Giving advice in the finest manner

26-1-2011 | IslamWeb

Question:

I live in America and my maternal uncle lives in the same city as me. He never prays and it is difficult to convince him to start praying because he is very stubborn. What is the most proper way for me to advise him?

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allaah, the Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.

It is a Muslim’s duty to advise others; nonetheless, it is not his duty to guide the person he seeks to advise because guidance is in the Hand of Allaah alone. Allaah The Exalted Says (what means): {Indeed, [O Muhammad], you do not guide whom you like, but Allaah guides whom He wills.} [Quran 28:56]

Hence, the adviser must choose the best method to convey his advice, for Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good instruction, and argue with them in a way that is best.} [Quran 16:25]

If people were to stop giving advice because no one would accept it, there will be no advisers at all, and there would be no one to enjoin good or forbid evil. Therefore, you must not give up, dear brother, or feel despair; on the contrary, you must repeat the advice and adopt various methods to convey it. You may, for instance, use spoken advice, or provide your uncle with a book or tape, or you may seek the help of others, especially those who may be able to influence him. In other words, do not give up because Da‘wah is not restricted to a single means or method. We ask Allaah The Almighty to help you and to guide your uncle to the right path.

Allaah Knows best.