Kamal El-Mekki – Obstacles On The Path To Dawah

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			Brothers and Sisters in Islam, the title of our hotbar today is obstacles on the path to Dawa. And,
in this case, for our purposes, Dawa will refer to calling non muslims to Allah meaning inviting
people to Islam. And as a whole, we are really coming up short when it comes to spreading the
religion of Allah azza wa jal and talking to our co workers, classmates, and neighbors. And Allah
subhanaw taala has given us a lot of great opportunities. First of all, the United States is one of
the best places in the world for Dawa, I mean by the receptiveness or of the people, I don't mean,
an any other way. Because of a number of things. First of all, people are polite in America. And
		

			even if they're not interested in speaking to you, they will smile and thank you and say, I'm busy
and they'll move on. Whereas other parts of the world where we have tried St. Dawa, it was
unbelievable, it's like, you want to feel how no holiday Salam felt, go to that country and try to
call people to Allah in the street. Whereas in America, you don't have such negative experiences.
And people are friendly in America, they're more open and friendly to strangers, even friendlier
than in Canada, many people think Canadians are more friendly, and they're completely wrong and way
off. I've lived in both there's no comparison. And people open up quickly, especially to strangers
		

			and they're willing, they have this willingness to discuss all kinds of topics. We have many people
in America who are searching for the truth, searching for the truth, they travel around the world
looking for enlightenment, enlightenment and guidance and their place and your their neighbor never
once approached them about Islam. And in America, religion is still a topic that can be discussed,
whereas if you bring up religion in Sweden, for example, people will completely laugh at you. Or if
people find
		

			doubt in a gathering that you believe in God, everybody laughs at you at the top of their lungs.
Whereas in America, this is not an either case. So there are a lot of excellent opportunities. But
despite all this, we are really not doing the best that we we can. In my three or four years in this
masjid, how many times if someone brought a co worker or a neighbor, or a class mate or a friend to
the masjid for a tour, or to speak to one of our Imams or to give them booklets or information about
Islam? Just a handful of times that I can count on one hand, and as always, young people? What about
all the adults in the audience? Don't they have neighbors? aren't a lot of them managers and
		

			business owners Where where are their employees? Where is the invitation calling people to Islam?
		

			You know, in two decades of being involved in Dawa I've only met one person in 20 years, who took
shahada at the Dawa table. Of all the reverts I've met on conference I've met to Islam. And in 20
years, I've only met one person who became Muslim through St. Dawa. The majority of the reverts and
or the converts you will see around you in the masajid in your life. Someone like you spoke to them.
A co worker spoke to them a neighbor spoke to them. The majority of Muslims you see around you are
because of people like you who reached out to them, not necessarily because of our tables and street
Dawa and things of that sort. So
		

			where our where's our, our care and our motivation to go out and call people to Allah azza wa jal so
that's why I want to look at some of the obstacles on the path to Dawa, one of the obstacles that
come up and people don't realize it's an obstacle, they say, I give that with through my manners.
		

			And he told them we need to call people to Allah. No, no, no, I give that with through manners by
what do we say here without being rude? Yanni what are these manners you have that as mashallah so
amazing that everyone around you Helaas is just gonna say the shahada because they see how you
behave? Yeah. I mean, bizarre. Chef ish. Let's just not trying to be nasty here. But what what are
your manners that is so fantastic, that they make up for directly calling people to Allah azza wa
jal. Even though Tao through manners is an acceptable form, but let's keep it realistic.
Collectively, we're not doing meaning collectively, Muslims worldwide, we're not very good with with
		

			our manners. So as a group, that with reminders is not going to work for us. Like it used to look at
work. Before that we went to the Philippines and to all parts that I saw parts of the world through
the manners and the behavior of the merchants and the traders, as a group, it was noticeable, but as
a group, we don't have that anymore. So you can't tell them you're going to walk around the street,
just saying how are you have a nice day, and that's enough to bring people to Islam. That's one. The
other thing also is that it's important if you're giving Dawa through your manners, we call this
technique, plug the sponsor. Yeah, Annie, you help an old lady with her bags, for example. So she
		

			says, Well, thank you very much young man. And then she goes home and tells her friends, these are
very well mannered people. And how does she know that this is a Muslim who gets always plugged the
sponsor. So you always say any, if any company spends $1, per you know, sponsoring something, they
let you know that we sponsored this item. So you do you help a lady with her bags, for example. And
then she thanks, you told her Don't mention it in Islam, it's our job to respect the elderly, you
plug the sponsor, and just give our three minors and then the credit goes to some other religion.
		

