toward what this group calls them to—a group that hurls its sparks, not its lights, at people of decency and noble character in order to destroy their dignity and morals. This is manifested in visual, print, and audio media. Thus, you find the enemies of the Muslims invading them in this manner. Consider their newspapers, consider their radio broadcasts, and consider also the magazines they circulate among the Muslims, containing fashions. I do not mean merely that these fashions are unfamiliar to us or that wearing them conflicts with our customs; rather, I mean that they sometimes violate the Islamic code of dress. Islam must therefore be protected from such things.

There is also another means by which they invade the Muslims: financial dealings, through which they entice people into gambling, usury, and the like, by numerous methods. Protecting the religion of Islam therefore includes explaining this second category—namely, warfare against thought, creed, morals, and financial dealings—by demonstrating the corruption of these matters. Demonstrating their فساد breaks these weapons, after which we must present what is better: that which Islam has brought. For us to attack these weapons without mentioning the alternative is a mistake, since people will ask: Where is the alternative?

For this reason, the Quran and the Prophetic Sunnah contain guidance to this approach: when you forbid an evil, mention the good that should take its place. Allah Most High says:

“O you who believe, do not say, ‘ra'ina’ (attend to us); rather, say, ‘unzurna’ (look upon us), and listen.” [al-Baqarah: 104]

This is an evil, and the alternative is: “Rather, say, ‘unzurna’ (look upon us), and listen.” The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said to the man who came to him with good dates, for which he used to take one sa' in exchange for two, and two sa' in exchange for three—