A great star of our Islamic call has passed away; Muhammad Ahmad Al-Rashid, may Allah have mercy on him, has departed. Yet, he remains alive through his beneficial knowledge and his bright legacy in the sky of the Islamic call. He continues to light the path for the preachers of Islam, inspiring them toward the right course.
He, may Allah have mercy on him, says: "Our deceived generation... The calamity of Muslims today is not limited to the domination of the leaders of misguidance, but it has extended to an education system that has exploited school curricula, university chairs, newspapers, and radios to distort ideas and values."
The preacher refuses to submit to deception and refuses to let the plan of treachery pass. He stands to proclaim to the people, though most are asleep.
He sees the persistence of the people of falsehood and the doubters and their dedication to executing their plan. Yet, when he turns around, he sees the trustworthy Muslim oblivious, except for those whom their Lord has mercy on, and they are few.
He returns to express his grief, in a monologue: "The sense of struggle in people has dulled, and they have leaned toward earning a monotonous livelihood. The heedlessness of the trustworthy almost shakes my resolve, while the determination of the doubters weakens me." (1)
Then, our Imam lights a path for the reformist preachers under the title "The Group of One Heart": "These are integrated covenants that the preachers adhere to, none of them is separated from the others, nor do they divide. They declare their covenant with the first step:
Hands in hands,
bear witness
to our covenants Steadfastness in the ranks,
and dedication to sacrifice and annihilation
Just as dedication and annihilation swiftly come to the group of preachers and jurists through an enlightened struggle, it is also conscious obedience and steadfastness in ranks where no vain words are heard.
And just as faith in Paradise drives competition in Jihad, it also drives another competition in obedience, brotherly love, and purity of heart among the members of the Muslim community. Each strives to be among the forefront that enters Paradise, as they have unity. As the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “They (i.e. the people of Paradise) will neither have differences nor hatred amongst themselves; their hearts will be as if one heart”" (Sahih Bukhari 4/143) (2).
Al-Rashid, may Allah have mercy on him, directs the generation of Muslims to the mosque, for it is the source of all good. He says: "A call that seeks to align with Allah must enter through the gate of righteousness, and that gate is the prayer niche."
Thus, the Islamic call at all times must begin its work from the mosque. It reforms belief and teaches its preachers the manners of Islamic conduct. The source of all good is frequenting the mosque, and the mosque's provision is the best supply for the journey.
He then touches upon the topic of "Aldqa’q AlGhalia," saying: "The prostration in the prayer niche, the seeking of forgiveness in the early hours, and the tears of supplication are signs reserved for the believers. While the worldly man imagines his paradise in money, women, and grand palaces, the believer's paradise is in his prayer niche." (3)
Through his book "Sina’at AlHayat (The Craft of Life)," he takes us to wide horizons of life-crafting tools, saying: "The blessing of Islamic knowledge and its profound impact... The Islamic preacher, for example, is one of the life-crafters. He is like an ocean, issuing his fatwas from a place of mastery. When he speaks, he fills the ears by saying: ‘Al-Shafi’i said this, Malik said that, Ibn Taymiyyah favored this view, and I found this in Al-Mabsut, and it was confirmed for me by what is in Al-Mudawwana, and Al-Bukhari’s Hadith supports it, and Ibn Hajar in Fath Al-Bari brought additional evidence.’
As for the scholars, they are the third category of life-crafters in the dawah plan, and the architect is one of the most important life-crafters.
The theory of life-crafting in its essence is a reminder of the necessity for the preachers to hold onto the sources of intellectual power, emotional drives, aesthetic appeal, and financial facilitation." (4)
There are hidden gems in Al-Rashid’s writings and works that need those who will engage with them, delve into their depths, and extract from them radiant jewels and fine garments for the sincere and active preachers in today’s world of social media, various media channels, and satellite platforms. They can tweet and proclaim meanings filled with creativity, renewal, and innovation, striking at the falsehood of secularism and removing the doubts of the doubters and the discouragement of the disheartened—so that there will be no fitnah, and the religion will all be for Allah. All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of all worlds.
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(1) Muhammad Ahmad Al-Rashid, Al-Muntalaq (The Starting Point).
(2) Muhammad Ahmad Al-Rashid, Al-'Awa'iq (The Obstacles).
(3) Muhammad Ahmad Al-Rashid, Al-Raqa'iq (The Subtleties).
(4) Muhammad Ahmad Al-Rashid, Sina'at Al-Hayah (The Craft of Life).
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