			Another obstacle is someone who will tell you, I don't want to push them, or I don't want to
pressure them into becoming Muslim. So no one said you have to push or pressure anybody, you talk to
them about their religion, you talk to them about Islam, and you could find 1001 different ways to
bring up the topic of religion.
		

			People come up to me and say, you know, I have this person we grew up together practically. They're
non Muslim, and I started practicing. How do I bring up Islam? It's so easy. You just have it right
there. To let me know, we grew up together, we've been best friends for the longest time. And you've
noticed that I've changed in how I dress and how I behave. So Islam is a very important part of my
life, and you're also an important part of my life. So I would like to tell you what I believe in
and there's your avenue to tell them about Islam.
		

			And if they're interested, you ask them what would stop you from becoming Muslim right now? Or would
you like more information about Islam? Would you like to read something else? And that's it. There
is no need for pushing or pressure whatsoever, as like a question I used to get around the country.
		

			You want to travel teaching the workshop? How can I give that oh without being rude?
		

			And I will always give the same answer. Just give that hour. And don't be rude.
		

			And who said that you have to be rude the minute you're giving Dawa, who put this in your head.
		

			Some people another obstacle, they say, I don't want the relationship to become awkward,
		

			true stories. This person came up to me said, there's someone I've known my entire life. And I
started practicing Islam. She's still non Muslim. How do I, I don't want to give her Dawa. Because
then the relationship will become awkward. These are two girls. She's saying the relationship will
become awkward now that I've tried to bring her to Islam. So what should I do? I said, let me say
what you just said to me, let me say it back to you. There is a person that has good manners and
very dear to me. And so that our relationship become doesn't become awkward. I'd rather she burns in
the health fair for the rest of her life for the rest of eternity. That's what you're really saying.
		

			When you care about someone. You want them to be saved from the hellfire. And that's what made all
the prophets stand out prophets cared about their people. And when even their people are kicking
them out of the city and being harsh and rude with them, their response is gentle, yup, home, your
home, all my people, all my people. And it's the caring that made them stand out as dua to Allah. We
used to give Dawa in Washington DC. And there was one brother, he would come before everyone and he
would work harder than anyone else. And one day he disclosed his secret. He said, and this is back
when DC was more primarily African American. He said these are my people. I love them. And that's
		

			why he was a better day than anyone else because he cared. It's all about caring, caring to save
people from the hellfire.
		

			You know, in the Hadith, that we all know, of the young Jewish boy that was on his deathbed at the
time of the Prophet salallahu
		

			Alaihe Salam when went to him, and he took shahada on his deathbed. One of the narrations describes
that when the problem was walking to this boy's house, and this boy is already on his deathbed, he
doesn't have any money that will benefit Islam, he is not going to make it to become a soldier to
add to the numbers of the Muslims. It's only for it purely for the sake of Allah Allah. There's no
other benefit coming out of him. But the narrative said, we could barely keep up with the Prophet
SAW Selim as we were walking to his house. What does that mean? Yeah, and in Lebanon, Salem was
rushing so much to make it to his house to save this person before he dies. This is caring. This is
		

			why the prophets were the best of the two out of people calling to Allah azza wa jal, because they
cared for their people. So you care for someone, your neighbors, and every single one of us we have
that non Muslim that's at the top of our, our list. They have good luck and they are a good human
being and we would love for them to be guided to Allah azza wa jal. But one of the other obstacles
is we always procrastinate, for the right time and the right opportunity to call them to Allah.
There is no right time and right opportunity. There is no right moment when you feel this is you
just go and call them to Allah, you can do it directly, you can do it indirectly speak to them
		

			directly or indirectly, but at least initiated at some point. Or you will keep waiting for the rest
of your life for that perfect moment. And I personally know people who are waiting for the perfect
moment. And that person dropped dead from a heart attack.
		

			And they said this person loved this lamb so much, but no one ever asked him to become Muslim. She
said, we're all working on our PhD dissertations. He went to get a drink of water drop dead right
there, right in front of us. And no one ever called them Tesla. Don't always wait for the right
moment. The right moment is any moment.
		

