How to distinguish between the Da'wa Shari'ah (Salafia) and as-Siasia Da'wa (based on political groups)?

How to distinguish between the Da'wa Shari'ah (Salafia) and as-Siasia Da'wa (based on political groups)?

- The Da'wah Sharee'ah [1] has its basis in the Book and the Sunnah, and its starting point is love for Allaah and desire for His Jannah (Paradise) and fear of His (Hell)Fire, and the way which the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) and his Companions (radiAllaahu anhuma) were upon. Its end result is with Allaah, "Verily, you do not guide those whom you love, but Allaah guides whomever He wills." [2] 

The da'wah Siyaasiyyah (the political da'wah) [3] has its basis in politics, its starting point is ideological, and its means are the party and the organization and the jamaa'ah, and its end result is planned and designed. 

- Ad-Da'wah ash-Sharee'ah seeks to unite the Ummah upon the foundations of the belief which the Prophet (Sallallaahu 'alayhi wasallam) and his Companions embodied by the saying of Allaah the Exalted: "And hold on to the Rope of Allaah all of you together and do not divide amongst yourselves." [4] 

Ad-Da'wah as-Siyaasiyyah seeks to struggle for the promotion of parties (ahzaab) in the Muslim country to secure for itself a seat amongst the ranks of the [other] parties of the state. And they read the saying of Al-Haqq [Allaah], the Exalted: "And be not like those who divided and differed among themselves after the clear proofs had come to them. It is they for whom there is a terrible punishment." [5] 

And His saying, Exalted is He: 

"But they have broken their religion into sects, each group rejoicing in what it has." [6] 

- Ad-Da'wah ash-Sharee'ah criticizes by sincere advice, by eloquence and wisdom and handsome admonition, complying with the principles of the Sharee'ah. 

Ad-Da'wah as-Siyaasiyyah criticizes by open demonstrations, sit-ins and strikes, and through rousing the (people in the) street under the pretense of islaah (rectification) . 

- Ad-Da'wah ash-Sharee'ah is concerned with the guidance of mankind to obedience to Allaah and adherence to His law(shar '). 

Ad-Da'wah as-Siyaasiyyah is concerned with the achievement of appeasing the people through success in elections, and then exerting pressure on the government to meet their partisan demands, the most important of which is their reaching power (in the government). 

- Ad-Da'wah ash-Sharee'ah looks to the Muslim for what is apparent, and that verily he is from among the Muslims, and you address him with the name of Islaam. 

Ad-Da'wah as-Siyaasiyyah looks to the Muslim for what is of benefit to the party (hizb) and the organization, so perhaps this is often the cause of their saying: "so and so is a secularist", "so and so is a liberal", "un-islaamic" , and so on. 

- Ad-Da'wah ash-Sharee'ah, its leaders are the `Ulamaa ar-Rabbaaniyoon [7] recognized for their leadership and protection [of the Ummah], like : al-`Allaamah Muhammad Naasiruddeen al-Albaanee, al-`Allaamah `Abdul-`Azeez bin Baaz and al-`Allaamah Muhammad bin Saalih al-'Uthaymeen ý may Allaah have mercy upon them all -, so verily from them was an effect on hearts of the common Muslims and the students of knowledge. 

Ad-Da'wah as-Siyaasiyyah, its leaders are the politicians. They have no connection to knowledge, and they don't have an effect on the hearts of the common Muslims, verily their effect is on the members of the Hizb (party) and the organization only. 

- Ad-Da'wah ash-Sharee'ah calls them to believe and work in the da'wah to earn Allaah's Pleasure, and not on the basis of gaining status and prestige. 

Ad-Da'wah as-Siyaasiyyah, some of its call is their making an affiliation to the hizb (party) a means to achievement, so it is their means for obtaining position and status. 

- Ad-Da'wah ash-Sharee'ah, its callers spend from their own wealth, as embodied in the saying of the Prophet (Sallallaahu 'alayhi wasallam) "And do not ask the people for anything" [8], and by that they are also in agreement with the Prophets (Sallallaahu 'alayhi wasallam) saying: "The upper hand is better than the lower hand." [9] 

Ad-Da'wah as-Siyaasiyyah , its collection boxes and bank allotments and asking of the people is their constant, inseparable characteristic. Indeed it is from their most apparent traits. And they believe that these financial resources are a mainstay of their da'wah and their activities. 

- The people of Ad-Da'wah ash-Sharee'ah, their manhaj (methodology) is clear for them, so there is no secrecy and no covertness, so they are "upon al-Baydaa' (a clear proof), its night is like its day (in clarity)." [10] 

Ad-Da'wah as-Siyaasiyyah, their manhaj is secrecy and obscurity, and devoid of clarity in those matters that it is obligatory to make clear. 

