Take the race issue as an example. A man who is born black/brown/white/yellow never chose his colour when inside his mother. Those who understand this can see the evil of say for example the KKK. They know where misguidance concerning racisim can lead to (with the extreme example of the KKK) and how evil and wrong it is. The SAME thing applies to Islam. If someone can understand WHAT Islam is (i.e. they are free from ignorance) then the only thing stopping him/her from accepting it as something good and valuable is their own arrogance.

This is why I say being HONEST with yourself (and others!) in life is key. A prophecy from Islam says that as time goes on more and more liars will appear. The untrustworthy ones will be taken as the trusted - take Tony Blair for example who wreaked havoc on the earth. Also the trustworthy ones will be taken as untrustworthy.

So May Allah guide you to Islam (ameen) - a religion where one totally submits his will to the will of his Lord, not to his family, boss or friends etc.

[Zamtsa]

There are Two Types of Hidayah (Guidance)

Huda here means the faith that resides in the heart, and only Allah is able to create it in the heart of the servants. Allah said,
﴿إِنَّكَ لاَ تَهْدِى مَنْ أَحْبَبْتَ﴾
(Verily, you (O Muhammad ) guide not whom you like) (28:56),


﴿لَّيْسَ عَلَيْكَ هُدَاهُمْ﴾
(Not upon you (Muhammad ) is their guidance) (2:272),


﴿مَن يُضْلِلِ اللَّهُ فَلاَ هَادِيَ لَهُ﴾
(Whomsoever Allah sends astray, none can guide him) (7:186), and,


﴿مَن يَهْدِ اللَّهُ فَهُوَ الْمُهْتَدِ وَمَن يُضْلِلْ فَلَن تَجِدَ لَهُ وَلِيًّا مُّرْشِدًا﴾


(He whom Allah guides, he is the rightly guided; but he whom He sends astray, for him you will find no Wali (guiding friend) to lead him (to the right path)) (18:17).


Huda also means to explain the truth, give direction and lead to it. Allah, the Exalted, said,
﴿وَإِنَّكَ لَتَهْدِى إِلَى صِرَطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ﴾


(And verily, you (O Muhammad ) are indeed guiding (mankind) to the straight path (i.e. Allah's religion of Islamic Monotheism)) (42: 52),


﴿إِنَّمَآ أَنتَ مُنذِرٌ وَلِكُلِّ قَوْمٍ هَادٍ﴾


(You are only a warner, and to every people there is a guide) (13:7), and,


﴿وَأَمَّا ثَمُودُ فَهَدَيْنَـهُمْ فَاسْتَحَبُّواْ الْعَمَى عَلَى الْهُدَى﴾


(And as for Thamud, We showed and made clear to them the path of truth (Islamic Monotheism) through Our Messenger (i.e. showed them the way of success), but they preferred blindness to guidance) (41:17).


testifying to this meaning.
Also, Allah said,
﴿وَهَدَيْنَـهُ النَّجْدَينِ ﴾
(And shown him the two ways (good and evil).) (90:10)


This is the view of the scholars who said that the two ways refer to the paths of righteousness and evil, which is also the correct explanation. And Allah knows best.

this is right. And there are also 2 types of Huda(guidance):


1. Al Baqarah(2):185 Ramadan is the (month) in which was sent down the Qur'an as a guide to mankind also clear (Signs) for guidance and judgment (between right and wrong)...

This 1 is Hidayah for every human kind and Jin.


2. Al Baqarah(2):2 This is the Book; in it is guidance sure without doubt to those who fear Allah.

This 1 is the Huda for people of Muttaqin(pitiful Muslim).


source: Ushulun Fi At Tafsir Kaifa Yajibu A'laina An Nufassira Al Qur'an Al Karim


Assalamu'alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakaatuh.

