Syed Ali Dawah-2

C 1- WHY DA`WAH? 2- THE DESIRED RESULTS 3- HOW TO INVITE? 4- CHARACTERISTICS OF A “DA`EE”

1- WHY DA`WAH? a- A REQUREMENT b- NEED OF THE TIME c- A REWARDING ACTIVITY d- OTHER BENEFITS

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WHY “DA`WAH”? WHY THIS QUESTION?

Knowledge of the reasons and benefits of da`wah is helpful : …Indeed reminding profits the believers. (51:55) َ‫ﻓَﺈِنﱠ اﻟﺬﱢﻛْﺮَى ﺗَﻨﻔَﻊُ اﻟْﻤُﺆْﻣِﻨِﯿﻦ‬

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WHAT WHYIS “DA`WAH”? “DA`WAH”?

A REQUIREMENT a. Duty of Muslims b. A Responsibility

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WHY “DA`WAH”? A REQUIREMENT 1. As a Duty at Individual level : ِ‫ﺤﻜْﻤَﺔِ وَاﻟْﻤَﻮْﻋِﻈَﺔِ اﻟْﺤَﺴَﻨَﺔ‬ ِ ْ‫ادْعُ ِإﻟِﻰ ﺳَﺒِﯿﻞِ رﺑّﻚَ ﺑِﺎﻟ‬ Invite to the way of your Rabb with wisdom and beautiful preaching; (16:125) ‫ﻗُﻞْ ھَﺬِهِ ﺳَﺒِﯿﻠِﻲ أَ ْدﻋُﻮ ِإﻟَﻰ اﻟﻠَّﮫِ ﻋَﻠَﻰ ﺑَﺼِﯿﺮَةٍ أَﻧَﺎ وَﻣَﻦِ اﺗَّﺒَﻌَﻨِﻲ‬ Say [O Prophet!]: ‘This is my way, resting upon conscious insight accessible to reason, I am calling [you all] unto Allah – I and they who follow me’. (12.108) “Convey [teaching] from me even if it be [only] a [single] aayah.” (Bukhari)

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WHAT WHYIS “DA`WAH”? “DA`WAH”?

A REQUIREMENT 2. As a Duty at Collective level : ‫َوﻟْ َﺘﻜُﻦ ﻣﱢﻨ ُﻜﻢْ أُﻣﱠﺔٌ ﯾَﺪْﻋُﻮنَ ِإﻟَﻰ اﻟْﺨَﯿْﺮِ وَﯾَﺄْﻣُﺮُونَ ﺑِﺎﻟْ َﻤﻌْﺮُوفِ وَﯾَﻨْﮭَﻮْنَ ﻋَﻦِ اﻟْﻤُﻨﻜَﺮِ وَأُ ْوﻟَـﺌِﻚَ ُھﻢُ اﻟْﻤُ ْﻔﻠِﺤُﻮن‬ Let there arise out of you a group of people inviting to all that is good, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong. Such are the ones who shall be successful. (3:104)

ِ‫ﻛُﻨ ُﺘﻢْ ﺧَﯿْﺮَ أُﻣﱠﺔٍ أُﺧْﺮِﺟَﺖْ ﻟِﻠﻨﱠﺎسِ َﺗﺄْﻣُﺮُونَ ﺑِﺎﻟْ َﻤﻌْﺮُوفِ وَﺗَﻨْﮭَﻮْنَ ﻋَﻦِ اﻟْﻤُﻨﻜَﺮِ وَﺗُﺆْﻣِﻨُﻮنَ ﺑِﺎﻟﻠّﮫ‬ Ye are the best of peoples, evolved for mankind. Ye enjoin what is right, forbid what is wrong and believe in Allah. (3:110) O believers! Be helpers [in the cause] of Allah (61:14) ِ‫ﯾَﺎ أَﯾﱡﮭَﺎ اﻟﱠﺬِﯾﻦَ آَﻣَﻨُﻮا ﻛُﻮﻧﻮا أَﻧﺼَﺎرَ اﻟﻠﱠﮫ‬

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WHAT “DA`WAH”? WHYIS“DA`WAH”? NEED OF THE TIME a. The pathetic conditions of Muslims today b. Spread of evil and materialism c. Lack of da`wah organizations

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WHY “DA`WAH”?

