al-Dawa al-Fardiya wa Ahammiyatuha fi Tarbiyat al-Ajyal
- Author died
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- Editions
- The book is published on the website of the Saudi Ministry of Awqaf without publication details
al-Daʿwa al-Fardiyya wa-Ahammiyyatuha fi Tarbiyat al-Ajyal (Individual Da‘wah and Its Importance in Nurturing Generations) is a contemporary treatise on Islamic methodology and propagation by the Yemeni scholar Abu Abd al-Rahman Aqil ibn Muhammad ibn Zayd al-Maqtari, focusing on the principles, advantages, and practical application of one-on-one Islamic outreach and personal mentorship.
Purpose and Composition
Al-Maqtari authored the treatise as a concise manual for Islamic callers to revive the practice of individual outreach, observing that many youth limited their religious involvement to attending lectures and classes without actively seeking to invite or guide others. The author concluded the work in Taiz, Yemen, following the dawn prayer on Sunday, 2 Dhu al-Qi‘dah 1421 AH (3 May 1992 CE), noting in the colophon that the fair copy was transcribed by his brother, Umar ibn Muhammad ibn Zayd.
Scope and Concepts
The book defines "individual da‘wah" (al-daʿwah al-fardiyya) as the practice of calling people to Islam individually and providing personal guidance and continuous follow-up. Al-Maqtari clarifies that "individuality" pertains strictly to the recipient of the outreach (al-madʿū), in contrast to collective da‘wah (al-daʿwah al-jamāʿiyya) carried out through sermons, public lectures, and communal classes; it does not refer to isolated or uncoordinated individual work.
The author highlights that individual outreach does not require vast scholarly erudition (ghazārat ʿilm) or extraordinary effort, enabling beginner students, employees, and workers to implement it naturally in schools, offices, and factories.
Contents and Core Themes
The treatise explores several major dimensions of one-on-one outreach:
- Advantages over collective outreach: While public lectures address general audiences, individual da‘wah provides comprehensive, well-rounded development (shumūliyya fī al-tarbiya). It allows the caller to identify and correct individual mistakes, track practical application, directly resolve personal doubts that cannot be raised publicly, instill correct Islamic principles gradually at suitable times, and deliver guidance to individuals who avoid public religious assemblies. Al-Maqtari notes that the foundation of the early Muslim community was built through this method by the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ during the first stages of the Prophetic mission.
- Specific situations requiring individual outreach: The work identifies circumstances where collective outreach is ineffective, such as engaging individuals of high social status who avoid general gatherings, or reaching individuals influenced by harmful companionship (julasāʾ al-sūʾ) who must be approached privately away from their social circle.
- Factors for success and methodology: The author emphasizes sincerity toward God (al-ikhlāṣ) and adherence to Prophetic guidance, alongside an understanding of the stages through which the recipient passes and the diverse circumstances of those being called.
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