Is it better to supervise an Islamic forum or to read Qur’aan and do acts of worship?
Question

                We are supervisor women to a female forum. Men can be on it but with limits and in specific sections only. We sit for hours arranging and deleting topics. This forum is Islamic, Alhamdulillah. Is what we do considered acts of da’wah? Is it better to spend this time reciting Quraan and worshipping Allah?.
Praise be to Allah.
    Calling people to Allaah is one of the greatest of righteous 
    deeds and beneficial acts of worship and obedience that bring benefit to 
    others. Hence the one who does it and busies himself with it is treading the 
    path of the Prophets and Messengers, as Allaah says (interpretation of the 
    meaning): 

    “Say (O Muhammad صلى الله 
    عليه وسلم): “This is my way; I invite unto Allaah (i.e. to the 
    Oneness of Allaah — Islamic Monotheism) with sure knowledge, I and whosoever 
    follows me (also must invite others to Allaah, i.e. to the Oneness of Allaah 
    — Islamic Monotheism with sure knowledge). And Glorified and Exalted be 
    Allaah (above all that they associate as partners with Him). And I am not of 
    the Mushrikoon (polytheists, pagans, idolaters and disbelievers in the 
    Oneness of Allaah; those who worship others along with Allaah or set up 
    rivals or partners to Allaah)”

    [Yoosuf 12:109] 

    “And who is better in speech than he who [says: ‘My Lord 
    is Allaah (believes in His Oneness),’ and then stands firm (acts upon His 
    Order), and] invites (men) to Allaah’s (Islamic Monotheism), and does 
    righteous deeds, and says: ‘I am one of the Muslims’”

    [Fussilat 41:33]

    Many texts in the Qur’aan and Sunnah enjoin da’wah or calling 
    people to Allaah, such as the hadeeth in which the Prophet  (peace and 
    blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever calls others to guidance 
    will have a reward like that of those who follow it, without that detracting 
    from their reward in the slightest” Narrated by Muslim (3674). 

    And he  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: 
    “Allaah, His angels and the inhabitants of heaven and earth, even the ant in 
    its hole and the fish, send blessings on the one who teaches the people 
    good.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi (2685); classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in 
    Saheeh al-Tirmidhi. 

    The ways of calling people to Allaah are many and various, 
    such as speaking directly, in khutbahs (sermons), speeches and lectures, or 
    on tapes; and by writing in letters, publications and on forums. 

    That includes setting up useful forums and supervising them, 
    and directing their members and commenting on their articles and 
    contributions. All of these are ways of calling people to Allaah and 
    teaching the people good. 

    Indeed these forums have become a prominent means of 
    teaching, guiding, calling people to Islam and enjoining what is good and 
    forbidding what is evil, and those who are in charge of them will have a 
    great reward, according to their intentions, actions and efforts. 

    Based on this, you should seek reward with Allaah for the 
    time that you spend in following up on these participants and commenting on 
    them and guiding them, but you should be careful not to let that distract 
    you from things that are more important and beneficial, such as looking 
    after your husband and children, acquiring shar’i knowledge, regularly 
    reading Qur’aan and reciting wird (dhikr), because some people become 
    distracted by forums from doing more important things and greater acts of 
    worship. Fiqh means understanding priorities and giving precedence to that 
    which is more important. 

    How wonderful it is when a person manages to have a share pf 
    every kind of booty, so he has a share of this and of that, and he pays 
    attention to that which will benefit him and others, and he strives to 
    improve himself in terms of knowledge and action, and he spends some of his 
    time to benefit others and call them to Islam and guide them, so he does not 
    let one duty distract him from another, or let one good thing keep him from 
    doing another. Hence Allaah causes his words to be effective and his advice 
    to be beneficial, because he has accompanied his words with actions, and his 
    slogan is: “I wish not, in contradiction to you, to do that which I 
    forbid you. I only desire reform to the best of my power. And my guidance 
    cannot come except from Allaah, in Him I trust and unto Him I repent” [Hood 
    11:88]. 

    Taking care of oneself requires proper understanding and 
    wisdom, so a person should take advantage when he had energy and is able to 
    focus and make the most of his time. So sometimes he reads Qur’aan and does 
    a lot of naafil acts of worship, and sometimes he attends circles and 
    classes or studies books of knowledge, and sometimes he goes to forums and 
    supervises them. The best kind of worship is that which one feels inclined 
    towards and feels at ease with it when there is a need for it. 

    Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) wrote some 
    useful words about priorities with regard to acts of worship, and we will 
    quote some of it. For example he said: “… The same applies to the person’s 
    state of mind. When he is in the state of mind that helps him to achieve the 
    purpose for which he was created, then that state of mind is much nobler 
    than any other. And the same applies to actions. Any action which helps him 
    to get closer to the purpose for which he was created is better than any 
    other. Hence prayer and jihad are among the best of deeds because they bring 
    one closer to that aim, and this is how it should be, because the closer a 
    thing is to the goal the better it is than that which is far away from it. 
    The action which prepares the heart and mind to know Allaah and His names 
    and attributes, and to love Him, fear Him and put one’s hopes in Him is 
    better than that which is not like that. If a number of deeds have this 
    quality in common, then the best of them is that which brings one closest to 
    this goal. Hence acts of worship have this goal in common, so they are 
    required for the sake of Allaah and sins have in common the fact that they 
    block the heart and prevent it from reaching this goal, so they are 
    forbidden. The effect of acts of worship and sins depends on their degree. 
    This is something to which attention must be paid, which is that a 
    particular deed may be better for one person than another.  

