How to invite non-Muslims to Islam?

All praise is due to Allah the Lord of the worlds, and prayers and peace be upon the master of the messengers and all his family and company. Allah almighty has sent his messenger (Muhammad peace be upon him) as a bearer of glad tidings, and a Warner, And as one who invites to Allah. Inviting people to Allah was one of the prophet’s major responsibilities; Allah says: “Prophet, indeed We have sent you as a witness and a bringer of good tidings and a warner. (45) And one who invites to Allah, by His permission, and an illuminating lamp.

” [Al-Ahzab 33:45-46]

 {يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ إِنَّا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ شَاهِداً وَمُبَشِّراً وَنَذِيراً (45) وَدَاعِياً إِلَى اللَّهِ بِإِذْنِهِ وَسِرَاجاً مُّنِيراً} الأحزاب:45-46 

Transliteration: Ya ayyuha alnnabiyyu inna arsalnaka shahidan wamubashshiran wanatheeran (45) WadaAAiyan ila Allahi biithnihi wasirajan muneeran Hence the prophet peace be upon him performed his responsibilities perfectly; he conveyed the message, advised the nation, and fought in the case of Allah perfectly till he met His Lord. At the death of the prophet, the Arabian Peninsula was believing in monotheism, and there was a generation of the righteous companions (may Allah be pleased with them) who followed the teachings of the prophet peace be upon him very accurately; they did their best (as groups and individuals) to convey the light of Islam (that has been bestowed upon them) to the humankind outside the Arabian peninsula. 

They conveyed it during their travels in the deserts risking their life. Many prominent companions breathed their last breath in strange and remote countries during inviting for Islam. Surly, they sacrificed for their religion, and the Tabiein (the followers of the companions) followed their steps; they conquered the countries, subjected the nations, and were deployed in earth. Their monuments round the world are still stand as witnesses to their existence. O dear Muslim brother who gains the fruits of the efforts of those pious people, believes in monotheism and people from around the world come to work in your country and follow your directions then take the return of their efforts, Do you realize that the ideological struggle round the world became severe nowadays, and that every ideology has its followers who defend it, spend a lot of money to propagate it, launch media broadcasts for it and make studies for it? Surly, you know this and know that Islam is a universal religion addresses all people; because it is the religion of all prophets and the religion that Allah has chosen for people;

 Allah almighty says: “Truly, the religion with Allah is Islam” [Al-Imran 3:19] 

{إنَّ الدِّينَ عِندَ اللَّـهِ الْإِسْلَامُ} آل عمران: 19 

Transliteration: Inna alddeena AAinda Allahi alislamu And He almighty says: “And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted of him” [Al-Imran 3:85]   

{وَمَن يَبْتَغِ غَيْرَ الإِسْلاَمِ دِيناً فَلَن يُقْبَلَ مِنْهُ} آل عمران:

 85 Transliteration: Waman yabtaghi ghayra alislami deenan falan yuqbala minhu And He says: “This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion” [Al-Maidah 5:3]   

{الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِي وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ الإِسْلاَمَ دِيناً} المائدة: 3 

Transliteration: alyawma akmaltu lakum deenakum waatmamtu AAalaykum niAAmatee waradeetu lakumu alislama deenan Allah accepts no religion but Islam. This means that the Muslim believes that all non-Muslims are invited to Islam that is called for by all the messengers who did all their best for conveying it. On the other hand, Islam is a comprehensive regime for life directs the person for clear goals in all his life affairs whether it is social, economic or political. It is a message for all people whether they are white, black, Arab or non-Arab. This means that no body, regardless of his cultural or social level, would live without Islam. Moreover, conveying Allah’s message is a great honor to this Ummah (nation), because it is a participation in the honorable duty of its prophet_ calling people to following the straight way. Also, conveying this message is acquiring to the priority that Allah has appointed to this Ummah in His saying: “You are the best nation produced [as an example] for mankind. You enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and believe in Allah.” [Al-Imran 3:110]

 {كُنتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ تَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ وَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللّهِ} آل عمران: 110 

Transliteration: Kuntum khayra ommatin okhrijat lilnnasi tamuroona bialmaAAroofi watanhawna AAani almunkari watuminoona biAllahi Hence, all Muslims (men and women) have been ordered to convey the message of Islam by the same level of insistence and sacrifice that was for the prophet (peace be upon him) and his companions. After all of this, you ask yourself: “How could I invite people to Islam?” First: you have to be a good example. The prophet peace be upon him is a good example for us; before becoming prophet, he was called the truthful and the honest. 