- Ad-Da'wah ash-Sharee'ah, its positions are fixed and clear, and even if it differs with most of mankind. 

Ad-Da'wah as-Siyaasiyyah, its positions change, so what was correct yesterday perhaps will be wrong today, and what was wrong today could be correct tomorrow, and so on. 

- Ad-Da'wah ash-Sharee'ah derives the steps of islaah (rectification) through the legislative texts [i.e. the Qur'aan and authentic Sunnah], and even if this rectification wasn't achieved, so verily he (Sallallaahu 'alayhi wasallam) said: " And a Prophet will come and there will not be anyone with him" [11]- meaning a Prophet from among the Prophets of Allaah will come on Yawm al-Qiyaamah (the Day of Resurrection) and not one person believed in him, and he didn't change the condition of any one from the individuals of his society which he was sent amongst, so this Prophet (Sallallaahu 'alayhi wasallam) called to rectification, and no one from his people answered him. 

Ad-Da'wah as-Siyaasiyyah derives the steps of islaah through achievement of forming the political decision, and through "the aim justifies the means". 

- Ad-Da'wah ash-Sharee'ah, its flags and signs are known by their scholastic efforts through exerting themselves to spread the correct `Aqeedah and the Sunnah. 

Ad-Da'wah as-Siyaasiyyah, its flags and signs are manifest and known by the virtues of the Jamaa'ah and the Hizb and its wealth and its influence, so if you go back in your memory through history, you know that its leaders who were well known, they didn't reach the position which they reached except through the Jamaa'ah, the Hizb, and its wealth. I will give you an example to make clear the difference between the true flags of al-Haqq (the truth) and other than them: 

So al-`Allaamah Naasiruddeen al-Albaanee, verily love of him is fixed firmly in the hearts of al-`Aalaameen, and his leadership in `uloomud-Deen (the sciences of the Religion) is firmly established through his strength and steadfastness in sharee' (legislated) knowledge. And there was no charity to publish his books, and no committee to pay for his expenses, no organization to sponsor his residency visa, and no hizb which promotes his efforts, nor media to publish his essays and show his pictures. On the contrary, his establishment in knowledge was his sign, so he was able to face the nations and the people with his knowledge and understanding, without any organization or leader, and no support except through the Tawfeeq of Allaah. Therefore it was his knowledge which made his leadership a duty upon him in all areas. Noble reader, the saying goes: 

"And with its opposite, things are made known." 

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[1] [TN]: The Da'wah of Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa'ah, those who adhere to the way of the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) and the Salaf of this Ummah (his noble Companions and those who followed them perfectly). 

[2] Sooratul-Qasas (28):56 

[3] [TN]: The Da'wah of the political groups and parties and the political activists, like Ikhwaan al-Muslimeen, Jam'iyyah Ihyaa' at-Turaath, and other than them. 

[4] Soorah Aal-`Imraan (3):103 

[5] Soorah Aali-`Imraan (3):105 

[6] Sooratul-Mu' minoon (23):53 

[7] [TN]: Those scholars known for their cultivating the people upon the correct belief, methodology and understanding of the Deen. 

[8] Saheeh Muslim (1043) and others from `Awf ibn Maalik. Saheeh. See Saheeh al-Jaami (2646) 

[9] Saheeh al-Bukhaaree (1472) and Saheeh Muslim (1033, 1035, 1036). 

[TN]: The narrations that show that the way of Ahlus-Sunnah is not asking the people for their filth (their sadaqaat) are many and clear. So those who ascribe themselves to the way of the Salaf and want to call to the Haqq, they do not establish their da'wah upon asking for the peoples money. Rather they establish their da'wah upon hard work and spending upon their da'wah from their own pockets. And Shaykh Ahmad as-Subay'ee explains, you will not find even one athar (narration) from the Companions, nor the Taabi'een, nor the Atbaa'ut-Taabi' een, nor those who followed after them where they stood up in the masjid to ask the people for their sadaqaat ý not one! And if this had been their way and their guidance, they would have done it. And from those matters which distinguish the Da'watus-Salafiyyah from all the other da'waat is that we take the understanding of the Book and the Sunnah from these aathaar (narrations) from the Salaf of this Ummah, contrary to the political groups and parties. 

[10] Ahmad (4/126), Ibn Maajah (43), and al-Haakim (1/96). Al-`Allamah al-Albaanee declared it Saheeh in Saheeh al-Jaami' (4369). 

[11] Al-Bukhaaree 

ash-Shaykh Aboo `Uthmaan Muhammad bin `Uthmaan al-`Anjaree 

Translated by Aboo Sufyaan 'Uthmaan Beecher