Da’wah on the Go: Sh. Mohammad Al-Areefi

Throughout the centuries, Allah (subhanahu wata'ala) has continued to bless this ummah with servants of His, who give up their time and energy for the service of this religion.  It is always inspirational to reflect on the experiences of these du'aat whilst working for their noble cause.

One of these du'aat, who we think of as successful, yet we do not praise anyone before Allah, is our Shaykh Muhammad Al-Areefi, may Allah preserve him. In his eloquently delivered lectures, he sometimes shares with the audience his experiences in da'wah. In an effort to inspire our non-Arabic speaking readers with the unique and motivating style of this da'yah, we share two gems from his da'wah experiences.

Yes! In the Taxi!

In a powerful lecture discussing some of the lessons derived from the story of Prophet Yusuf (alayhe asallam) and his da'wah in prison, our Shaykh emphasized the importance of beginning with Tawheed in calling to Allah based on the verses:

O [my] two companions of prison, are separate lords better or Allah , the One, the Prevailing?

You worship not besides Him except [mere] names you have named them, you and your fathers, for which Allah has sent down no authority. Legislation is not but for Allah . He has commanded that you worship not except Him. That is the correct religion, but most of the people do not know. (Yusuf 12:39,40)

The Shaykh then shares a story (52:16 minutes in) from his own experience that highlights the importance of calling others to worshipping One God, alone.

One early morning, he was about to take a taxi from his hotel to the airport following a visit to Qatar.  He learned that another man would be sharing the ride with him. Riding in the back seat with the man, he started a conversation with him. 

Shaykh: “Where are you from?”

Man: “I am from Korea.”

Shaykh: “What do you do?”

Man: “I am a businessman.”

Shaykh: “What’s your name?”

Man: “Si Ki Tu (See Kee Tu).”

Shaykh: “Where do you work?”

Man: “Jubail, Saudi Arabia.”

Shaykh: (Joked with him saying), “If you live in Jubail, then your name should be Mohammed or Abdullah (meaning; you should have been a Muslim by now).”

The man laughed.

Shaykh: “How long have you been there?”

Man: “15 years.”

Shaykh: “Did anyone invite you the religion of Islam all of these years?”

Man: “Actually, I don’t really care about religion. The most important thing to me is money. Once there is money behind something, I all for it. But, give me a book, CD or tell me listen to a talk……. I don’t really care for all of this.

Shaykh: “Ok, so you don’t worship anything?”

Man: “No, no, I just live.”

Shaykh: “No, you do worship. In Korea, they worship the idol Buddha?”

Man: “Yes, but I don’t really care much about Buddha.”

The Shaykh continues the conversation, trying to revive some life and thought into the man, saying:“So, if someone passed by this idol, Buddha, and kicked him with their foot, can he defend himself?

Man: “No.”

Shaykh: “If someone were to spit on him as he walked by his statue, would he be able to respond in defense of himself?”

Man: “No.”

Shaykh: “So how is it that he is worshipped, called upon for help, for cure in illness, for wealth in poverty, to remove oppression…….”

Man: “Yes, you’re right. Besides, I am not really convinced about Buddha anyhow.”

Shaykh: “So……what do you worship?”

Man: “I just live like that, I don’t worship anyone.”

There was then a period of silence between them.

The man then turned to the Shaykh and said, “You know what?”

Shaykh: “Yes?”

Man: “When I am touched by worry and grief, you know what I do? I raise my eyes to the sky and say:

(conversation is in English, but he says the following two words in Arabic)

'Allah Kareem' (‘Allah is Generous’. He said this elongating ‘Kareeeeeeem’).

Once I say this, I feel completely at peace.”

Shaykh: “SubhanaAllah. When you called upon Him alone, although you do not believe, it helped you and brought you peace! So how then would it be if you actually worshipped Him, without any partners?!”

The man agrees with the Shaykh,  “ Yes, you are right.”

Shaykh: “I invite you now to bear witness that there is no god worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.”

Man: “How? When we are in the taxi?!”

Shaykh: “ Yes! In the taxi, airplane, under the sea, in the sky, Islam does not require that you go to mosque in order to accept it as your religion. Now, say Ash-hadu an la ilaaha illa Allah wa anna Muhammadan rasulullAllah.”

Man: “What about salah?

Shaykh: “It will come, just say the words (shahadatayn) first.”

Man: “Ash-hadu an laa illaaha illa Allah wa anna Muhammadan rasulullAllah. I bear witness that there is no god worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah”

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After help and guidance from Allah, it takes a brave caller to Allah with a sincere heart, who truly desires to guide others to the path of bliss in this life and the hereafter. All he did was take advantage of his time with him to allow him to reflect on the meaning of worship in his life.

Perhaps through a simple effort, armed with sincerity and help from Allah, it may result as the Prophet (sallaAllahu alayhe wasallam) said after learning of the death of a young Jewish boy who had entered the religion only moments before: ‘Praise be to Allaah Who has saved him from the Fire.’ (Bukhari).

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Even in the Airplane

The following is a video where the Shaykh tells of his experience with a Muslim woman on an airplane.  It teaches us to avoid belittling others through reflecting on the great amount of good that may be present in them.