How to Call and Debate with non-Muslims 1 - 2

Shaykh Muhammad Naasiruddeen al-Albaanee
Reference: Silsilat Al Hudaa Wan Noor
Category: Da'wah
Their evidence is a Hadeeth in which a non Muslim came to the Messenger and embraced Islaam with the condition that he would only pray one prayer a day instead of five. The Messenger (طµظ„ظ‰ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‡ ط¹ظ„ظٹظ‡ ظˆط³ظ„ظ…) agreed to this so that he would embrace Islaam and be saved. Is this Hadeeth authentic, and can it be used as evidence for this issue [1] ?
The Hadeeth is authentic but with the condition that he prays twice a day and not once. As for using it as evidence to justify their case then it is not, because what we are taking about here is the methodology of Da’wah. Did the Messenger (طµظ„ظ‰ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‡ ط¹ظ„ظٹظ‡ ظˆط³ظ„ظ…) call the people to perform two daily prayers or five? Of course he called them to perform five. They want to change the methodology of Da’wah, they want us to stop clarifying to the people what Allaah has obligated upon them.
If a man who does not pray and wears a gold ring at the same time approaches you for example, it isn't that they want you to start with the issue of establishing the prayers first and postpone the issue of wearing the golden ring to a latter time. If this is what they want we would be in agreement with them in that, but what they want is to change the methodology of Da’wah. So we say to them; this Da’wah that you are calling the people to is not Islaam. It is Islaam yes, but what is the understanding of this Islaam? Is it in establishing the five daily prayers and prohibiting all forms of evil?
As for dealing with a particular individual then yes, an individual should be treated in a way that is specific to his situation. So using this Hadeeth as evidence to justify their claim is incorrect, Da’wah is one thing and the method of dealing with individuals who are being called to this Da’wah is another.
Question: How come the Messenger (طµظ„ظ‰ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‡ ط¹ظ„ظٹظ‡ ظˆط³ظ„ظ…) approved for this man to pray only twice a day instead of five times?
Answer: This is the methodology of giving Da’wah, and there is another Hadeeth that is a suitable response to this question, and it is:
“If they are truthful, they will be good Muslims and strive in the cause of Allaah.â€‌
Meaning that if we accept a little from these people while they are polytheists or disbelievers, then practicing a little will lead to practicing a lot of what has been obligated upon them. This is â€کlegislated strategy’, but it is to be implemented on individuals and not on the Da’wah itself. Da’wah is to be delivered the same way in which it was revealed, without making any deductions to it. As for individuals, then they are to be dealt with according to their situations.
This is why I object to a story that some people tell; about a century ago more or less, a group of rulers wanted to embrace Islaam, however, they said that they couldn’t abandon alcohol because their countries were extremely cold, so they sent couriers to ask the Mufti of Istanbul who responded by saying that this was unacceptable. I believe this is incorrect due to the aforementioned Hadeeth. We should convey the Da’wah to them and inform them that alcohol is prohibited and that it is upon them to try and minimize this sin, we should first tell them to testify that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allaah and that Muhammad (طµظ„ظ‰ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‡ ط¹ظ„ظٹظ‡ ظˆط³ظ„ظ…) is the Messenger of Allaah, to pray, fast and so on, and to try to minimize what they are afflicted with as much as they possibly can. This is called â€کlegislated strategy’.
As for concealing the Sharee’ah and telling people that they don’t have to pray five daily prayers but merely two! This is not Da’wah, we must differentiate between calling to Islaam and dealing with individuals, an individual must be treated according to his situation in order to draw him closer to Islaam.

[1] The issue the questioner is referring to is related to a previous question where the Shaykh was asked whether it was permissible to conceal certain issues in the religion such as music, shaving the beard and taking pictures when calling Muslims to Islaam in order to not distance them from the Da'wah.
Al Haawee Min Fataawa Ash Shaykh Al Albaanee: P.494
In the Name of Allaah, All Compassionate, All Merciful
How to Debate with non-Muslims - 1
Ash Shaykh Al â€کAllaamah Al Muhadith Naasir Al Albaanee
Question: A Muslim asks how to respond to a non-Muslim who says that Allaah is unjust because He punishes people who died more than 500 years ago.
Answer: It is not permissible for you to debate with this non-Muslim because firstly, those who debate non-Muslims must have knowledge of the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah. Secondly they must be intelligent, understanding and be acquainted with the methods of debating with non-Muslims.
You do not start by responding to this person's misconception, you start with the issue of whether he believes if Allaah created this world or not, then you keep progressing downwards until you reach this particular issue of disbelief, and then it can be thwarted. But how cay you skip all these stages, and try to save him from misguidance with this particular issue?! He is a disbeliever in the foundation, a disbeliever in Allaah the majestic, and you're trying to convince him that Allaah, who is non existent according to him, is just?
Questioner: Subhan-Allaah!
Shaykh: This is impossible. Therefore we advice you not to occupy your time with this?
Questioner: Shaykh, I do not occupy my time with this, but he is one of those people who come and sow misconceptions, so I responded to him by citing one of the first verses of the Quraan: {Those who believe in the unseen.} That was my response to him Shaykh.
Shaykh: This response is of no benefit, because he is not a believer in the Book! Nor is he a believer in the Lord of the Book! What is the benefit of debating with him [in this issue].
Questioner: There is no benefit.
Shaykh: A similar thing happened to me while I was in Damascus, someone asked me; 'How did Muhammad ascend to the heavens when it is scientifically proven that whoever travels beyond the atmosphere dies?'
Questioner: Allaahu Akbar!
Shaykh: The first thing I asked him was; 'Do you believe in Allaah?'
He said: 'Yes I do.'
'Ok, do you believe in the Messenger of Allaah?'
He said: 'Yes I do.'
'Good, do you believe in miracles?'
He said: 'No.'
I said: 'Do you believe in medicine?'
He said: 'Yes.'
'Doctors says that some humans have two hearts. One on the right and the other on the left. Do you know anything about medicine?'
He said: 'No, nothing.'
'If doctors publish this information that you don’t know anything about, would you believe in it?'
He said: 'Yes I would.'
'Even though doctors may be mistaken, deceptive and so on. We know that the person who informed us of the ascendance is the most truthful of people, the Messenger of Allaah, since it is Allaah that revealed to him:
{Glorified (and Exalted) is He (Allaah) Who took His slave on a journey by night from Al-Masjid Al-Haraam to Al-Masjid Al-Aqsaa…}
'Do you doubt this?'
I then showed him a magazine…debate goes on…
The whole point in narrating this story to you is to show you how to debate progressively with non-Muslims. Did you understand?
Questioner: Yes I understood, may Allaah reward you well.
Shaykh: May Allaah safeguard you, do you have another question?
Questioner: No.
To be continued…
Translator: Nadir Ahmad, Abu Abdul-Waahid
Date Published: Thursday, 21 September 2006
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