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The essence of the concepts of Ahl al-Sunnah

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Invitation through exhortation

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Exhortation is the establishment of Allah the Almighty's admonition in the servant's heart.

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This is achieved by knowing Allah the Almighty, His most beautiful names, and their effects,

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and by knowing His commands and prohibitions,

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sometimes through encouragement and sometimes through deterrence,

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according to people's circumstances.

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This gives rise to fear of Allah the Almighty, hope in Him, and love for Him.

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This, in turn, results in performing what is commanded and abandoning what is forbidden,

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drawing closer to Allah the Almighty,

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and aspiring for His pleasure and His Paradise.

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And exhortation, in this sense, is not limited to a single topic,

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such as death, Paradise, and Hellfire alone.

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Rather, it should be present and encompass all Islamic sciences and be the starting point for them,

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whether in the study of creed, dealings, or acts of worship.

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And it should be present in every sermon, lesson, admonition, and dialogue.

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And whoever reflects upon the verses of the Noble Qur'an

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will find that exhortation is the substance of the Qur'an.

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Hence, Allah the Almighty described the Qur'an as an admonition.

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He, the Exalted, says:

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“O mankind! There hath come unto you an exhortation from your Lord, a balm for that which is in the breasts, a guidance and a mercy for believers.” (10:57)

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"and guidance and mercy for the believers."

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And the one who reflects upon many of the commands and prohibitions

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whether in creed, rulings, or dealings,

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will see that they are concluded or begun with exhortation and remembrance of Allah the Almighty's greatness and His most beautiful names,

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and a warning of the Hereafter and the reward and punishment therein.

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The correct understanding of exhortation also

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is that it encompasses both encouragement and deterrence,

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and one aspect does not overpower the other.

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Allah the Almighty says:

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“Naught is said unto thee (Muhammad) save what was said unto the messengers before thee. Lo! thy Lord is owner of forgiveness, and owner (also) of dire punishment.” (41:43)

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"And Paradise is not mentioned in the Qur'an

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except that Hellfire is mentioned alongside it."

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The essence of the concepts of Ahl al-Sunnah