Min Thimar al-Dawa
- Author died
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- Editions
- Dār al-Qāsim
Min Thimar al-Dawa (From the Fruits of Calling to God) is an Islamic treatise authored by the Saudi scholar and writer Abd al-Malik bin Qasim, dedicated to outlining the spiritual, individual, and communal merits of engaging in Islamic propagation (da'wah).
Purpose and Scope
The work is designed to motivate Muslims to actively participate in inviting others to Islam, defending the faith, and enjoining good and forbidding evil. The author emphasizes an expansive definition of the caller (da'iyah), stating that anyone who presents a religious book, gives an audio recording, instructs an unlearned person, guides toward goodness, delivers a speech, or commands virtue and prohibits vice participates in this path.
Structure and Contents
The treatise consists of a brief introduction, thirty numbered "fruits" (thimar), and an exhortative conclusion.
The Thirty Fruits
The author structures the benefits of da'wah across thirty distinct points:
- Emulating and following the prophets and pious predecessors.
- Drawing closer to God in obedience to His direct command.
- Hastening to good deeds and earning immense divine reward.
- Fulfilling the collective obligation of enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong.
- Attaining vast reward with minimal hardship through diverse means of guidance.
- Rectification of personal deeds and expiation of sins.
- Receiving divine guidance and steadfastness (tasdid wa-tawfiq).
- Hope for righteousness in one's offspring (salah al-dhurriyyah).
- Safety and shielding of communities from divine punishment.
- Heaviness of the scale of good deeds on the Day of Resurrection.
- Attaining success and avoiding ultimate loss.
- Contributing to the victory and empowerment of the Muslim community.
- Protection against divine curses that afflicted previous nations who neglected calling to righteousness.
- Attaining exalted ranks and the inheritance of the prophetic mission.
- Societal reform and rectifying community affairs.
- Incurring the prayers and blessings of God, the angels, and all creation upon those who teach goodness.
- Benefiting from the Prophet's supplication of radiance for whoever conveys his words.
- Benefiting from the Prophet's supplication of mercy for whoever preserves and transmits his traditions.
- Practicing ongoing charity through the expenditure of religious knowledge (nafaqat al-'ilm).
- Absolution of religious duty (bara'at al-dhimmah), especially in times of widespread ignorance.
- Spiritual elevation and honor in both worlds.
- Achieving rewards superior to the most valued worldly possessions.
- The continuous accumulation of rewards after death through lasting righteous impact.
- Participating in jihad through argument, the pen, speech, and teaching.
- Earning the love and close friendship of God.
- Expressing gratitude to God for Islam, inviting increase in divine favors.
- Serving as a primary means of remaining steadfast upon faith.
- Suppressing falsehood and elevating truth and righteousness in society.
- Utilizing time productively in preparation for the afterlife.
- Experiencing spiritual tranquility, joy, and peace of mind (sa'at al-sadr wal-uns).
Conclusion
The book concludes with a section titled Wa-Mādha Ba'da al-Thamarāt ("What Comes After the Fruits?"), exhorting the reader to persist with resolve along the path trodden by the Prophet Muhammad and earlier prophets such as Noah and Moses despite hardships.
Method and Sources
The author relies on textual evidence from the Quran and prophetic hadith, citing collections such as Sahih Muslim, Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Sunan Ibn Majah, and Musnad Ahmad. He draws extensively upon classical and later commentators and theologians, including al-Farra', al-Baghawi, Ibn Kathir, Ibn al-Qayyim, Fakhr al-Din al-Razi, al-Nawawi, al-Shawkani, al-Hasan al-Basri, Ibn Taymiyyah, Abd al-Rahman al-Sa'di, and Abd al-Aziz bin Baz.
To illustrate the points, the work incorporates contemporary real-world examples and anecdotes, such as the educational efforts of Sheikh Abdullah al-Qar'awi in southern Saudi Arabia, stories of teachers dispatched to remote villages or African countries, and conversions to Islam facilitated through simple means like printed pamphlets.
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