DA'AWA
Da’wah
(Invitation)
Sharing the Message of Islam
The word “Da’wah”
in Arabic simply means to invite to
something. When it is used in conjunction with Islam it
is understood to mean “Inviting to the Way of
submission and surrender to Allah.”
Da’wah in Islam is actually an order from Allah in His
Holy Qur’an in a number of places. Let us consider one:
o “Kuntum khairan ummatin ukhrajat linaasi tawmaruna
bil maruf wa tan anna anhil munkar.”
You are the best of people raised up, for you call to all
that is right and righteous and you forbid the evil, and
you believe in Allah.
[Qur’an 3:110]
First let us begin with Basics Of Islam .
Here are some important points to keep in mind:
1. As Muslims we cannot lie about anything, especially
about our religion.
2. Islam has the proof for everything that it teaches. Our
sources are authentic and original. They are:
*
The Quran
*
Teachings of Muhammad(peace and blessings be upon
him)
This is a unique part of Islam, not available in any other
ancient religions.
Also, keep in mind while talking with people and
answering their questions, sometimes “questions”
contain misinformation. We must qualify what it is that
someone is saying against what they mean.
Take special care in offer your answers. Keep your
replies simple and to the point. Do not wander from
subject to subject while answering a question.
Another important point is to remember that patience is
an important part of the character of the Muslim and
that you must not become angry or outraged at what
people say to you or by the quesitons that they are
asking. If you feel that it is too much for you to deal
with, then simply walk away.
Also, don’t try to be funny or sarcastic. This is
distracting and not appropriate. Very often while giving
the answer, we hear the person we are talking to saying
something like, “I didn’t know that.” Or they might say,
“This is actually something good.” When this occurs we
ask them, “Are you ready to rethink your position? Are
you prepared to worship your God and your Lord
without and partners?”
After all, isn’t this what Islam is really all about? The
most important subject is the worship of Almighty God,
without any partners or associates or “gods” besides
Almighty God.
Dawah is a word in Arabic that means “to invite” or “to
offer to share.” This is a very important part of being a
Muslim and it can be somewhat difficult at times. Yet it
is not impossible. The fact is that sharing Islam is a
very simple concept. The difficulty comes in when you
are trying to communicate the idea to others, especially
when they have already been predisposed to believe in
something else and to believe that Islam is something
bad.
Keep in mind at all times that you are on a special
mission to deliver a message of inviting people to
worship Allah according to the way that He wants to be
worshipped. You are to call them to know the truth and
how to follow it. You do this with both your kind words
and correct actions.
Your words are used in lectures, sermons, books, tapes
and dialogs. These words help people to understand the
truth of Islam.
Your actions are observed by others through your
behavior and manners. You become the role model for
what Islam is all about.
Both methods (dawah by words and actions) were used
by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) when
delivering the message of Islam. He was the perfect
example of what he was calling the people to do.
Ayesah, may Allah be pleased with her, said that if you
would like to see a living example of the Quran walking,
then simply look to Muhammad, peace be upon him.
His life was the best example of the noble teachings and
principles set forth in the Quran.
Muslims are supposed to advise everyone by using a
gentle and simple approach to attract the hungry souls
to the Way of Allah. For sure today more than ever,
people need to know about Islam and be able to put it
into practice. We all need an example to follow.
Actually, the problem is not so much calling or inviting
to people to the message of Islam, as it is the way that
we go about it. The way that we present ourselves and
the message is most important and unfortunately,
something that many of the Muslims are not taking into
consideration these days.
Some have actually ruined the image of dawah due to
the rigid methods, mistakes and misunderstandings they
are applying. This gives a very negative impression
about Islam and the Muslims in general. Considering all
of the detraction and negative media against Islam and
Muslims occuring in these days, it is vital that we
approach our dawah with wisdom, kind invitation and
logical discussions.
One example of negative dawah is the false concept that
so many Muslims have today about debating the
Christians about their Bible. This is very incorrect and
not a part of the teachings of the Quran or the way of
Muhammad, peace be upon him. While there are a
number of things that we might be able to share with
them about what we believe that is similar to what they
might find in their Book, it is not correct to try to attack
their Book, their beliefs nor their understandings. A wise
man once said, “Debates bring a lot of heat, but not
very much light.” Leave the idea of debating and do not
attend any functions where these types of activities are
taking place. Pray for the Muslims to wake up to the
dangers of this as a tool for dawah before it is too late.
