Shaykh Muhammad bin Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen rahimahullaah said:
“When a person has knowledge and insight into that which he is calling to, then
there is no difference between the one who has a great amount of
knowledge, or a student of knowledge who has recently started in pursuit
of knowledge or a lay person – as long as he has certain knowledge of the issue at hand.
The Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said:
“Convey from me, even if it is one verse.”
[Saheeh al-Bukhari]
So it is not a condition upon the da’ee (the one calling) to attain a great amount of knowledge, but the condition is that one must have knowledge of what one is calling to. If this calling is established upon ignorance and built upon emotion and passion, then it is not permissible.
Thus, we see that some of the brothers who call to Allah, they do not have except a little knowledge. We see them, due to their strong emotions,
prohibiting that which Allah has not prohibited, whilst making
obligatory that which Allah has not made obligatory upon His
worshippers. This is a very dangerous matter, since
permitting what Allah has made haraam (unlawful) is like prohibiting
what Allah has made halaal (lawful). So when they begin prohibiting
people for making a particular matter then others will rebuke them for
making it haraam.
Allah ta’ala says (which means):
“And do not say, concerning that
which your tongues falsely put forward, ‘This is lawful and this is
forbidden,’ so as to invent lies against Allah. Indeed, those who invent
lies against Allah will never prosper.”
[Surah al-Nahl (16):116-117]
As for the lay person, then he must not call to Allah if he does not have knowledge. Rather, it is essential to have knowledge in accordance with the saying of Allah (meaning) :
“Say: This is my path. I call to Allah upon sure knowledge.”
[Surah Yoosuf (12):108]
So it is a must to call to Allah upon
knowledge. However, if a matter is clearly known to be evil or good,
then one can command it – if it is good, or forbid it – if it is evil.
So the callers to Allah must start with knowledge. Whosoever calls to Allah without knowledge, then such a person will cause greater harm than good – as is evident. So it is obligatory for a person to first acquire knowledge, then to do Da’wah. As for the clear evils and that which is clearly good, then the good is enjoined and the evil prohibited.”
From: As-Sahwatul-Islaamiyyah (pp.59-60) of Shaykh lbn al-‘Uthaymeen
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