Gentle, but Honest About the Warning

I want to mention one thing about daʿwah here. Sometimes we think that part of being mild in daʿwah is not to threaten the other side or make them worry. Sometimes in our daʿwah we tell people about Islam, but we shy away from mentioning to them the consequences of not believing. We sometimes hold back from telling people: if you do not believe, this is what will happen to you — you will be in the Hellfire. We think that is too harsh. Is that true or not?

The ayah that says speak to Firʿawn in a mild fashion is ayah 44 of Sūrat Ṭāhā. In ayah 48 of Sūrat Ṭāhā, Mūsā is saying to Firʿawn:

Mūsā is telling Firʿawn: truly, it has been revealed to us that the torment will be for whoever denies and turns away. So Mūsā is telling Firʿawn: I have received revelation that if you do not believe in Allah, you will be punished in the Hellfire. So Allah (swt) tells us that we should be mild and soft in our daʿwah — but holding back the warning is not part of that. Why? Because this is part of the honesty of conveying the message. The anbiyāʾ of Allah have been given an amānah, a trust, and they have to be honest. They cannot hold back information from people. They have to tell them the truth — bashīran wa nadhīrā — to give them the glad tidings and to give them the warning: if you believe, you will receive Jannah; if you do not believe, you will receive the Hellfire.

In any case, Mūsā and Hārūn said: our Lord, we fear that he will hasten to punish us, or that he will transgress. Allah (swt) told them: fear not; verily, I am with you both, hearing and seeing.