NEED OF THE TIME a. The pathetic conditions of Muslims today ْ‫ﻋﻠَﻰ ﻗَ ْﻮمٍ ﺣَﺘﱠﻰ ُﯾﻐَﯿﱢﺮُواْ ﻣَﺎ ِﺑﺄَﻧﻔُﺴِ ِﮭﻢ‬ َ ‫َذﻟِﻚَ ِﺑﺄَنﱠ اﻟﻠّﮫَ َﻟﻢْ ﯾَﻚُ ُﻣﻐَﯿﱢﺮاً ﱢﻧﻌْﻤَﺔً أَ ْﻧﻌَﻤَﮭَﺎ‬ This is because Allah would never change (or withdraw) the blessings with which He has graced a people until they change what is within themselves. (8:53) ‫إِنﱠ اﻟﻠّﮫَ ﻻَ ُﯾﻐَﯿﱢﺮُ ﻣَﺎ ِﺑﻘَ ْﻮمٍ ﺣَﺘﱠﻰ ُﯾﻐَﯿﱢﺮُواْ ﻣَﺎ ِﺑﺄَ ْﻧﻔُﺴِﮭِ ْﻢ‬ Allah does not change the conditions of a people unless they change what is within themselves. (13:11)

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WHY “DA`WAH”? NEED OF THE TIME b. Spread of evil and materialism ► By its very nature evil has a tendency to spread (like cancer) unless it is checked or resisted. ► Materialism has always existed in the past, but in

modern times it exists in more attractive garbs. It is promoted using catchy terms, such as ‘art’, ‘culture’, ‘pragmatism’, ‘freedom’, human rights, etc. Gay marriage is gradually becoming acceptable in the present ‘civilized’ and ‘open’ ‘democratic’ society !

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WHY “DA`WAH”?

NEED OF THE TIME b.Spread of evil and materialism “Whosoever of you sees an evil action, let him change it with his hand; and if he is not able to do so, then with his tongue; and if he is not able to do [even that], then with his heart; but that is the weakest of faith.” (Muslim) A note of caution: This hadith does not mean that you should take law in your own hands; there are proper ways and means which need to be followed.

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WHY “DA`WAH”?

NEED OF THE TIME c. Lack of da`wah organizations As hospitals & health-care units are needed for the physical health of a people, we also need something to serve for the moral & spiritual health. Absence of da`wah leads to: - ignorance - misunderstandings - suspicion in the minds of non-Muslims, and thereby to: mistrust & conflict.

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WHAT “DA`WAH”? WHYIS“DA`WAH”? A REWARDING ACTIVITY

a. A perpetual reward b. Other rewards c. Self-reform

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WHY “DA`WAH”? A REWARDING ACTIVITY a. A perpetual reward ► ► ►

When a man dies, his acts come to an end, but [he continues to receive further reward on] three [counts]: recurring charity, or knowledge by which people benefit, or a pious son who prays for him. (Muslim) He who calls [people to righteousness], there would be reward [assured] for him like the rewards of those who adhered to it, without their rewards being diminished in any respect. (Muslim, Ahmed, Tirmidhi, Abu Dawood ) One who guides to something good has a reward similar to that of its doer. (Muslim)

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WHY “DA`WAH”? A REWARDING ACTIVITY b. Other rewards

►

By Allah, if Allah were to guide one man through you it would be better for you than the [prized] red camels. (Bukhari, Muslim) (The mention of red camels, or the best of camels, refers here to the most cherished of one’s possessions.)

►

For Allah to guide one man through you, is better for you than all that the sun has shone over.

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WHY “DA`WAH”? A REWARDING ACTIVITY c. Self-reform

►

In the process of inviting people to Islam, we ourselves get benefited, in at least in two ways: 1- Our own knowledge of Islam increases, since we ourselves need to know first before we communicate to others. 2- Our own faith gets strengthened; we become good practicing Muslim, since we have to practice ourselves what we preach; setting an example.

► ►

Knowledge of differing views of others broadens our vision & experience. This helps us to develop ways and means to reach out to them. The more we interact with others, the more it leads to self-improvement.

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WHAT “DA`WAH”? WHYIS“DA`WAH”?

OTHER BENEFITS a. A humanitarian activity b. The best utilization of one’s time c. A great fulfillment in life

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THE DESIRED RESULTS CONVERSION? Merely a Change? in:

► ► ►

Name (– to adopt a Muslim name) Religious label (– to get a certificate of conversion, in order to be accepted a Muslim) Certain outward observances (- such as dress, social etiquettes, etc.)

NOT REALLY!

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THE DESIRED RESULTS More importantly it has to be a change in the person’s: ►

Thoughts and beliefs

►

Outlook on life

►

Priorities in life

A TRANSFORMATION!