			Another obstacle is what we call information booth. People the Muslim or the believer that that acts
like an information booth, even at our tables to go handout material, just like at the airport,
someone comes in us. We know where the restrooms are, go that way. So they stand at the dollar
table. And any more questions, sir? And that's it. They just answer the questions. Well, very nice
talking to you. And you can so I'm just giving you information. But you're building up and that's
why it's important for people to attend some kind of Dawa class and learn how it works. You're
building you're taking them from point A and that is whatever religion or mindset they're in to
		

			point B which is saying, I shall do Allah, Allah, Allah Allah. And you're building upon that, and
you're getting obstacles and misconceptions out of the way. And then you're asking them to become
Muslim. They're asking them to take the shahada, and if they say no, you ask them what is stopping
you from becoming a muslim right now? It is very much
		

			Just like sales.
		

			Sometimes people say I am too shy. I can't walk up to people and, or my neighbors and just start
talking about Dawa. One of the biggest misconceptions is that Dawa is the person behind the
microphone, or the diarrhea is the person that is actively speaking to individuals. But there are so
many different ways and opportunities through which you can give down. Sometimes it's just handing
out material without saying a word. This is a true story. And this person was living in New York
City in a hospital and is well known to the Muslims in New York. And he, yeah, and he returned to
Allah just a few years ago, we ask Allah Subhana Allah to forgive us since this was a Muslim man
		

			living in a hospital in New York. And he's paralyzed from the neck downwards. And he never leaves
the hospital because he doesn't have anyone to help him. He he can't live on his own. So he lives in
a hospital. And for decades, I've known about him for decades, and Muslims would go to him and visit
him for decades. And 10 years ago, 10 years ago, he had brought 100 people to Islam. And when I
heard of him, maybe 15 years ago, actually, he had already brought 100 people to Islam. He's
paralyzed from the neck down. How did he bring 100 people to Islam?
		

			He has a pile of pamphlets, remember, he can't move his he can't even hand someone a pamphlet. So he
has a pile of pamphlets on the table that will material about Islam. And when a non Muslim would
walk by Excuse me, sir, excuse me, ma'am, please take one of these and read it best. That's it.
That's the technique,
		

			not about level of knowledge, or being eloquent, or even physically being able to handle a pamphlet
like this, there is not a single person in this room, except that we can hand out pamphlets with
both hands. So it's not just about speaking, being eloquent, being knowledgeable, sometimes it's
just passing out material, sometimes just online. There's so many different avenues through which
you can serve the religion of Allah subhana wa, tada. So it's not about being too shy. It's not
about being too knowledgeable. You can just direct someone to, to material to read your neighbor,
maybe I didn't formulate the best way to start and approach them and talk about Islam, but I can
		

			just hand them some material. Maybe I'm so scared to face people that I can just mail to them. And
you know, everyone in your neighborhoods mailing address, you could just mail it to the business in
the worst case scenario, there's so much to be done.
		

			The another one of the obstacles is take your time and think about it. This is one of the biggest
things and for the years that we were teaching the Dharma workshop, it was more about unlearning the
wrong way of giving Dawa than it was about learning the new way, or the correct way of giving doubt
is unlearning the wrong way. Sometimes people would walk into the masjid and say, I want to become
Muslim. And as they're saying the shahada, someone jumps in and says, wait, I think you need to go
home and think about this, this is a major decision. And they said the person would leave, and would
never see them again.
		

			And it makes it sound like the uncle would make it sound like you're making a big mistake. I think
you need to go home and think about this some more. It's as if I'm on the inside, I'm tongue hinting
to you don't become this, this is a big decision. This is what it sounds like.
		

			You know what, what happens in your life, if you give someone an opportunity, and they blow it, then
you give them an opportunity? Again, this could be your child, this could be your best friend,
someone you know, you give them an opportunity, they don't take advantage of it, then you give them
another great opportunity. And they blow it, then you give them another great opportunity, and they
blow it what will you do after a while.
		

			You just not give him any more opportunities, true or false? So Allah Subhana Allah has given us so
many opportunities, Allah can tell you story after story after story. People that are just right on
the edge, just one touch and they will become Wallah. I'll tell you personal stories of people I did
not speak a word to I just handed them a pamphlet that did not speak a word to and they said, What
should I do now? I said, What do you mean? He said to become Muslim? Just from handing him the
pamphlet. He said, What should I do to become Muslim? Because you don't know what happened in their
life? Maybe they've been reading the Quran for the past couple of months. Maybe they've been talking
		

			to Muslims visiting the masajid. And then when they finally got this pamphlet, they decided you know
what, enough is enough. I'm going to become Muslim. You don't know where you cross paths with them.
So many, it's so easy, so many true stories of how easy it is to get a shot. The easiest thing and I
always tell students, the easiest thing is to get a shot. The easiest thing in the world is to get a
shot. The hardest thing, the hardest thing is to do to follow up with them.
		

			until they learn and fat and learn to pray and start to become to the masjid and be a part of the
community. But getting just the shahada in the street.
		

