The Obligation of Da'wah: Building Centers of Light

[Arabic,إِنَّ الْحَمْدَ لِلَّهِ، نَحْمَدُهُ وَنَسْتَعِينُهُ وَنَسْتَغْفِرُهُ، وَنَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنْ شُرُورِ أَنْفُسِنَا وَسَيِّئَاتِ أَعْمَالِنَا، مَنْ يَهْدِهِ اللَّهُ فَلَا مُضِلَّ لَهُ، وَمَنْ يُضْلِلْ فَلَا هَادِيَ لَهُ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ.]

Indeed, all praise is for Allah. We praise Him, seek His help, and His forgiveness. We seek refuge with Allah from the evil within ourselves and from the consequences of our wrong actions. Whomsoever Allah guides, none can misguide; whomsoever He leaves astray, none can guide. I bear witness there is no deity worthy of worship but Allah alone without partner, and Muhammad ﷺ is His servant and Messenger.

Part One: The Obligation of Da'wah for Every Muslim

Dear brothers and sisters,

Today we reflect on the obligation of Da'wah — the personal duty of every Muslim to call to Allah.

This is not something reserved just for scholars or speakers. It is Fard al-'Ayn, a personal obligation, on each one of us. Especially for us here in the West, where Islam is not the dominant culture, the duty becomes more emphasized, not less.

And even more so for those who left Muslim lands, where the Adhan is called openly, where Islamic institutions surround the people — and came here to the West, either by choice or circumstance. The scholars of Islam have discussed this issue in depth, with the rulings on living in non-Muslim lands, and what duties it places upon us. Allah says, in Surat an-Nisaa:

[Quran,4:97,"When the angels seize the souls of those who have wronged themselves, they ask them, 'What do you think you were doing?' They will reply, 'We were oppressed in the land.' The angels will respond, 'Was Allah's earth not spacious enough for you to emigrate?' It is they who will have Hell as their home—what an evil destination!"]

We see here that Allah condemns those who stay in lands where they cannot live Islam properly. He considers them to be wronging themselves. And scholars have explained that this verse refers to Muslims who remain in Dar al-Kufr while being unable to openly practice Islam or call others to it.

Imam Malik, was quoted in Tafsir al-Qurtubi for this verse:

[Quote,Imam Malik,,"No one should live among the Mushrikeen unless he can clearly practice his religion and call others to it."]

Imam al-Shafi'i, in Kitab al-Umm, said:

[Quote,Imam al-Shafi,Kitab al-Umm,"It is not allowed for a Muslim to reside permanently in Dar al-Kufr if he is unable to practice Islam or do Da'wah."]

Imam Nawawi, in Rawdat al-Talibin, said:

[Quote,Imam Nawawi,Rawdat al-Talibin,"If a Muslim cannot manifest his religion in Dar al-Kufr, then it becomes obligatory to make Hijrah."]

Ibn Qudamah, in al-Mughni, said:

[Quote,Ibn Qudamah,al-Mughni,"Hijrah is fard upon any Muslim who is unable to show his religion openly or fears for his faith."]

Ibn Taymiyyah, in Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, said similar:

[Quote,Ibn Taymiyyah,Majmoo’ al-Fataawa,“It is not permissible for a Muslim to remain in Dar al-Kufr if he cannot openly practice his religion.”]

Imam al-Mawardi in Al-Ahkam al-Sultaniyyah broke down the rulings precisely where he said:

[Quote,Imam al-Mawardi,Al-Ahkam al-Sultaniyyah,"Living in Dar al-Kufr divides into 3 cases: 1) Able to practice Islam and give Da'wah → Permissible, 2) Able to practice openly but not give Da'wah → Makruh (Disliked), 3) Unable to practice openly or give Da'wah → Haram, where Hijrah becomes Wajib"]

Now, let me be clear: Living here in the United States does NOT reach the makruh or haram levels that require Hijrah. We can practice our religion openly, build masajid, come and pray Jumu'ah, and preach Islam. If we wanted to stand on the corner with signs and hand out pamphlets, we can. I am a born and raised American who converted to Islam in the military, and the law guaranteed me religious freedom even at the height of 9/11. It is only individual hearts that sometimes push back—and that is what Da'wah is for.

Brothers and sisters, this is serious. It means if we are not actively doing Da'wah, then our living here could become sinful. And what enables Da'wah in a town? The Masjid.

Last month I gave the khutbah here and we discussed how the first thing the Prophet ﷺ did when arriving in Madinah was to establish the Masjid. It wasn't just for salah—it was the nerve center of the community, of education, of social care, and of Da'wah.