    For example, in the case of a rich man who has acquired much 
    wealth and is reluctant to spend of it, his giving charity is better for him 
    than spending the night in prayer (qiyaam al-layl) and observing naafil 
    fasts by day. 

    In the case of a brave man who can strike fear into the 
    enemy’s heart with his whip, his spending an hour in the ranks and fighting 
    against the enemies of Allaah in jihad is better than Hajj, fasting, giving 
    charity or doing naafil acts of worship. In the case of a scholar who knows 
    the Sunnah, halal and haraam, and the ways of good and evil, his mixing with 
    the people and teaching and advising them about their religion is better 
    than his withdrawing and spending his time in prayer, reading Qur’aan and 
    tasbeeh. End quote from ‘Uddat al-Saabireen, p. 93. 

    He also said: 

    The best act of worship is striving to please the Lord at all 
    times by doing whatever is suited to that time and expected for it. The best 
    act of worship at times of jihad is jihad, even if that means forsaking 
    regular naafil actions such as praying qiyaam at night and fasting by day, 
    or even if it means not offering the obligatory prayers in full as one does 
    at times of peace and security. 

    The best act of worship when a guest comes is fulfilling his 
    rights and taking care of him rather that reciting the mustahabb wird. The 
    same applies to fulfilling the rights of one’s wife and children. 

    The best act of worship at the time before dawn is to occupy 
    oneself with prayer, Qur’aan, du’aa’, dhikr and asking for forgiveness. 

    The best act of worship when guiding the seeker of knowledge 
    and teaching the ignorant is to focus on teaching them. 

    The best act of worship at the time of the adhaan is to stop 
    what one is doing of wird (dhikr) and respond to the muezzin. 

    The best act of worship at the time of the five daily prayers 
    is to strive sincerely to perform the prayers in the best possible manner, 
    and to hasten to pray when the time for prayer begins. Going out to the 
    mosque even if it is far is better. 

    The best act of worship at times when someone needs help is 
    to use one’s position, physical capabilities and wealth to help him and to 
    answer his call, and to give that precedence over reciting your wird and 
    staying alone. 

    The best act of worship at times of reading Qur’aan is to 
    when one’s mind is focused and one is in the right frame of mind to ponder 
    its meanings and understand it, until it is as if Allaah is addressing you, 
    so you can focus on pondering it and understanding it and resolving to 
    implement its commands more than a person would focus if he received a 
    letter from the ruler. 

    The best act of worship when standing in ‘Arafah is to focus 
    on beseeching Allaah, du’aa’ and dhikr, and not to fast which would make one 
    too weak to focus on that. 

    The best act of worship during the first ten days of 
    Dhu’l-Hijjah is to do a lot of acts of worship, especially reciting takbeer 
    (“Allaahu akbar”), tahleel (“Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah”) and tahmeed (“al-hamdu 
    Lillaah”). This is better than jihad for the one for whom jihad is not an 
    individual obligation. 

    The best act of worship during the last ten days of Ramadaan 
    is to spend a lot of time in the mosque, and to be alone and observe 
    i’tikaaf without mixing with people and being distracted by them. It is even 
    better than focusing on teaching them knowledge and Qur’aan according to 
    many scholars.  

    These are the people whose worship Allaah in every sense of 
    the word; other people worship Him in a limited sense (i.e., the people who 
    are mostly focused on one type of worship, such as qiyaam al-layl or reading 
    Qur’aan or fasting). When one of them stops doing the kind of worship that 
    he is attached to, he feels as if he is falling short and has stopped 
    worshipping, so he worships Allaah in just one way. But the one who worships 
    in every sense of the word is not more inclined to one type of worship than 
    another, rather his aim is to seek the pleasure of Allaah wherever it lies. 

    So his worship is based on that, and he keeps moving through 
    different stages of worship, and every time he strives to reach a certain 
    status, he keeps himself busy with that, until he sees another level that he 
    wants to reach, so he persists in that until the end of the course. So if 
    you see the scholars you will him with them, and if you see the worshippers 
    you will see him with them, and if you see the mujaahideen you will see him 
    with them, and if you see those who remember Allaah you will see him with 
    them, and if you see those who give charity and do good you will see him 
    with them, and if you see those whose hearts are devoted to Allaah you will 
    see him with them. This is the one who worships Allaah in every sense of the 
    word, who is not restricted by one type in exclusion to others, and his 
    actions are not based on what he is inclined towards and what he finds 
    pleasure in, rather he chooses the act of worship that pleases Allaah most, 
    even if his joy and ease may be in some other act of worship. This is the 
    one who truly fulfils the meaning of Iyyaaka na’budu wa iyyaaka nasta’een 
    (“You (Alone) we worship, and You (Alone) we ask for help (for each and 
    everything)” [al-Faatihah 1:5]). End quote from Madaarij al-Saalikeen 
    (1/88). 

    To sum up: Supervising this forum is a kind of calling people 
    to Allaah, so you should not give it up, but the Muslim should organize his 
    time, giving some time for da’wah and some time for reading Qur’aan and some 
    time for prayer, and some time for his wife and family, and so on, giving 
    each its rights. 

    We ask Allaah to help and guide us and you. 

    And Allaah knows best.