Answer to Question
Difference Between Da’wah and Work
To: Fahmi Burhan
(Translated)

Question:

Assalamu Alaykom Wa Rahmatullah Wa Barakatuhu,

I would like to enquire about the meanings of “Da’wah” and “work” please.

The author mentioned in the book, Structuring of a Party: “We believe that the only true philosophy for revival is an ideology (Mabdaa’) that encompasses both the idea and the method. This ideology is Islam because it is an Aqeedah (doctrine) from which emanates a system governing all the affairs of the State and the Ummah, and a solution to all of life’s problems. Although Islam is a universal system, it is not part of its method to start working on a universal scale towards its implementation. Islam should be propagated universally while working to implement it must be confined to one or several countries until it becomes firmly established. Once established, the Islamic State would naturally grow until it encompasses all the Islamic countries...etc.”

I understood from this text that there is a difference between Da'wah and work, as if they had a special term for the Hizb. And that is where he said that it is the way of Islam not to operate globally, but rather that it must be called universally from the beginning. And the author also said in another place in the book The Party Alliance: The weather turns hot and cold on it, the winds blow over it and the winds blow over it, and the weather alternates with clear and cloudy weather. The process of advocacy and work from a party bloc to an integrated principled party ... etc.

Hizb ut Tahrir also mentioned in the book, “The Starting Point: Therefore, the Da’wah must be done through the Hizb and in the name of the Hizb, i.e. the Da’wah is for Islam, and the work is for the resumption of the Islamic way of life, but the one who carries the Islamic Da’wah and works for the resumption of the Islamic way of life is Hizb ut Tahrir.”

So my question is:

1. Does Hizb ut Tahrir have a special concept/understanding on “Da’wah” and “work”?

2. And is there a difference between “Da’wah” and “work”?

May Allah reward you immensely with the establishment of the Islamic Khilafah. Please forgive me if I misunderstood the texts and I ask you to kindly correct me if I misunderstood them. May Allah bring His victory soon, and only then will the believers rejoice.

Answer:

Wa Alaikum Assalam Wa Rahmatullah Wa Barakatuhu,

Yes, there is a difference in the context you are enquiring about in the book, Concepts of Hizb ut Tahrir, between “Da’wah to Islam” and “working for Islam”, Da’wah to Islam means carrying, delivering and explaining its ideas, as for “working for Islam”, it means working for its practical implementation in life, state and society.

The method to do so is by establishing a political party who carries Islam by working in a region or multiple regions for the sake of changing its society, implementing the State and take ruling... then carry the Da’wah through the State to unite the Muslim lands and spread and implement Islam in the whole world... this difference is outlined in the Structuring of a Party, in the paragraph you provided and in the paragraphs that follow, as follows:

“We believe that the only true philosophy for revival is an ideology (Mabdaa’) that encompasses both the idea and the method. This ideology is Islam because it is an Aqeedah (doctrine) from which emanates a system governing all the affairs of the State and the Ummah, and a solution to all of life’s problems. Although Islam is a universal system, it is not part of its method to start working on a universal scale towards its implementation.

Islam should be propagated universally while working to implement it must be confined to one or several countries until it becomes firmly established. Once established, the Islamic State would naturally grow until it encompasses all the Islamic countries. Then the state would propagate Islam to the rest of the world, because the Islamic State must convey the Islamic da’wah as an eternal and universal message for all mankind, as this is its message and an immortal universal humanitarian message.” Ends.

Also, the book Concepts of Hizb ut Tahrir further explains this matter:

[In order that the action be productive it is necessary to define the place where to commence the action, and the people with which the work is to be started. Indeed Islam is universal and views to all humanity and humans as being equal. In the Da’awa it gives no weight to the difference of environment, situation and place etc. Islam considers all mankind having the ability to embrace the da’awa, and it considers Muslims responsible for carrying this da’awa to all of mankind. But, despite this, the initiation to carry Islam does not start globally, for if such a start is undertaken it will fail and will not lead to any result. Instead, it should start with the individual, and end with the world. Therefore, the da’awa should be carried in a place where it has the potential to be well established and becomes the starting point. This place, or any other place where the da’awa was established is then considered as a launching point from which the da’awa will proceed on its course. This place or other places, are then considered as the established point in which the state will be established. The da’awa being well established in this will then proceed in its natural way: the way of jihad.] Quote from the book Ends.

Thus, the difference between “Da’wah to Islam” being a global system that is fit to be carried and called for and delivered to people everywhere in the world, and between “working for Islam” by limiting the place of potential to one or more countries in the world, in order to change society in it and establish the state that rules by Islam and carries it to the world through Da’wah and jihad.

I hope the matter has been clarified.

Your brother,
Ata Bin Khalil Abu Al-Rashtah

21st Rajab al-Khair 1442 AH
05/03/2021 CE

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