When To Be Soft AND When To Be Harsh?!!?

Alternating Between Da’wah AND Nahi ‘Anil Munkar
There is a lot of confusion amongst the Ummah regarding the obligation of Da’wah. When we talk about Da’wah, it should be known that this term is a very broad term which includes many other obligations such as giving Naseehah [advice], inviting a Disbeliever to Islam, encouraging Muslims to practice the Deen, Amr bil Ma’roof [commanding good] and Nahi ‘anil Munkar [forbidding evil]. The confusion arises when one is not informed that these different obligations do not necessarily have the same method. For example, while inviting a Disbeliever to Islam, softness is required, but while forbidding evil, it is from the Sunnah [example] of the Prophet to be harsh [although not always]. This article has been designed to clarify some misconceptions and misunderstanding regarding when to be harsh and when to be soft and we want to make it clear that in Islam, a Muslim is required at times to be soft as well as harsh.

Method Of Inviting Disbelievers To Islam
To explain the method of Da’wah, the following verse is usually used:
“Give Da’wah to the way of your Lord with the Revelation and by reminding them about the punishments, and argue with them in the best manner [with softness and gentleness]” {16:125} [Translated to fit Tafseer]

We can see from this verse that inviting people to Islam requires us to be soft in our approach, inclining them to the truth. This is from the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad [saw]. 

Another example we can give to prove that softness is required in Da’wah is when Musa [as] was sent to Fir’awn. Fir’awn, as we all know, was one of the most arrogant tyrants in the history of mankind, but still Allah [swt] ordered Musa [as]:
“And speak to him gently [Layyin], perhaps he may accept the warning or fear [Allah]” {20:44}
 So it is crucial to understand that even though our Deen demands us to have hatred for the Disbelievers, it should not stop us from being gentle in Da’wah. This is because we are Muslims, Submitters to the Command of Allah [swt], and so we do not direct our hatred the way we desire.

However, despite the requirement of softness in inviting the Disbelievers to Islam, when we look at the examples of how the Prophet [saw] forbade evil in society [not individuals], it was not in the same manner. To give an example, when the Prophet [saw] was ordered to call his people to Islam publicly, he went on top of Mount Safa and said:
‘Do you see? If I inform you that a military army was proceeding up the side of this mountain, will you believe me?’
They said: ‘We have never heard you telling a lie.’
Then he [saw] said: ‘I am a plain Warner to you of a severe punishment which is coming.’
Abu Lahab condemned the Prophet [saw] and belittled his call by saying: ‘May you perish! You gathered us only for this reason [at a time when it was busy in the markets]?’

Straight after this, Allah [swt] instructed the Prophet [saw] by revealing:
“Perish [Tabbat] the hand of Abu Lahab – until the end of the Soorah…” {111:1-5} [Bukhari]

The word Tabbat in Arabic is a very harsh word and denotes a curse. The Prophet [saw] publicly used this word to condemn Abu Lahab [and his wife], in front of many people.

To give another example, the Prophet [saw] said:
“Woe [Wayl] to those who cheat in the market” {83:1}

The word Wayl in Arabic is also a very harsh word which expresses a curse. This was used to condemn the people who cheat in the market places by adding weights to the product [to charge more money for less product].

Another example of harshness is when the Prophet [saw] was making Tawaaf at one time. As he was going around the Ka’bah, some Mushrikeen from Quraysh were mocking him. The Prophets [saw] face was described as angry the first time and second time they mocked him, but on the third time his anger came out and he threatened them by saying:
‘Listen, O People of Quraysh! By Him in Whose Hand is the soul of Muhammad, I have come to you with Slaughter [Zhabh]’ [Musnad of Imaam Ahmad]

This is the same word [Zhabh] which we use to explain the act of slaughtering an animal i.e. to cut the neck.

There are other examples such as the Ayah:
“You and your Gods are the fuel of Hell-Fire, [Surely] You will enter it” {21:98}

And one may look at the reason for revelation of Soorah Kaafiroon and also observe Ayah number four of Soorah Mumtahina. Although there are more examples of harshness in forbidden evil, we hope this would suffice.

It should also be known that one obligation cannot be neglected or sacrificed for the other. We may be inclined to avoid the duty of Nahi ‘Anil Munkar due to its harshness and firmness as we might hear ourselves say ‘it makes us harder to give Da’wah and incline someone’ or ‘who is going to become Muslim if we start condemning people’ or ‘it gives Islam a bad name’ or ‘it will cause Fitna [problems]’ or ‘where is the Hikmah [wisdom]?’. These excuses are not only foolish, but also very dangerous and could amount to Kufr. We say it is foolish because the example of giving up harshness in Hisbah for the sake of the Da’wah is like saying that one does not want to fast in Ramadaan because it makes it harder to have Khushoo’ [concentration] in Salaah due to the hunger and thirst. And we say it could amount to Kufr because statements claiming that Hisbah would cause Fitna and the harshness lacks Hikmah are an expression of distaste in the obligation and undermining the Decision of Allah [swt] and the wisdom of the Messenger [saw].

We have not made this Article to be a fully detailed explanation of the Ahkaam of Da’wah and Nahi Anil Munkar; the main point of this, and we re-iterate, is to inform the Ummah that we need to be soft at times, but also deal with harshness at times and one can never be neglected for the other as both is part of this Deen.