Allah, the Exalted, says:

"And invite (people) to (believe in) your Lord [i.e., in the Oneness (Tauhid) of Allah]." (28:87)

"Invite (mankind, O Muhammad (salallahu alayhi wa sallam)) to the way of your Rubb (i.e., Islam) with wisdom (i.e., with the Divine Revelation and the Qur'an and fair preaching)."(16:125)

"Help you one another in Al-Birr and At-Taqwa (virtue, righteousness and piety)." (5:2)

"Let there arise out of you a group of people inviting to all that is good (Islam).'' (3:104)

Abu Mas`ud `Uqbah bin `Amr Al-Ansari Al-Badri (radiallahu anh) reported: Messenger of Allah (salallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said, "Whoever guides someone to virtue will be rewarded equivalent to him who practices that good action."
[Muslim]

Abu Hurairah (radiallahu anh) reported: Messenger of Allah (salallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said, "If anyone calls others to follow right guidance, his reward will be equivalent to those who follow him (in righteousness) without their reward being diminished in any respect, and if anyone invites others to follow error, the sin, will be equivalent to that of the people who follow him (in sinfulness) without their sins being diminished in any respect."
[Muslim]

`Invitation' and `Call' stand to mean here that someone induces others to virtue or seduces to sin by means of his speech or action.

Sahl bin Sa`d (radiallahu anh) reported: Messenger of Allah (salallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said on the day of the Khaibar Battle, "I will give this banner to a person at whose hands Allah will grant victory; a man who loves Allah and His Messenger, and Allah and His Messenger love him also.'' The people spent the night thinking as to whom it would be given. When it was morning, the people hastened to Messenger of Allah (salallahu 'alayi wa sallam). Every one of them was hoping that the banner would be given to him. He (the Prophet (salallahu 'alayhi wa sallam)) asked, "Where is `Ali ibn Abi Talib?'' They said: "O Messenger of Allah! His eyes are sore.'' He (salallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) then sent for him and when he came, Messenger of Allah (salallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) applied his saliva to his eyes and supplicated. `Ali (radiallahu anh) recovered as if he had no ailment at all. He (salallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) conferred upon him the banner. `Ali (radiallahu anh) said: "O Messenger of Allah, shall I fight against them until they are like us?'' Thereupon he (the Prophet (salallahu 'alayhi wa sallam)) said, "Advance cautiously until you reach their open places; thereafter, invite them to Islam and inform them what is obligatory for them from the Rights of Allah, for, by Allah, if Allah guides even one person through you that is better for you than possessing a whole lot of red camels."
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

Besides mentioning the excellence of `Ali (radiallahu anh) and the miracle of the Prophet (salallahu 'alayhi wa sallam), this Hadith tells us about the procedure of Jihad. According to this procedure, first of all, polytheists and infidels should be invited to Islam, and if they reject the invitation, then Jihad be made against them. Jihad is such an action that if at its initial stage, that is to say at the stage of invitation, some people accept the guidance, then the people who will participate in Jihad will get the reward of good deeds done by those who would join the fold of Islam (without their reward being diminished in any respect).

Anas bin Malik (radiallahu anh) reported: A young man from the tribe of Aslam said, "O Messenger of Allah (salallahu 'alayhi wa sallam), I wish to fight (in the Cause of Allah) but I do not have anything to equip myself with (for fighting)." He (the Prophet (salallahu 'alayhi wa sallam)) said, "Go to so-and-so, for he had equipped himself (for fighting) but he fell ill.'' So he (the young man) went to him and said, "Messenger of Allah (salallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) sends you his greetings and says that you should give me the equipment that you have provided yourself with.'' The man said (to his wife or servant): "O so-and-so, give him the equipment I have collected for myself and do not withhold anything from him. By Allah, if you withhold anything from him, we will not be blessed therein."
[Muslim]

If a person has made preparations for doing some good deed but he is unable to do it due to illness or some other genuine reason, and he gives the material to be used for that purpose to someone else then he will also be equally eligible to the reward of that good deed.

Rather than spending wealth in the way of Allah, those who withhold it, displease Allah, and their wealth becomes deprived of His Blessing.

[Riyad us Saliheen]

» Posted by Seifeddine-M on 28th November 2010

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