Has anyone ever said anything directly to you or behind your back that was demeaning and wasn’t true? Were you complacent about it? Highly likely that you were not…myself included.  How about saying demeaning things about your parents, family, or friends that wasn’t true?  Were you complacent about it? Probably not. Neither was I. The most natural reaction was to immediately speak up and negate the false claims directly to the person stating them. This, of course, if one is able to manage suppressing the anger ignited by false claims. Even if sometimes the claims are not that inflammatory, yet we are foremost in our quest for justice for ourselves and for those closest to us.

So, why? and I ask myself this first, are we so utterly complacent when it comes to serious false claims made about The One True God, Allah (SWT - Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala, Glorified and Exalted is He)? The only answer that I recently had for myself was that I just wasn’t really doing what I’m supposed to do which is dawah, or calling people to Islam.

My love for Allah (SWT) only increases when I think of His ultimate patience and mercy to allow it to continue and give people the opportunity to come to the correct realization. If one’s boss or director senses in the air even the suggestion of a false claim about himself or herself made by someone, that person is finished in some form or another.

The world would never have even begun if it wasn’t for Allah (SWT)’s mercy. However, those who are aware of the truth, should address false claims immediately in a calm manner without confrontation or bombarding the listener. We must remember that though some of us were fortunate to be born to Muslim parents, others were born to parents with a very different faith system. They were submerged in that faith their whole lives. To change the very foundation of their lives, takes great effort and sacrifice. This is no excuse though, because countless people have successfully accomplished this once they heard the truth of Islam. Furthermore, calling another person to Islam should never be condescending because only Allah (SWT) has afforded him or her the opportunity of dawah.

One does not have to be a scholar to invite others to Islam. He or she should have basic knowledge of Islam and other religions and if questions or issues are brought up that one does not have knowledge of, one should say so and research or find the answer from someone more knowledgeable, instead of making up an answer that’s incorrect.

Dawah enables the person calling people to Islam, to continuously increase his/her empathy for others. It’s a means of forming bonds with people that may be very different in their thinking and way of life and engenders caring. Everyone often seeks to return to the past, to a time when life was more pure and simple. Dawah seeks to accomplish this in returning people to their original state or fitra. We are all born in this state that is devoted to The Creator and only go astray because of ideas that we are taught and choose as we grow older. We all have the same roots.

Prophet Muhammad (SAW - Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam, peace and  blessings upon him) was the perfect da’ee. He (SAW) was perfect in knowledge and manners. He (SAW) genuinely cared the most for humanity regardless of anyone’s background or stance on any issue. Understanding his (SAW)’s life by studying the Seerah (biography) only enhances one’s ability for dawah.

Regardless of tragic events surrounding one’s birth, life, and death, only one ultimate tragedy exists. If one chooses this ultimate tragedy then his or her life and its purpose are lost. If one does not choose this ultimate tragedy, then his or her life and its purpose are never lost. The ultimate and greatest tragedy is not knowing the Greatness of Allah (SWT), his last Messenger Prophet Muhammad (SAW), and the truth of Islam. Furthermore, regardless of one’s life and its successes and disappointments, the ultimate success is knowing these and it is the responsibility of Muslims to call people to Islam and for the listener to take the first step.