“This tree is not in our front yard, in case you think we are celebrating a polytheistic festival,” informed my son to one of his friends while his friend was visiting him at evening time, as ours and our neighbour’s front yard seems like one during dark.
SubhanAllah! Even though as dawah carriers we should strive our best that if we are following Islam sincerely then not to be conscious of people, and not to care what people think of us, but we need to understand that sometimes we as dawah carriers, in the light of Islam are highly encouraged to give clarification even if it is out of the way, in order to avoid any unnecessary whispers from shaitan (the chief deceiver) which can arise in someone else’s mind about us.
This beautiful narration will reinforce what I am trying to emphasize.
Safiya, the wife of the Prophet (صَلّى الله عليه وسلّم) narrated that she went to Allah’s Apostle (صَلّى الله عليه وسلّم) to visit him (صَلّى الله عليه وسلّم)in the mosque while he was in Itikaf in the last ten days of Ramadan. She had a talk with him for a while, then she got up in order to return home.
The Prophet
(صَلّى الله عليه وسلّم)
accompanied her. When they reached the gate of the mosque, opposite the door of Um-Salama, two Ansari men were passing by and they greeted Allah’s Apostle.
He told them: Do not run away! And said, “She is (my wife) Safiya bint Huyai.”
Both of them said,
“Subhan Allah, (How dare we think of any evil) O Allah’s Apostle!” And they felt it.
The Prophet (صَلّى الله عليه وسلّم) said (to them), “Shaitan reaches everywhere in the human body as blood reaches in it, (everywhere in one’s body). I was afraid lest Shaitan might insert an evil thought in your minds.”
SubhanAllah! This was how our Prophet صَلّى الله عليه وسلّم taught us to be vigilant about shaitan, the chief deceiver, and practise such communications which has no gaps in between (قَوْلًۭا سَدِيدًا), words which are appropriate, and just and clarify any misunderstanding which can arise due to shaitan’s deceptions.
SubhanAllah! we are living in times where sharr (evil) is not considered as something wrong but is considered as epitome of “confidence, and being cool,” in such devastating times where the wrong is not even considered wrong, where the right can be moulded and manipulated and easily denied, in such times it is vital to take care of our image as dawah carriers more than ever as shaitan can misuse it very easily.
May Allah Al-Hafeez protect us all from shaitan, and may He Al-Muiz (The Source of Honour) honour us in His sight, and in His creation’s sight. Ameen.