And after being prophet, his manners was the manners that is called for by the Quran (according to the description of A’isha may Allah be pleased with her) till he deserved the compliment of his Creator and Sender Who said: “And Verily, you (O Muhammad peace be upon him) are on an exalted (standard of) character” [Al-Qalam 68:4]  

 {وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلى خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٍ} القلم: 4 

Transliteration: Wainnaka laAAala khuluqin AAatheemin That is why Allah almighty declares clearly His hate to those who say what they do not do; Allah almighty says: “O you who believe! Why do you say that which you do not do? Most hateful it is with Allah that you say that which you do not do” [As-Saf 61:2-3]  

 {يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آَمَنُوا لِمَ تَقُولُونَ مَا لَا تَفْعَلُونَ (2) كَبُرَ مَقْتاً عِندَ اللَّهِ أَن تَقُولُوا مَا لَا تَفْعَلُونَ} الصف: 2-3 

Transliteration: Ya ayyuha allatheena amanoo lima taqooloona ma la tafAAaloona (2) Kabura maqtan AAinda Allahi an taqooloo ma la tafAAaloona And He almighty says: “Do you order righteousness of the people and forget yourselves while you recite the Scripture? Then will you not reason?” [Al-Baqarah 2:44] 

  {أَتَأْمُرُونَ النَّاسَ بِالْبِرِّ وَتَنسَوْنَ أَنفُسَكُمْ وَأَنتُمْ تَتْلُونَ الْكِتَابَ أَفَلاَ تَعْقِلُونَ} البقرة: 44 

Transliteration: Atamuroona alnnasa bialbirri watansawna anfusakum waantum tatloona alkitaba afala taAAqiloona The Muslim, especially the educated one, is obliged to take benefit of his knowledge and to benefit others with it. Surly, there are characteristics the Muslim must have to be good example to the non-Muslims and to reflect Islam well. These characteristics include following the orders of Allah and His messenger accurately. Moreover, Muslim is obliged to submit totally to Allah to make people accept him. Second: the good and important factors that the Muslim should do include being professional in writing, addressing, arguing and conversing. 

By being professional in these things, the Muslim could achieve his goals by the lowest and easiest cost. When the Muslim expresses his ideas and thoughts in an interesting and attractive way, he makes people accept Islam and do not averse to hear about it. Moreover, he should address people according to the level of their understanding; he should not address the workers as he addresses the philosophers, or addresses the atheists emotionally without material proofs. The human self by its nature loves who does beneficence to it.

 On the other hand, rigidity may enforce it to arrogance, insistence and averse; then arrogance could lead it to more crime. Being mildly does not mean to be hypocrite or to be insincere, rather it means to advice and does favors in good affectionate way opens the hearts. He almighty said in his commandment to his two prophets, Moses and Aaron, peace be upon them: “Go, both of you, to Pharaoh. Indeed, he has transgressed. (43) And speak to him with gentle speech that perhaps he may be reminded or fear [Allah].

"” [Ta-Ha: 43-44]   {اذْهَبَا إِلَى فِرْعَوْنَ إِنَّهُ طَغَى (43) فَقُولَا لَهُ قَوْلاً لَّيِّناً لَّعَلَّهُ يَتَذَكَّرُ أَوْ يَخْشَى} طه: 43-44 

Transliteration: Ithhaba ila firAAawna innahu tagha (43) Faqoola lahu qawlan layyinan laAAallahu yatathakkaru aw yakhsha Third: Knowing the person you preach him and knowing his ideas, concepts, thoughts and problems, because this is a way to knowing the key to his heart. Actually, the Muslim is a person who knows how to diagnose the disease and provide the appropriate treatment. Moreover, he does not wait people to come to him; rather he seeks them and visits them from time to time and in appropriate times.