Another thing to stay away from is the so called
“miracles” about the Quran and Islam that are not
mentioned in the Quran or in the Sunnah of the prophet,
peace be upon him. One example of the idea of some
trees in Germany that are twisted around to spell, “Laa
elaha illa lah, Muhammad rasoolulah.” This is not true.
The picture is a fake and anyone can easily prove this is
not real. So where would you be if you had insisted that
this was a “proof” that Islam is the right religion?
Other fake “miracles” include; a fish with “Allah” written
on it; a tree bent toward Mekkah in prayer; a pumpkin
with “Bismillah Rahman Raheem” on it. Please verify
this by visiting our website page on these stories at:
http://www.IslamTomorrow.com/pumpkin.htm
Another area to avoid is the misconception about the
“miracle of numbers” in the Quran. The stories are many
and all of them are false. There is no miracle of “19” in
the Quran; this not the occurance of the word “day” and
“night” 365 times (the Muslim calendar is 354 days
anyway); the words “angel” and “devil” do not occur the
same number of times; and all of the mathematical
equasions mentioned about the earth and the water are
worthless to someone who is trying to understand about
Allah and Islam. So please stop this propaganda and
DO NOT FORWARD these messages to everyone on your
list.
That is NOT dawah. That is a waste of time and energy.
The fact is, that this will turn people away from the truth
and destroy the pure message of Islam.
When we are going to talk with folks about Islam, we
should first begin with the word itself. Let people know
that there is a difference between the word “Islam” and
what some people are doing. Visit our page on this
subject of the explanation of words before you try to
discuss Islam with anyone:
http://www.IslamTomorrow.com/word/
“ISLAM” – Explain to them that “Islam” can be
understood both, as a verb and as a noun. As a noun, it
is the religion that was completed by Allah for all
human beings 1,400 years ago. The message came with
Muhammad, peace be upon him, in the Arabic language.
As a verb, the word “Islam” means the surrender,
submission, obedience and peace in sincerity with Allah.
Next, explain to them that the word Muslim comes from
the word Islam itself. And the Arabic uses a prefix to the
verb rather than a suffix to indicate the one who is
preforming the verb or action. So instead of being an
“Islam-er” we are “Mu-islims” (Muslim).
Remember: K.I.S.S. (Keep It So Simple)
Next you might logically break down the word “Allah”
and let them know what it comes from and how it is the
perfect word to describe and represent the Lord of the
Worlds, The Only Creator and Sustainer of the universe.
“Allah” comes from the root “elah” and the plural is
“awliha.” When the article “the” is placed in front of
“elah” in Arabic, it becomes “Al-lah.” In this state the
word can no longer be made plural, nor can it be
associated with gender. That is to say, that “Allah” can
actually be used to represent the meaning of “One only
to be worshipped, never plural, always singular and
never man nor woman.”
“Quran” is another word that you might explain to them.
Let them understand that the Quran is not a book and
that it is actually “alive” today in the hearts of over nine
million (9,000,000) Muslims around the world. This is a
real miracle. There is no other book like it. No book can
compare to it and no other major religion today has
their original preserved in the original language by so
many followers of the religion.
For instance, you might ask the person, “Did you know?
– Over NINE MILLION Muslims Memorized the Entire
Quran. 9,000,000 + Muslims living today have
memorized the entire Quran in the original Arabic
language. But surprisingly over 75% of all Muslims are
not Arab. In fact, the largest number of Muslims today
are in Indonesia.
And did you know? That every Muslim in the world, over
1.5 billion have all memorized some of the Quran and
each of them desires to memorize it entirely?
“Prophethood” in Islam is also an area that brings
people to a better understanding of Muslims and what
Islam is really about about. Let them know that as
much as we love and honor and respect all of the
prophets from Adam to Abraham and Moses and David,
Jesus and Muhammad, peace be upon them all, we
never worship them. As a matter of fact, that is where
people begin to go the wrong way, by over praising
something or someone in the creation. All praise and
worship is due to Allah, alone.
You might like to read and share the messages about
Muhammad, peace be upon him, and Jesus, peace be
upon him, from the Muslim perspective. You could print
these pages out and share them or ask them to visit the
links online if they can.
“Muhammad” – “Jesus”
“Human Rights” is a favorite of mine to talk about. And
then rights in general in Islam. Of course it is Allah, who
has the first and most exclusive right, that of being
worshipped alone without any partners.
