The Importance of Da'wah & Tabligh

Allah Ta'ala says in the Noble Qur'an:

"You are the best of nations sent to mankind. You command good and forbid evil and you believe in Allah." (Surah Al-Imraan)

Allah Ta'ala states that one reason for this Ummah being titled as the best of Ummah, is the practice of commanding good and preventing evil.

The Prophet Muhammad SAW said:

"Whosoever from among you witnesses evil, he should change it with his hands. And if he is unable to do so then he should change it with his tongue. And if he is unable to do so with his tongue, then he should at least consider it to be wrong. And this is the weakest stage of Imaan." (Mishkaat)

Nu'maan bin Basheer RA says that Rasulullah SAW gave an example of people sailing on a boat having an upper deck and a lower deck. The people from the lower deck required water and requested water from the people of the upper deck. The people from the upper deck refused to give water so the people from the lower deck decided to make a hole through the floor of the ship and get water from the sea.

Rasulullah SAW explained:

"If the people from the upper deck do not stop the people at the bottom from making a hole, the ship will sink and all the people travelling will drown." (Mishkaat)

Similarly, if people do not prohibit evil and sin in the society, the entire society - innocent and evil - will equally suffer.

Abu Hurairah RA states that Rasulullah SAW said:

"Command good and prohibit evil or else Allah will send such a punishment that will destroy everyone." (Ibid)

The above quotations from the Qur'an and Ahaadith are clear that commanding good and prohibiting evil is an emphasised injunction of Allah and His Rasul, and every Muslim person must carry out this injunction.

All the Prophets AS followed the footsteps of their respective Prophets and after the demise of their Prophet, they carried out the same mission. The Companions of Rasulullah SAW spent their entire lives in commanding good and prohibiting evil.

Since there will be no Prophet to come, every Ummati of Rasulullah SAW is the deputy of the Prophet SAW and he / she has to carry on the mission of the Prophet SAW.

Thus it is imperative for all Muslim to sacrifice their time, wealth and comforts to undergo difficulty and hardships in the path of Allah - to carry out this Sunnah of the Prophets - commanding good and prohibiting evil.

Nevertheless, one must be aware that the purpose of performing da'wah and tabligh is firstly to reform oneself and dutifully save mankind from the fire of Hell.