How to Call and Debate with non-Muslims

How to Call and Debate with non-Muslims


Shaykh Muhammad Naasiruddeen al-Albaanee

Reference: Silsilat Al Hudaa Wan Noor

Question: Their evidence is a Hadeeth in which a non Muslim came to the Messenger and embraced Islaam with the condition that he would only pray one prayer a day instead of five. The Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) agreed to this so that he would embrace Islaam and be saved. Is this Hadeeth authentic, and can it be used as evidence for this issue [1] ?

Answer: The Hadeeth is authentic but with the condition that he prays twice a day and not once. As for using it as evidence to justify their case then it is not, because what we are taking about here is the methodology of Da’wah. Did the Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) call the people to perform two daily prayers or five? Of course he called them to perform five. They want to change the methodology of Da’wah, they want us to stop clarifying to the people what Allaah has obligated upon them.

If a man who does not pray and wears a gold ring at the same time approaches you for example, it isn't that they want you to start with the issue of establishing the prayers first and postpone the issue of wearing the golden ring to a latter time. If this is what they want we would be in agreement with them in that, but what they want is to change the methodology of Da’wah. So we say to them; this Da’wah that you are calling the people to is not Islaam. It is Islaam yes, but what is the understanding of this Islaam? Is it in establishing the five daily prayers and prohibiting all forms of evil?

As for dealing with a particular individual then yes, an individual should be treated in a way that is specific to his situation. So using this Hadeeth as evidence to justify their claim is incorrect, Da’wah is one thing and the method of dealing with individuals who are being called to this Da’wah is another.

Question: How come the Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) approved for this man to pray only twice a day instead of five times?

Answer: This is the methodology of giving Da’wah, and there is another Hadeeth that is a suitable response to this question, and it is:

“If they are truthful, they will be good Muslims and strive in the cause of Allaah.”

Meaning that if we accept a little from these people while they are polytheists or disbelievers, then practicing a little will lead to practicing a lot of what has been obligated upon them. This is ‘legislated strategy’, but it is to be implemented on individuals and not on the Da’wah itself. Da’wah is to be delivered the same way in which it was revealed, without making any deductions to it. As for individuals, then they are to be dealt with according to their situations.

This is why I object to a story that some people tell; about a century ago more or less, a group of rulers wanted to embrace Islaam, however, they said that they couldn’t abandon alcohol because their countries were extremely cold, so they sent couriers to ask the Mufti of Istanbul who responded by saying that this was unacceptable. I believe this is incorrect due to the aforementioned Hadeeth. We should convey the Da’wah to them and inform them that alcohol is prohibited and that it is upon them to try and minimize this sin, we should first tell them to testify that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allaah and that Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) is the Messenger of Allaah, to pray, fast and so on, and to try to minimize what they are afflicted with as much as they possibly can. This is called ‘legislated strategy’.

As for concealing the Sharee’ah and telling people that they don’t have to pray five daily prayers but merely two! This is not Da’wah, we must differentiate between calling to Islaam and dealing with individuals, an individual must be treated according to his situation in order to draw him closer to Islaam.



[1] The issue the questioner is referring to is related to a previous question where the Shaykh was asked whether it was permissible to conceal certain issues in the religion such as music, shaving the beard and taking pictures when calling Muslims to Islaam in order to not distance them from the Da'wah.

Al Haawee Min Fataawa Ash Shaykh Al Albaanee: P.494