“Women’s rights” There are areas to discuss and in
particular of great interest today, is the rights of women.
Also, you could mention that today more than ever
before, women are coming into Islam in greater numbers
than men. This is a fact.
There are many areas to open up the dialog, but always
keep in mind that the message is to call people to
worship Allah, Alone without any partners.
Make the clear distinction between what “Islam” teaches
and what some “Muslims” do. Ask them to consider
some of the bad people in history who were supposed to
be Christians, yet what they did does not represent the
Christians or Jesus.
“Islam” is not what some Muslims do. It is what all
Muslims are “supposed” to do.
So all in all, you need to adopt gentleness and
politeness in presenting your arguments. Allah Almighty
addresses His Prophet, saying:
“Invite (all) to the Way of thy Lord with wisdom and
beautiful preaching; and argue with them in ways that
are best and most gracious: for thy Lord knows best,
who have strayed from His Path, and who receive
guidance.” (An-Nahl: 125)
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is
reported to have said: “Indeed, gentleness adds more
beauty to the atmosphere it reposes therein.”
Actually, nothing is more needed now, in making dawah,
than correct knowledge, gentleness and wisdom. The
reason for this is to dispel all the superstitions and lies
spread against Islam. All this needs wisdom, patience
and perseverance, and such polite methods brings quick
results and has rapid effect on the audience.
Consider the wife of Abu sufyan, Hind and her saying to
Muhammad, peace be upon him, after she came to
Islam; “I never wanted to see anyone on the face of the
earth to be put down more than you and your family.
But now, I do not see anyone on the face of the earth
more honored than you and your family.”
This is a clear example of the prophet’s effect on
people’s hearts and minds through his behavior and
manners. Callers to Islam must follow this great
example in their efforts to share the message of Islam
instead of turning them away.
Always consider your audience and who it is that you
are speaking to. If the people are not familiar with the
Arabic language, then there is no real need to speak
Arabic or make all of your quotes in Arabic and then try
to translate everything to English. This is silly and could
turn people away. Remember to keep everything on their
level and not try to talk above them or talk down to
them.
Allah is the All Knower.
by Yusuf Estes
(Invitation)
Sharing the Message of Islam
The word “Da’wah”
in Arabic simply means to invite to
something. When it is used in conjunction with Islam it
is understood to mean “Inviting to the Way of
submission and surrender to Allah.”
Da’wah in Islam is actually an order from Allah in His
Holy Qur’an in a number of places. Let us consider one:
o “Kuntum khairan ummatin ukhrajat linaasi tawmaruna
bil maruf wa tan anna anhil munkar.”
You are the best of people raised up, for you call to all
that is right and righteous and you forbid the evil, and
you believe in Allah.
[Qur’an 3:110]
First let us begin with Basics Of Islam .
Here are some important points to keep in mind:
1. As Muslims we cannot lie about anything, especially
about our religion.
2. Islam has the proof for everything that it teaches. Our
sources are authentic and original. They are:
*
The Quran
*
Teachings of Muhammad(peace and blessings be upon
him)
This is a unique part of Islam, not available in any other
ancient religions.
Also, keep in mind while talking with people and
answering their questions, sometimes “questions”
contain misinformation. We must qualify what it is that
someone is saying against what they mean.
Take special care in offer your answers. Keep your
replies simple and to the point. Do not wander from
subject to subject while answering a question.
Another important point is to remember that patience is
an important part of the character of the Muslim and
that you must not become angry or outraged at what
people say to you or by the quesitons that they are
asking. If you feel that it is too much for you to deal
with, then simply walk away.
Also, don’t try to be funny or sarcastic. This is
distracting and not appropriate. Very often while giving
the answer, we hear the person we are talking to saying
something like, “I didn’t know that.” Or they might say,
“This is actually something good.” When this occurs we
ask them, “Are you ready to rethink your position? Are
you prepared to worship your God and your Lord
without and partners?”
After all, isn’t this what Islam is really all about? The
most important subject is the worship of Almighty God,
without any partners or associates or “gods” besides
Almighty God.
Dawah is a word in Arabic that means “to invite” or “to
offer to share.” This is a very important part of being a
Muslim and it can be somewhat difficult at times. Yet it
is not impossible. The fact is that sharing Islam is a
very simple concept. The difficulty comes in when you
are trying to communicate the idea to others, especially
when they have already been predisposed to believe in
something else and to believe that Islam is something
bad.