Once the Masjid was established as the hub, the Prophet ﷺ sent out many Da'wah missions from this nerve center:

Mu'adh ibn Jabal and Abu Musa al-Ash'ari to Yemen: They were sent to teach the people Islam and establish justice. Yemen became a stronghold of Islamic knowledge.
Ali ibn Abi Talib to Yemen later: He was sent to continue the work and famously converted the entire tribe of Hamdan in a single day.
Dihyah al-Kalbi to Heraclius (Byzantine Emperor): He carried the Prophet's letter inviting the Christian emperor to Islam, showing diplomatic Da'wah to world leaders.
Amr ibn Umayyad ad-Damri to Abyssinia: He invited the Negus, who had already protected the early Muslims, and the Negus embraced Islam secretly.
Hatib ibn Abi Balta'ah to Muqawqis of Egypt: He delivered the Prophet's letter to the ruler of Egypt, opening dialogue between Islamic and Christian leadership.
Shujaa' ibn Wahb al-Asadi to al-Harith ibn Abi Shamir: He was sent to the Ghassanid king in Syria, extending Da'wah to the Arab Christian tribes.
Salit ibn Amr to Hūdhāh ibn 'Ali: He went to the chief of Yamamah, calling the Arabian tribes to abandon idol worship.
Al-Ala ibn al-Hadrami to Bahrain: He successfully converted the ruler and many people of this strategic Gulf region.
Abu 'Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah to Najran: He was sent to this major Christian center in Arabia, engaging them in da'wah.

The Prophet ﷺ and the Companions were living the verse where Allah says, in Surat al-Baqarah:

[Quran,2:143,"And so We have made you ˹believers˺ an upright community so that you may be witnesses over humanity and that the Messenger may be a witness over you."]

To be witnesses is not passive. Witnessing requires action. We are not merely to live Islam but to convey it. Allah also says, in Surat al-Fussilat:

[Quran,41:33,"And who is better in speech than someone who calls ˹others˺ to Allah, does good, and says, 'I am truly one of those who submit.'?"]

Here Allah gave us our purpose among society and a roadmap for us. In Surat al-Yusuf:

[Quran,12:108,"Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ 'This is my way. I invite to Allah with insight—I and those who follow me. Glory be to Allah, and I am not one of the polytheists.'"]

The path of our Prophet ﷺ is Da'wah. And this verse makes it clear—it is not only his path, but the path of those who follow him. We have to ask ourselves... are we following his ﷺ path?

Following this path is for every single individual. You do not need to be a scholar at all. We know that Abu Bakr (ra) and others called to Islam in the earliest days of revelation when very little Quran was even revealed. In Sahih al-Bukhari we know that the Prophet ﷺ said:

[Hadith,Bukhari,"Convey from me, even if it is one verse."]

You don't have to know a lot. If you know something true, you can share it. Sh. Haitham al-Haddad said in a lecture:

[Quote,Sh. Haitham al-Haddad,"Living in the West without doing Da'wah is like witnessing a fire and holding water, but refusing to throw it."]

This is a powerful analogy. You have the cure—Islam—and you see people suffering from anxiety, depression, purposelessness, broken families, addiction. You have the water of Tawheed, the peace of Salah, the guidance of the Quran. How can you just watch and do nothing?

Every interaction is a Da'wah opportunity: your character at work, your honesty in business, your kindness to neighbors, your patience during hardship. People are watching Muslims, especially in these times. Allah described us and our ummah in Surat Aali Imran:

[Quran,3:110,"You are the best community ever raised for humanity—you encourage good, forbid evil, and believe in Allah. Had the People of the Book believed, it would have been better for them. Some of them are faithful, but most are rebellious."]

The virtue of this Ummah is tied to its commitment to Da'wah. When it stops, it is no longer the 'best.' Notice the verse says "you encourage good"—this includes calling people to Islam, to Tawheed, to the straight path. We don't earn this title by birth or by simply being Muslim. We earn it through action.

And look at the condition of society around us: broken families, rising suicide rates, addiction epidemics, moral confusion. This Ummah has the solutions, but are we sharing them? Are we even living them properly ourselves? — Remember what Allah warns about those who dismiss this duty, in Surat al-Maidah:

[Quran,5:79,"They did not forbid one another from doing evil. Evil indeed was what they did!"]

When we see a society that has lost its way—that promotes what Allah has forbidden and mocks what Allah has commanded—our silence is not neutrality. Our silence is complicity.

[Hadith,Tirmidhi,"By the One in Whose hand is my soul, you must command good and forbid evil, or Allah will soon send a punishment upon you—and you will make du'a and it will not be answered."]

This is the danger we face today. We can pray five times a day, fast Ramadan, give zakah, make Hajj—but if we remain silent witnesses to corruption, injustice, and the spread of falsehood, we risk Allah's displeasure. There is an extremely powerful and authentic hadith I always remember about this in at-Tabarani, where the Prophet ﷺ said:

[Hadith,Tabarani,"Allah commanded an angel to destroy a town. The angel said: 'O my Lord, in it is Your servant who has never disobeyed You.' Allah said: 'Begin with him. For his face never showed any anger for My sake.'"]

This hadith should shake us to our core, brothers. Here was a man, according to the hadith, who never sinned, who never disobeyed Allah directly — yet Allah commanded he be destroyed first. Why? Because his face never showed anger for the sake of Allah. He watched evil spread and remained silent. He was spiritually passive while society crumbled around him.

May Allah protect us from being among the silent when evil spreads, and help us fulfill our duty of Da'wah!