[Confused0122]

I understand what you are saying.. I wonder about that too lol. If it's all predestined, then why try? I think there should be people who preach the religion, but to those who are willing to listen with an open mind and heart. If Allah wills for that person to be on the straight path, he/she will gradually be guided as a result of listening to people speak. Just speaking to others won't change anything, but having questions answered will clear your mind of doubts, therefore giving you a greater chance of embracing and understanding the religion. Once you understand it, you will automatically assimilate it into your daily life. I don't know if that helps or not, but I see it as Allah wanting everyone to be on the straight path. He doesn't want people to suffer in hell. He has given everybody intelligence, and through that, each individual can decide if Islam is right for them. Preaching is just one of the ways by which people are exposed to Islam, thus making it easier for them to be guided onto the straight path.

[glo]

I am not speaking as a Muslim, but perhaps the principles apply to Christianity too.

If we believe that God is all-knowing, then he already knows who will and who will not come to be a believer.
However, we - as followers of our faiths - do not know. All we know is that by explaining our faith to non-believers we may enable them to learn about and understand our faith - and possibly accept it as their own.

We thereby make ourselves God's instrument in reaching others.
God guides whom he wills .. but he may choose to use his existing followers to become the guide.

Just my personal thoughts ...

Peace :)

[czgibson]

Greetings,

Czgibson - maybe the below will help a bit to 'seperate' the dawah part from the 'Allah chooses' part:

So Allah chose to guide the person and the guidance was 'transmitted' via the dawah. The dawah in this case specifically was the act of passing on of a book about Islam. You see Allah cannot be seen by mankind as he is 'higher and above' the creation i.e. totally seperate from it. He is nothing like the creation. Therefore dawah is done by us humans.

It seems that what you're essentially saying is that god cannot be seen, therefore he needs lots of advertising. Is that it?

I see numerous non-Muslims who like bits of Islam but cannot appreciate the whole due to their lack of guidance and subsequent ignorance.

I do like certain aspects of Islam; I am repelled by certain other aspects, and as a total system of thought it makes no sense to me whatsoever. I've been reading this forum with interest for a few years now, so it's fair to say that the opportunity for me to be 'guided' has definitely been there, but so far I've seen nothing that compels me to convert and become a Muslim.

Of course, I've met many cool people here, too, as you'd expect. :)

If someone can understand WHAT Islam is (i.e. they are free from ignorance) then the only thing stopping him/her from accepting it as something good and valuable is their own arrogance.

So the problem is with me and not with Islam - I might have guessed it.

If something makes no sense to me, is it arrogant of me not to accept it? Or should I just accept Islam even if I really think it makes no sense? Surely not?

So May Allah guide you to Islam (ameen) - a religion where one totally submits his will to the will of his Lord, not to his family, boss or friends etc.

I'm sticking with my family, boss and friends for the moment. You should meet my boss, actually - he's hilarious. :D

Thanks for your reply. :)

Peace

[alcurad]

a bit off topic, but what does exactly not make sense..

[AntiKarateKid]

I dont see the problem.

Allah guides whomever is good and whoever is evil misses out on his help.

The thing is only Allah knows who is truly guided and truly misguided, you have no clue.

Your job is only to play out your part in life adhering to His laws.



/thread

[YusufNoor]

Greetings,


That seems a sensible way to look at it, although the way I summarised it is how it often feels to be on the receiving end of some dawah. That's fine of course; people can attempt to persuade others that their path is the right one. Whether it will be effective is another question.

I still can't quite see how this fits in with guidance being Allah's decision, but in any case, thanks to everyone who has replied.

Peace

:sl:

i saw this and i thought of you:

http://www.slideshare.net/speed2kx/3...s-presentation

i haven't quite looked at the whole thing. you may/may not enjoy it!

edit: which, by the way, comes from this posting of powerpoint presentations:

http://www.slideshare.net/speed2kx/slideshows

most are by Brother Doctor Bashar Shala. most folks have never heard of him, but he's one of my absolute favorite Islamic Historians.

:w:

[Abu AbdulRahman]

when we make daua, then this will be our excuse
when Allah ask us about our neighbors why aren't they muslims, then we can say that we told them about Islam but they didn't accept it.