 He also invites them in the different occasions and goes to their ceremonies and parties. Fourth: the Muslim should always emphasize the meaning of the Islamic creed and tries to plant the seed of believing in Allah in the heart of the addressed person. He always emphasizes that Allah is the All-Provider and that He is the One Who provides life and death, and that there is another life after death, and there is Judgment and reward and punishment. 

Talking about the Islamic creed and illustrating it is the base of the preaching of the preacher; he must not forget that, because it is the essence of Islam. If the listeners accepted the essence of Islam, it would be easy to convince them with the other purposes of Islam. When talking about the current status of Muslims, the preacher should try to illustrate that what Muslims face today (e.g. their disunity, tardiness… etc,) is a result to being away from Islam. When the person who is invited to Islam knows the fundamentals of the Islamic creed and the meaning of there is no true god but Allah, teaching him the other teachings of Islam become easy; moreover this facilitates to him memorizing the Holy Quran. Fifth: The Muslim is obliged to be patient in his calling to Allah; he should not quickly seek the fruits of calling to Islam. Moreover, he knows no despair or disappointment. He also knows that being patient during inviting people to the way of Allah means to advise them when it is obligatory to do this without fearing anybody; Allah almighty says: “And say: "The truth is from your Lord.

" Then whosoever wills, let him believe; and whosoever wills, let him disbelieve” [Al-Kahf :29]   

{وَقُلِ الْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّكُمْ فَمَن شَاء فَلْيُؤْمِن وَمَن شَاء فَلْيَكْفُرْ} الكهف:

Transliteration: Waquli alhaqqu min rabbikum faman shaa falyumin waman shaa falyakfur Sixth: The Muslim is obliged to sacrifice in the case of Allah; he should sacrifice time, effort, intellectual efficiency, social rank, bright future, wishes and hopes. He should do this as a kind of walking in the way of the righteous ancestors who provided the best examples of sacrifice for guiding people to the straight way. The grandsons should walk in the way of their grandparents. Muslims will never restore their exalted rank without this behavior (sacrifice).

 If they did not sacrifice, it would mean that they compete for the worldly benefits. “Sacrifice” means to put in your mind the concept of giving the interest of Islam the priority over any other interest and to abide to Islam under any condition. Muslim should not be diverted by trade or sale (business) from the remembrance of Allah (with heart and tongue) or fighting in the case of Him. The hearts of Muslims do not lack enthusiasm to the religion and chastity; moreover, they do not like the misleading and destruction that Islam faces. 

However, they need the one who guides them and illustrates the way for them. So, if you were the person who shows the way to them, you could participate in combating the threats that stand in the face of Islam round the world. If you did so, you would protect Muslims from great dangerous and would open to them huge gate by calling whom you invite to Islam. Indeed; by the serious simple contributions, the Ummah can achieve its desired goals (e.g. honor, dignity, development…etc,) and you could gain the great reward from Allah in the day that you will need help in it most. 

The Muslim should take benefit from the books that were written by the pioneers in this field, such as: 1. Ad-Dawa Ila Allah Wa Akhlaq Ad-Duaah (Calling to Allah and the manners of the preachers), by Abdel-Aziz bin Abdullah bin Baz 

2. Tazkerat Ad-Duaa, (The reminder of the preachers), by Al-Bahi Al-Khouly 

3. Tazkerat Ad-Duaah (The reminder of the preachers), by Abul-A’la Al-Mawdudy 

4. Kaif Nadou An-Nas (How to preach people), by Abdel-Badie Sakr 5. Ad-Dawa Ila Al-Islam (Calling to Islam), by Manna’ Al-Qattan 6. 

Regal Al-Fikr Wa Ad-Dawa Fi Al-Islam (The men of thought and preaching in Islam), by Abu Al-Hassan An-Nadawy 7. Muzakkerat Ad-Dawa wa Ad-Da’iah (Notes of preaching and preacher), by Hassan Al-Bannah 8. Ad-Dawa Al-Islamiah Al-Wasael Wa Al-Khitat Wa Al-Madakhil (The Islamic call; means, plans and ways 9. Wajib Ash-Shabab Al-Muslim (Muslim youth’s duty), by Abul-A’la Al-Mawdudy 10. Usul Ad-Dawa (The fundamentals of calling to Islam), by Abdel-Kreem Zidan May Allah guide us all to whatever pleases Him. And peace be upon our prophet, Muhammad, and his family and company.