al-Tawrith al-Daawi

Al-Tawrith al-Daawi (Arabic: التوريث الدعوي, lit. 'Advocacy Succession') is a contemporary treatise on Islamic activism by the Saudi scholar Muhammad bin Musa al-Sharif, published as the eighteenth installment in his series Ma'alim 'ala Tariq al-Sahwah ("Signposts on the Path of the Awakening") al-Tawrith al-Daawi. The book examines the intergenerational transmission of institutional memory, practical experience, and methodological heritage among Islamic workers and organizations al-Tawrith al-Daawi+1.

Background and Purpose

Al-Sharif states that he authored the treatise due to the scarcity of dedicated writings on succession (al-tawrith) in da'wah, a topic he regarded as largely unaddressed al-Tawrith al-Daawi. He was further prompted by the deaths of numerous scholars, reformers, and advocates during the preceding decade who left behind no memoirs or written records of their practical experiences, resulting in the loss of their accumulated insights al-Tawrith al-Daawi.

The author had previously published al-Tadrib wa-Ahammiyyatuhu fi al-'Amal al-Islami ("Training and Its Importance in Islamic Work") and initially intended to append chapters on succession to it, but chose to dedicate an independent treatise to the subject because of its distinct scope al-Tawrith al-Daawi. He argues that training maintains and elevates the quality of Islamic work, whereas sound succession guarantees its continuity across generations al-Tawrith al-Daawi.

Concept and Scope

In the treatise's technical definition, al-tawrith al-da'wi refers to the knowledge, practical experience, administrative regulations, and methods left behind by predecessors for their successors specifically in the field of Islamic advocacy al-Tawrith al-Daawi. The work critiques contemporary charitable organizations, da'wah centers, and traditional religious educational circles for neglecting systematic succession, pointing out that new administrators frequently assume roles without institutional guidelines, and instructors often repeat introductory curricula without mentoring or advancing promising students al-Tawrith al-Daawi+1.

Structure and Contents

Following an introduction and preface, the book is organized into three main chapters (mabahith) alongside a concluding discussion al-Tawrith al-Daawi+2:

• Scriptural and Historical Foundations (al-Mabhath al-Awwal): Divided into four subsections detailing the linguistic and technical meanings of inheritance, scriptural evidence in the Quran (such as the prayer of Prophet Zakariyya for a righteous heir to inherit his mission), textual evidence from the Sunnah (such as the prophetic command for those present to convey knowledge to those absent), and the practice of the early Muslim generations, including Abdullah ibn Abbas selecting and grooming dedicated disciples like Mujahid ibn Jabr and Qatadah ibn Di'amah al-Tawrith al-Daawi+3.
• Forms of Succession (al-Mabhath al-Thani): Outlines four primary avenues for transmitting da'wah heritage: direct personal companionship with living scholars and practitioners; writing and studying memoirs and autobiographies; establishing written administrative bylaws (lawa'ih) to prevent successors from repeating past administrative errors; and studying the foundational texts of early modern Islamic advocates while refining, evaluating, and adding to their insights al-Tawrith al-Daawi+4.
• Obstacles to Sound Succession (al-Mabhath al-Thalith): Analyzes four major impediments: poor planning and random execution; ignorance of the significance of succession; fear of political or social repercussions (which often deters scholars from publishing personal memoirs); and constant preoccupation with urgent, short-term field crises al-Tawrith al-Daawi+3.

In the final section, al-Sharif warns that negative habits—such as unreliability regarding appointments, indifference, and moral dryness—can also be inherited and passed down unconsciously within activist environments, stressing the need for conscious, positive emulation al-Tawrith al-Daawi.