Part Two: The Masjid as the Foundation of Da'wah

Dear brothers and sisters,

In the first half, we established the obligation of Da'wah, and that every one of us is accountable for it. We are not responsible for the results but rather our action and efforts. Even the Prophet ﷺ was not guaranteed to covert others. His own uncle, Abu Talib, died upon disbelief. The Prophet ﷺ said:

[Hadith,Tirmidhi,"The example of the guidance and knowledge Allah has sent me with is like rain... Some land absorbs it and brings benefit... some only holds water... and some does neither."]

Our job is to deliver the message. With wisdom, with beauty, and with patience.

[Quran,16:125,"Invite ˹all˺ to the Way of your Lord with wisdom and kind advice, and only debate with them in the best manner. Surely your Lord ˹alone˺ knows best who has strayed from His Way and who is ˹rightly˺ guided."]

Wisdom means:

Speaking at the right time, in the right tone
Understanding your audience
Adapting to whether you're speaking to an atheist, a Christian, a doubting Muslim, or a struggling youth who is confused.

Good preaching means:

Speaking with concern and sincerity
Reminding with love, not arrogance
Giving real-life stories and showing the mercy of Islam

And when debate arises, "argue in the best way" means no personal attacks, no mockery, and no harshness unless necessary. The Prophet ﷺ softened hearts not just with truth, but with character.

But always remember that is exactly what you are calling to, the truth.

[Quran,2:256,"Let there be no compulsion in religion, for the truth stands out clearly from falsehood. So whoever renounces false gods and believes in Allah has certainly grasped the firmest, unfailing hand-hold. And Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing."]

I am proof of that. I was once a man who misunderstood and even hated Islam. But the truth overcame all else. The clarity of Islam changed me. Even though some may ignore or even dislike the truth it will always prevail over falsehood. Especially to the sincere heart. Allah says in Surat at-Tawba:

[Quran,9:33,"He is the One Who has sent His Messenger with ˹true˺ guidance and the religion of truth, making it prevail over all others, even to the dismay of the polytheists."]

Beyond this... the Prophet ﷺ did not just tell us to grow the ummah through da'wah to strangers but to also focus on building our families. In both quantity and quality. It is emphatically encouraged in Islam to marry both for your own purity and to build righteous families. The Prophet ﷺ said:

[Hadith,Abu Dawud,"Marry the loving, fertile woman—for I will boast of your numbers before the nations."]

So while we are encouraged to have big families and many kids the Prophet ﷺ also said:

[Hadith,Bukhari & Muslim,"Each of you is a shepherd, and each of you is responsible for his flock."]

This directly tells us about our children—raising them on Qur'an, Salah, Tawheed, and Islamic identity is part of our Da'wah.

Islam encourages not just large numbers, but righteous future generations—who will carry Da'wah forward. From one Muslim converting, entire families can change. Entire generations can rise upon Tawheed.

And this leads us to the Masjid—again.

The Masjid is the base of Da'wah. Without it, we cannot fulfill our obligation. Where our neighbors visit. Where we unite. It is where our children, their children, and future generations will learn. It is essential and an absolutely obligatory part of us being proper shepherds to our flocks!

Even here in America there is nothing preventing us from this; we can establish centers of Islamic learning and guidance. This is not just about buildings. It is about creating legacies of light, guidance, and truth wherever we find ourselves. Legacies that will benefit our children, their children, and more.

When you leave here today, you will have an opportunity to help build a new Islamic community, to be part of establishing a new masjid, and to ensure your children, grandchildren, and beyond have places to learn their faith.

Every Muslim who embraces Islam from the tiny seed you plant, can grow into entire families and generations living upon Tawheed, worshipping Allah day and night. That is not jsut some theory — that is a fact we can see with our own eyes.

Closing Momentum:

Will you fulfill your obligation of Da'wah to those around you?
Will you help raise future generations of Muslims wherever you are?
Will you plant the seed now, for Sadaqah Jariyah that outlives you?

This is your opportunity, today, now.

We ask Allah:

O Allah, help us fulfill our duty of Da'wah with sincerity and wisdom.

O Allah, grant us courage to speak Your truth when others remain silent.

O Allah, help us raise children who will carry the torch of Islam to future generations.

O Allah, bless our efforts to establish masajid as nerve centers of light in our communities.

O Allah, make us among those who command good and forbid evil with wisdom and patience.

O Allah, let us leave behind legacies that continue earning rewards after we return to You.

O Allah, grant success to those working to build Your houses of worship, and make us among them. Ameen.

May Allah reward you all abundantly and make us successful in our mission of Da'wah.

We ask Allah to make us firm upon His straight path, to guide us and not let us go astray, to have mercy on us and forgive us.

Whatever good was said in this khutbah is from Allah alone, and whatever mistakes or errors are from myself and from Shaytan. I ask Allah to forgive me and you for any shortcomings.

I say these words of mine, and I seek forgiveness from Allah for myself and you all. Seek His forgiveness—indeed, He is Most Forgiving, Most Merciful.

[Arabic,أَقُولُ قَوْلِي هَذَا، وَأَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ لِي وَلَكُمْ، فَاسْتَغْفِرُوهُ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ.]