Hadith on Dawah: Teaching Islam to People of the Scripture

📖Sahih al-Bukhari 4347
Narrated Ibn `Abbas: Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said to Mu`adh bin Jabal when he sent him to Yemen. “You will come to the people of Scripture, and when you reach them, invite them to testify that none has the right to be worshipped except Allah and that Muhammad is His Apostle. And if they obey you in that, then tell them that Allah has enjoined on them five prayers to be performed every day and night. And if they obey you in that, then tell them that Allah has enjoined on them Sadaqa (i.e. rak`at) to be taken from the rich amongst them and given to the poor amongst them. And if they obey you in that, then be cautious! Don’t take their best properties (as Zakat) and be afraid of the curse of an oppressed person as there is no screen between his invocation and Allah.

Here is the step-by-step meaning of the hadith from Sahih al-Bukhari 4347:

1. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) instructed his companion Mu’adh bin Jabal when he sent him to Yemen to invite the people of the scripture (Jews and Christians) to declare their faith in the oneness of Allah and the prophethood of Muhammad (peace be upon him).
2. If the people of the scripture accept this invitation, Mu’adh was instructed to teach them about the five daily prayers that are obligatory for every Muslim. Prayer is one of the fundamental acts of worship in Islam and is performed at specific times throughout the day and night.
3. If the people of the scripture accept the obligation of prayer, Mu’adh was then instructed to teach them about Zakat, which is the obligatory charity given by Muslims to help the poor and needy. The Zakat is calculated as a percentage of one’s wealth and is given to those who are eligible to receive it.
4. However, Mu’adh was cautioned not to take the best properties of the people as Zakat and to be afraid of the curse of an oppressed person. This means that Zakat should be taken from the wealthy members of the community, but not in a way that would cause them hardship or leave them in a difficult financial situation. Additionally, Zakat should not be taken unfairly or unjustly from anyone, as this can lead to the invocation of a curse upon the oppressor, and there is no barrier between such a curse and Allah.

In summary, this hadith provides guidance on how to spread the message of Islam to non-Muslims and the importance of establishing prayer and Zakat as fundamental acts of worship in the Islamic faith.