Keep in mind at all times that you are on a special
mission to deliver a message of inviting people to
worship Allah according to the way that He wants to be
worshipped. You are to call them to know the truth and
how to follow it. You do this with both your kind words
and correct actions.
Your words are used in lectures, sermons, books, tapes
and dialogs. These words help people to understand the
truth of Islam.
Your actions are observed by others through your
behavior and manners. You become the role model for
what Islam is all about.
Both methods (dawah by words and actions) were used
by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) when
delivering the message of Islam. He was the perfect
example of what he was calling the people to do.
Ayesah, may Allah be pleased with her, said that if you
would like to see a living example of the Quran walking,
then simply look to Muhammad, peace be upon him.
His life was the best example of the noble teachings and
principles set forth in the Quran.
Muslims are supposed to advise everyone by using a
gentle and simple approach to attract the hungry souls
to the Way of Allah. For sure today more than ever,
people need to know about Islam and be able to put it
into practice. We all need an example to follow.
Actually, the problem is not so much calling or inviting
to people to the message of Islam, as it is the way that
we go about it. The way that we present ourselves and
the message is most important and unfortunately,
something that many of the Muslims are not taking into
consideration these days.
Some have actually ruined the image of dawah due to
the rigid methods, mistakes and misunderstandings they
are applying. This gives a very negative impression
about Islam and the Muslims in general. Considering all
of the detraction and negative media against Islam and
Muslims occuring in these days, it is vital that we
approach our dawah with wisdom, kind invitation and
logical discussions.
One example of negative dawah is the false concept that
so many Muslims have today about debating the
Christians about their Bible. This is very incorrect and
not a part of the teachings of the Quran or the way of
Muhammad, peace be upon him. While there are a
number of things that we might be able to share with
them about what we believe that is similar to what they
might find in their Book, it is not correct to try to attack
their Book, their beliefs nor their understandings. A wise
man once said, “Debates bring a lot of heat, but not
very much light.” Leave the idea of debating and do not
attend any functions where these types of activities are
taking place. Pray for the Muslims to wake up to the
dangers of this as a tool for dawah before it is too late.
Another thing to stay away from is the so called
“miracles” about the Quran and Islam that are not
mentioned in the Quran or in the Sunnah of the prophet,
peace be upon him. One example of the idea of some
trees in Germany that are twisted around to spell, “Laa
elaha illa lah, Muhammad rasoolulah.” This is not true.
The picture is a fake and anyone can easily prove this is
not real. So where would you be if you had insisted that
this was a “proof” that Islam is the right religion?
Other fake “miracles” include; a fish with “Allah” written
on it; a tree bent toward Mekkah in prayer; a pumpkin
with “Bismillah Rahman Raheem” on it. Please verify
this by visiting our website page on these stories at:
http://www.IslamTomorrow.com/pumpkin.htm
Another area to avoid is the misconception about the
“miracle of numbers” in the Quran. The stories are many
and all of them are false. There is no miracle of “19” in
the Quran; this not the occurance of the word “day” and
“night” 365 times (the Muslim calendar is 354 days
anyway); the words “angel” and “devil” do not occur the
same number of times; and all of the mathematical
equasions mentioned about the earth and the water are
worthless to someone who is trying to understand about
Allah and Islam. So please stop this propaganda and
DO NOT FORWARD these messages to everyone on your
list.
That is NOT dawah. That is a waste of time and energy.
The fact is, that this will turn people away from the truth
and destroy the pure message of Islam.
When we are going to talk with folks about Islam, we
should first begin with the word itself. Let people know
that there is a difference between the word “Islam” and
what some people are doing. Visit our page on this
subject of the explanation of words before you try to
discuss Islam with anyone:
http://www.IslamTomorrow.com/word/
“ISLAM” – Explain to them that “Islam” can be
understood both, as a verb and as a noun. As a noun, it
is the religion that was completed by Allah for all
human beings 1,400 years ago. The message came with
Muhammad, peace be upon him, in the Arabic language.
As a verb, the word “Islam” means the surrender,
submission, obedience and peace in sincerity with Allah.
Next, explain to them that the word Muslim comes from
the word Islam itself. And the Arabic uses a prefix to the
verb rather than a suffix to indicate the one who is
preforming the verb or action. So instead of being an
“Islam-er” we are “Mu-islims” (Muslim).
