QUESTION: Cite one event in the seerah (life) of the Prophet and discuss his method of da’wah.
Someone will become a Muslim if he/she can admit the teaching of Islam, but the question is what is admitting Islam? Is it if someone said that ‘I am Muslim’ or ‘I accept Islam’ automatically can be a Muslim? How come someone be able to declare a Muslim if he/she does not have knowledge at all about Islam? Of course, the answer is ‘no’, and we will proclaim that accepting Islam is when someone conscious in mind and in heart, admits all the Prophet’s teachings and practices Islam with the understanding of it. It is impossible to be a Muslim and live as a Muslim without having the knowledge and without practicing the Islamic teachings.
For the duration of the Prophet Muhammad’s [PBUH] time, he sent Mus‘ab bin ‘Umair the first Muslim ‘ambassador’ to Yathrib [Medina], after the First Pledge of Aqabah with the six men from Yathrib to teach the people there the doctrines of Islam, give them practical guidance and make attempts at propagating the Islam among those who still professed polytheism. These happened during the eleventh year of Prophet Hood, which was before the Prophet’s migration [Hijrah] to Medina [Source: The Sealed Nectar by Al Mubarkafoury]. It shown here that the Prophet comprehends the Islamic teaching must comprise the pure understanding of Islam as a comprehensive system of life. Islam is not only a system of beliefs and worship, but it is a complete guide covering all aspects of life.
Someone who was born in a Muslim family, had name like a Muslim, dressed like a Muslim and declared him/herself as a Muslim, actually this person is not a Muslim, because the true Muslims are when they have the knowledge what is the true meaning of Islam and affirm their faith with full of consciousness. The difference among a Muslim and non-Muslim is not depending on name. Someone whose name Johnny does not represent he is a non-Muslim and someone whose name Abdullah also does not mean he is a Muslim. The correct difference between Muslim and non-Muslim is depending on the knowledge. Someone is a non-Muslim because he/she does not know how the relationship between his/herself with Allah and does not know the true system of living in this world.
During the Prophet Muhammad [PBUH] arrived in Medina, one of the first actions was building a simple mosque. There was also a courtyard, where Muslims met to discuss all the concerns of the Ummah - social, political, education and military. We can notice here that the knowledge is essential as far as the other major parts of society. The knowledge is similar to the function of a torch light to show the right lane during a dark night and to keep away from the lost path. The Prophet understands with no knowledge the Muslims will be weaken and fragile because in order to spread Islam, the Muslims should have the capability to understand the true Islamic teachings.
I am not saying that all the Muslims have to be like the ulama’ [the Islamic scholars] and have to read a lot of thick books for years in order to gain the knowledge, but it is sufficient if all the Muslims provide a some time in everyday life just to learn regarding Islam. This is a responsibility to really comprehend about the Prophet’s teachings, and understand which rules to command and which rules to eliminate. Furthermore, how come a Muslim is able to to spread the messages of Islam to the rest of the world if he/she does not have a profound knowledge about it?
