Da'wah (calling others to Islam) through one's good deeds is far more effective than using suave words and eloquent rhetoric. In contemplating the biographies of the early Muslims, one would be moved to wonder, at their awe-inspiring personalities, for they used to give of themselves tirelessly and patiently, regardless of circumstances and consequences, whether they were in Makkah or Madeenah, after their emigration. They used to devote themselves and exert efforts to their utmost ability; their attempts sometimes succeeded and failed at other times. However, everything they did was for the sake of Allaah The Almighty, Who Says (what means):
And say, "Do [as you will], for Allaah Will See your deeds, and [so, will] His Messenger and the believers.[Quran 9:105]
And whatever you spend of expenditures or make of vows - indeed, Allaah Knows of it. And for the wrongdoers there are no helpers.[Quran 2:270]
Al-Faarooq and the Hijrah
'Umar ibn Al-Khattaab known as Al-Faarooq (the Criterion), was one of those who sacrificed everything for Allaah The Almighty. He was keen on all people embracing Islam and remaining steadfast on their religion. He would also endeavor to help the new oppressed Muslims stay firm in their faith. He neither waited for a command nor paused to ruminate, but he would immediately hasten to act and not hesitate in such matters.
Let us observe his actions during and after the Hijrah (emigration) as a caller to the Way of Allaah The Almighty. Employing various means in giving Da'wah, the primary concern of 'Umar ibn Al-Khattaab was to guide people to Islam and keep them steadfast on the religion. History books narrate the story of his emigration in his own words:
"When we wanted to emigrate to Madeenah, I agreed with 'Ayyaash ibn Abu Rabee'ah and Hishaam ibn Al-'Aas ibn Waa'il As-Sahmi both, to meet at a place that was part of the land of Banu Ghifaar, behind the valley of Sarif. We decided that if any of us failed to turn up at the designated point, it would be understood that he was not coming and had been forcibly held back and that the other two had to move on without him. In the morning, I met 'Ayyaash ibn Abu Rabee'ah in the agreed-upon place, whereas Hishaam was detained and compelled to abandon his religion, which he did. Having arrived in Madeenah, we stayed with Banu 'Amr ibn 'Awf in Qubaa'. Then, Abu Jahl ibn Hishaam and al-Haarith ibn Hishaam set out to catch 'Ayyaash ibn Abu Rabee'ah, who was their paternal cousin and their half brother from their mother. They reached Madeenah, while the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, was still in Makkah. They told 'Ayyaash: 'Your mother vowed that she would not comb her hair until she sees you.' 'Ayyaash was full of pity for her and decided to return with them. I said to him: 'O 'Ayyaash, by Allaah, it is nothing but an attempt to seduce you into abandoning your religion, so beware.' 'Ayyaash replied: 'I will [help my mother] fulfill her vow. Also, I have some money there, which I would like to retrieve.' I said: 'By Allaah, you know that I am one of the richest people of Quraysh; if you do not go with them, you may have half of my money.' Nevertheless, 'Ayyaash insisted on going, so I said: 'If you must, then take this she-camel of mine. She is well bred and easy to ride. Do not dismount it; and, if at any stage, you suspect your people of treachery, you may escape on it.' So, after riding for some distance, Abu Jahl said to ['Ayyaash]: 'I find my beast hard to ride. Will you not let me mount behind you?' 'Ayyaash replied in the affirmative. When they made their camels kneel to make the change, Abu Jahl and al-Haarith attacked 'Ayyaash and tied him up tightly. They brought him to Makkah and successfully forced him to renounce his religion."
'Umar continued:
"We used to say that Allaah The Almighty will not accept any excuse or repentance from those who abandoned Islam. They had witnessed His truth and yet returned to disbelief because of some harm that afflicted them. Those people would say the same to themselves, as well. But, when the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, arrived in Madeenah, Allaah The Almighty revealed some verses pertaining to them, (which mean):
Say, "O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the Mercy of Allaah . Indeed, Allaah Forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He Who is the Forgiving, the Merciful." And return [in repentance] to your Lord and submit to Him before the punishment comes upon you; then you will not be helped.[Quran 39:53-54] I wrote down (these verses) by hand, on a sheet, and sent it to Hishaam ibn Al-'Aas."
From here, Hishaam relates his story:
"When I received the sheet, I tried my best to read and understand it. Then I said, 'O Allaah, please help me comprehend it.' Allaah The Almighty inspired to me, that it was revealed concerning what we, and others, used to say about our case. So, I mounted my camel and went to the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam." [Al-Haakim, Saheeh]
Persistence of the disbelievers
We can observe the efforts of Al-Faarooq in this story, and take note of two particular aspects:
Firstly, the behavior of Abu Jahl and his meticulousness in attaining his purpose; he traveled, endured hardship and employed a twisted pretext of dutifulness to one's parents and maintaining ties of kinship, as he was a relative of 'Ayyaash ibn Abu Rabee'ah. Furthermore, he went with backup, Al-Haarith ibn Hishaam, to further his agenda. However, he did all this, regardless of whether he would succeed or not, but only for the sake of the devil and to keep people away from the religion of Allaah The Almighty. As if this was not enough, he weaved a cunning plot and tied 'Ayyaash up, to make him enter Makkah in a state of humiliation and disgrace, instead of letting him ride his camel into the city in an honorable and dignified manner. He intended to use him as a deterrent to others and to warn the people of Quraysh from following the path of 'Ayyaash. Similar means are used today against those who call to Allaah The Almighty.
Secondly, the attitude of 'Umar the believer who refused to migrate alone, as others did, and chose two other men to take with him. Perhaps his intention was to strengthen their determination and save them from temptation. While 'Ayyaash did manage to emigrate with him, Hishaam was held back by force. Moreover, we clearly see 'Umar's attempt to convince 'Ayyaash Ibn Abu Rabee'ah not to go with Abu Jahl, as if he knew his intention. In doing so, he even offered him half of his property, not as a loan but as a gift. All these efforts were made to keep him steadfast on the religion of Allaah The Almighty. And, even when he failed to convince him, he gave him his prized camel, so he could escape if he sensed any danger, but Ibn Abu Rabee'ah was heedless of all these endeavors.
Different medium in giving Da'wah
'Umar was not satisfied with this much; in fact, he tried to call others to Islam, using every available means of communication. He did not even forget his companion, who had previously been held back in an attempt to make him abandon his religion. Therefore, 'Umar used a means that many of today's preachers are heedless of, despite being in an age of progress and fast communication; he gave correspondence a try.
He wrote the above mentioned verses on a sheet and sent it to Hishaam . Now, one may ask: why did 'Umar send this message to a person who might have renounced his faith? Did he know if Hishaam would even understand the content of the message? Suppose that he understood, would he respond by returning to Islam? And, even if he did embrace Islam, would he emigrate to where the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, and his Companions were, now?
These are all questions of incompetent and ignorant people, who manage their affairs only with intentions and words, and not with action.
Thus 'Umar teaches them a great lesson, which is that the duty of the messenger is only to convey the message. It so happened that his effort paid off and all the above mentioned questions were answered positively. Allaah The Almighty made his message beneficial and Hishaam ibn Al-'Aas migrated to Madeenah because of 'Umar .
The generation that included people like 'Umar was certainly productive and proactive. Let us now follow his example of strong determination and sincere love for Islam. And, if we manage to imitate him, we will be successful and Allaah The Almighty will choose us to serve His religion and benefit the world and mankind, and ourselves, before all else.