Remember: K.I.S.S. (Keep It So Simple)
Next you might logically break down the word “Allah”
and let them know what it comes from and how it is the
perfect word to describe and represent the Lord of the
Worlds, The Only Creator and Sustainer of the universe.
“Allah” comes from the root “elah” and the plural is
“awliha.” When the article “the” is placed in front of
“elah” in Arabic, it becomes “Al-lah.” In this state the
word can no longer be made plural, nor can it be
associated with gender. That is to say, that “Allah” can
actually be used to represent the meaning of “One only
to be worshipped, never plural, always singular and
never man nor woman.”
“Quran” is another word that you might explain to them.
Let them understand that the Quran is not a book and
that it is actually “alive” today in the hearts of over nine
million (9,000,000) Muslims around the world. This is a
real miracle. There is no other book like it. No book can
compare to it and no other major religion today has
their original preserved in the original language by so
many followers of the religion.
For instance, you might ask the person, “Did you know?
– Over NINE MILLION Muslims Memorized the Entire
Quran. 9,000,000 + Muslims living today have
memorized the entire Quran in the original Arabic
language. But surprisingly over 75% of all Muslims are
not Arab. In fact, the largest number of Muslims today
are in Indonesia.
And did you know? That every Muslim in the world, over
1.5 billion have all memorized some of the Quran and
each of them desires to memorize it entirely?
“Prophethood” in Islam is also an area that brings
people to a better understanding of Muslims and what
Islam is really about about. Let them know that as
much as we love and honor and respect all of the
prophets from Adam to Abraham and Moses and David,
Jesus and Muhammad, peace be upon them all, we
never worship them. As a matter of fact, that is where
people begin to go the wrong way, by over praising
something or someone in the creation. All praise and
worship is due to Allah, alone.
You might like to read and share the messages about
Muhammad, peace be upon him, and Jesus, peace be
upon him, from the Muslim perspective. You could print
these pages out and share them or ask them to visit the
links online if they can.
“Muhammad” – “Jesus”
“Human Rights” is a favorite of mine to talk about. And
then rights in general in Islam. Of course it is Allah, who
has the first and most exclusive right, that of being
worshipped alone without any partners.
“Women’s rights” There are areas to discuss and in
particular of great interest today, is the rights of women.
Also, you could mention that today more than ever
before, women are coming into Islam in greater numbers
than men. This is a fact.
There are many areas to open up the dialog, but always
keep in mind that the message is to call people to
worship Allah, Alone without any partners.
Make the clear distinction between what “Islam” teaches
and what some “Muslims” do. Ask them to consider
some of the bad people in history who were supposed to
be Christians, yet what they did does not represent the
Christians or Jesus.
“Islam” is not what some Muslims do. It is what all
Muslims are “supposed” to do.
So all in all, you need to adopt gentleness and
politeness in presenting your arguments. Allah Almighty
addresses His Prophet, saying:
“Invite (all) to the Way of thy Lord with wisdom and
beautiful preaching; and argue with them in ways that
are best and most gracious: for thy Lord knows best,
who have strayed from His Path, and who receive
guidance.” (An-Nahl: 125)
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is
reported to have said: “Indeed, gentleness adds more
beauty to the atmosphere it reposes therein.”
Actually, nothing is more needed now, in making dawah,
than correct knowledge, gentleness and wisdom. The
reason for this is to dispel all the superstitions and lies
spread against Islam. All this needs wisdom, patience
and perseverance, and such polite methods brings quick
results and has rapid effect on the audience.
Consider the wife of Abu sufyan, Hind and her saying to
Muhammad, peace be upon him, after she came to
Islam; “I never wanted to see anyone on the face of the
earth to be put down more than you and your family.
But now, I do not see anyone on the face of the earth
more honored than you and your family.”
This is a clear example of the prophet’s effect on
people’s hearts and minds through his behavior and
manners. Callers to Islam must follow this great
example in their efforts to share the message of Islam
instead of turning them away.
Always consider your audience and who it is that you
are speaking to. If the people are not familiar with the
Arabic language, then there is no real need to speak
Arabic or make all of your quotes in Arabic and then try
to translate everything to English. This is silly and could
turn people away. Remember to keep everything on their
level and not try to talk above them or talk down to
them.
Allah is the All Knower.
by Yusuf Estes
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