How Can Young People Bring Non-Muslims to Islam?
Invite to Islam not with your tongue, but guide people by letting them observe your goodness.
By Ebrahim Mohseni

One of the most discussed issues among the Muslim communities in the non-Muslim countries is the issue of Tabliq (invitation to Islam). Many tactics have been introduced to us.  However there is one Hadith and some Ayahs (verses) of Quran that can be seen as being straightforward for us, the young Muslims of this Ummah.

The Holy Quran, in Ayah 49 of Sura Bagharah, states: "Do you invite and order people to piety and good doing while forgetting yourselves, even as you read the Book? Will you not use your reason and intellect?".

This Ayah very clearly informs us about the first step of Tabliq and that is to first think about ourselves. Before going out to invite others to doing good and to Islam, we have to become a true follower of Islam ourselves. We should not only be a practicing Muslim, but we should also have some understanding about the acts we perform. A sister must know why she has the Hijab on so that when she is asked about it she could present a convincing reason for it. The same is true about brothers. We, as the dynamic youth of this Ummah, should and must learn our religion in a way, that not only we would not become weak Muslims ourselves, we would also become the defenders and inviters of people to Islam. The Holy Quran in, Ayah 142 of Sura Bagharah, says

"…We have set you up as a moderate nation so you may act as the role models of mankind as the prophet was a role model for you…".

Now that we learned about the first step, lets look at the ways and tactics of Tabliq. How should we invite people to the right path and Islam? Imam Sadeq (a.s) the founder of the Shia Ja’fari School of thought answers this question in a very simple manner.

"Be the inviters and callers of people toward goodness without your tongues, but guide them by letting them observe goodness and what is right".

This saying  tells us that we should not act like Christian missionaries who go door to door talking about Christianity. Imam Sadeq says all you need to do is to let  yourselves be known as decent Muslims and then those that are interested will come to you. For sisters this is very easy. Allah has automatically made them Muballiqeen (Inviters) of Islam by enjoining on them Islamic modest dress. This appointment also shows us the high status of women in Islam. A practicing Muslim woman is automatically a Muballiq since she reveals herself as a Muslim where ever she goes. This makes it crucial for them to know their Islam and to be careful of their behavior since whatever they do becomes in the eyes of non-Muslims what Islam has ordered them to do. Allah says in the Holy Quran

"We have enforced upon no one what they are incapable of doing" (2:286)

Thus this job that He has specifically appointed women to do show us the trust He has in Muslim women. About brothers, we do not have the advantages that our sisters have but we also have to reveal ourselves as Muslim. One of the easy ways of doing that is to perform our religious duties especially our daily prayers openly with out shame. Doing so, Insha Allah, we would reach the high level of becoming the inviters of others to the right path of Islam.