Da'wah, a Personal Experience

 

The other day at the I-8 intersection on Islamabad Highway, I saw something that really made me think. I was on my way to the college (Shifa), when I heard a car stereo playing a song with some really inappropriate lyrics; the sort that I don't even want to remember (but to help you understand their intensity, I'll just say that if someone were to address those lyrics to someone, it would almost surely lead to a fight). Unfortunately, I too had heard that song several years ago, and I ask Allah to forgive me for not keeping away from such inappropriate music back then.

Coming back to the incident, a few seconds later I saw a second car draw up to the one that was playing the song. The driver, who from his appearance seemed to be someone religious (yes, I'm referring to his beard :)), pulled down his window and, in a semi-calm, semi-upset tone, said to the driver in the other car:

"Bhai, iss ganay main bohat ghalat zabaan istimaal ho rahi hai. Aap agar burra na manayain tou please isko band kr dain ya kam-az-kam halka kerdain, takay doosron ko iski awaz na aye."

Translation: Bro, this song has really inappropriate lyrics in it. If you don't mind, could you please turn it off or at least turn down the volume, so that others don't have to listen to it.

This really surprised me. I was waiting to see how the other driver would respond. He had two other young guys with him – while the man who had requested him to turn off the music was with a woman. With the way I’ve seen some people react, there was a chance that those three could have told that guy to mind his own business, or worse, say something abusive, or even ask him to park the car on the side, and pick a fight with him because 'he wasn't anyone to tell them what to do'.

By the grace of Allah, however, the guy, after a pause of a couple of seconds, said, "I'm sorry, my bad," and either turned off the song or turned down the volume (I couldn't hear it after that). The other guy thanked him, saying "I really appreciate it!"

Wallahi, I was really inspired by this, and made dua to Allah to reward both of them with Jannat ul Firdous – the  first one for having the courage to ask the other guy to avoid doing something immoral, and the latter for being humble, and realizing his mistake and rectifying it.

We need more of such people today, who in accordance with Qur'an, 3:110 (You are the best nation produced [as an example] for mankind. You enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and believe in Allah...), assist each other in doing good, and stop each other from doing what's wrong (and accomplish this in the most beautiful manner). May Allah give all of us the ability to do this, aameen.