			We'd go get five in no time. We will teach people who've never given our in their entire life or
take them out to the street the next day they get to shahada is from two complete strangers in under
10 minutes. It's the easiest thing is to get a shot. The bigger challenge is to work with that
individual until they get to that level and they become part of the community a colocado ha That was
tougher Allah Allah them Leola coming Jamila going over stuff Pharaoh, Pharaoh Fosun Mustafa in us
ask Allah Subhana Allah for forgiveness Indeed, those who ask for his forgiveness shall prosper.
		

			hamdu Lillahi Rabbil Alameen wa salatu salam ala Rasulillah Amin was early he was like to hear
Jemaine about. So we're saying that if you don't want to approach an or you don't have something
prepared to say to your neighbor, you don't want to hand them material. One of the things you can do
you can bring them to the masjid bring them to the masjid and we they can sit down with Chef Walid
or Shahab Rahim, or myself, or also brother Kelim. Brother Kaleem is Yanni since he's not here is a
very experienced that. Yeah. All right, you can bring them to any one of us. And we can talk to them
about this now. But again, it's so easy to bring someone to Islam. Yeah.
		

			Even children have done it and can do it. One time in the Dawa class someone asked.
		

			It was a young man, he was 13. He said, can a 13 year old give Dawa to a 40 year old? He was 13 and
their neighbor, a nice man who is 40 years old is that can I give him that war? Or does it don't
have to be someone older to give him down? And he got the best answer he could have possibly gotten
in that class. As just to put a hand up. She said my younger brother is 13. And our neighbor is 40.
It's the same ages. Our neighbor is 40 and he brought him to Islam.
		

			13 year olds are bringing people to Islam. A 15 year old took my class one time next day he brought
his best friend to Islam. 16 year old took the doll class halfway through, he was so energized. She
called her best friend over the phone. She took her shahada over the phone, and 19 year old took the
doll class one time he was so energized. He said a few weeks later, he said I lost count how many
people I brought Tesla,
		

			a 21 year old listen to the our class online, he brought 150 people to Islam. And he says we retain
95% of them. We kept the names and everything. And he started a Dawa group that has been going on
now for two decades for 20 years been going on in downtown Toronto. In New Jersey, we gave the dog
workshop on a Saturday. And on Sunday, we took these Muslims who have zero experience out to the
street. And they were starving people left and right talking to them for 10 minutes, 12 minutes, 15
minutes, and people were taking the Shahada. And I'll never forget this 81 year old man. They met
him on the stairs as he was coming out of the church on Sunday. He was at on the stairs of the
		

			church. And he spoke to him about heat, which is our number one advantage. What's the advantage we
have to heat it makes sense. It's easy to digest.
		

			So even though this man was just in church, singing and dancing and all that, they spoke to him
about the heat, it made sense. They told him about the five pillars that made sense about the
Prophet Muhammad wa salam it made sense. He took his shahada right then and there on the stairs to
the church. Then we walked him to his home. Turns out he's living directly across the street from
the Muslim. We check on him two years later, he's still praying in the Muslim 81 year old man. And
story after story like that.
		

			It's really easy. Allah subhanaw taala put us in arguably the best place in the world to give down
the best place and I've given street down in South Africa and in Australia, and in Ireland and
Scotland, there is no place. And in Canada, there's no place like the United States. And here we are
keeping it to ourselves. The world's best kept secret. So just go out and invite people around you
in this life. People around you, your co workers, your classmates, your neighbors, and he there are
some people who stopped complete strangers in the street and they take the showerhead. Your neighbor
already knows you you have have a relationship, some kind of rapport. You don't want to do it. We'll
		

			do that talking. Bring them to them.
		

			In four years, just three or five people have bought someone from from their circle. So we just want
to change your attitude. We want to become more conscious. We want to become dowel machines, it's
the easiest thing in the world.
		

			And to keep an eye open, we're going to do part two of the shahada workshop for those who attended
part one. And honestly for those who haven't attended either it's all on YouTube anyways, any come
to me after this, I'll tell you where to find it. So with that, we ask Allah subhanaw taala who to
make us from those who recognize the clear truth, the truth has clear truth and follow the best of
it, and to make use of those who recognize falsehood as clear falsehood and abstain from it for
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