3- HOW TO INVITE a- The A-B-Cs of Da`wah b- Approach in Da`wah c- Attitude in Da`wah

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HOW TO INVITE? The Qur’anic principle: (16:125)

َ‫ﻞ رﺑّﻚ‬ ِ ‫ﺳﺒِﯿ‬ َ ‫ع إِﻟِﻰ‬ ُ ‫ا ْد‬ Invite to the way of your Guardian-Lord

with: 1

Wisdom

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Beautiful preaching

ِ‫ﺑِﺎﻟْﺤِﻜْﻤَﺔ‬

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‫وَ اﻟْﻤَﻮْﻋِﻈَﺔِ اﻟْﺤَﺴَﻨَﺔ‬

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HOW TO INVITE? WHAT IS WISDOM? ‫اﻟْ ِﺤﻜْﻤَﺔ‬ The ability to make sensible and sound judgments & decisions ِ‫وَﻣَﺎ ﯾَﺬَّﻛَّﺮُ إِﻻ أُوﻟُﻮ اﻷﻟْﺒَﺎب‬

‫وَﻣَﻦْ ﯾُﺆْتَ اﻟْﺤِﻜْﻤَﺔَ ﻓَﻘَﺪْ أُوﺗِﻲَ ﺧَﯿْﺮًا ﻛَﺜِﯿﺮًا‬

Whoever is granted wisdom has indeed been granted abundant good / something tremendously beneficial; but none reflect except people of insight. (2:269)

Something to be cherished / sought-after !

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HOW TO INVITE? What is Wisdom ِ‫اﻟْﺤِﻜْﻤَﺔ‬ § Good insight. § Looking at things from both sides before judging, in order to evaluate a situation. § Foreseeing consequences and acting to maximize beneficial results. § Thinking and making the best use of available knowledge; thoughtful application of learning. § Doing what is best in any given situation, so as to bring the desired results.

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HOW TO INVITE?

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‫اﻟْﻤَﻮْﻋِﻈَ ِﺔ‬

Preaching, exhortation

Reminding in a way that touches or softens the heart; warning

‫اﻟْﺤَﺴَﻨَﺔ‬ All that causes delight, which is wished for, and desirable; most suitable; fair Allah had commanded Moses and Aaron (pbut) to go to Pharaoh and:

"Speak to him gently, perchance he may heed or fear (God)." (20:44) ‫ﻓَﻘُﻮﻻ ﻟَﮫُ ﻗَﻮْﻻ َﻟ ّﯿِﻨًﺎ ﻟَﻌَﻠَّﮫُ َﯾﺘَﺬَﻛَّﺮُ أَوْ ﯾَﺨْﺸَﻰ‬

The “A-B-C”s of Da`wah Step-by-step Approach AA BB Attractive Approach

CC Cash on Commonalities

Break the Barriers

DD Discuss the Differences

EE

FF Future Follow-up

Evaluate your Efforts

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The “A-B-C”s of Da`wah AA =

Attractive Approach

a Breaks the ice Pre-interaction

BB =

Break the Barriers

a Brings them closer

CC =

Cash on Commonalities

a Prompts to thinking During interaction

DD =

Discuss the Differences

a Shakes their faith

EE =

Evaluate your Efforts

a Guides further work

FF =

Post-interaction

Future Follow-up

a Helps connection

DA`WAH APPROACH Refer: Our earlier discussion on “WHO ARE NON-MUSLIMS” ?

NON-MUSLIMS = Brothers / Sisters in Humanity

† Out of a desire to help fellow humans † With a sense of duty & responsibility as Muslim † With a feeling of sympathy and compassion because of their misguided ways † With a sincere concern to save them from doom † To share with them our love for Islam.

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DA`WAH APPROACH

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Ø Our efforts should be directed to give the person every possible help in this journey, in whatever way we can.

Ø The process of transformation has to be gradual and steady. Give the person some time and the necessary help to properly understand what actually and ultimately required of him/her. If the faith has not taken roots in the heart and he/she jumps in, then chances are that he/she may also jump out.

THE ATTITUDE † A da`ee is like a doctor – Concerned with the "sickness" of the patient, (diagnosis & treatment),

not his/her appearance or traits.

† A da`ee is like a sales-person, – ● Tries to sell the product in the best manner ● Overlooks even if something in or about the customer is not likeable. In a successful business it is said: 'The customer is always right.'

4- ESSENTIAL CHARACTERISTICS

OF A “DA`EE”?

WHO CAN BE CALLED A “DA`EE”? ◊ A simple definition could be: Anyone who does da`wah work. (Any person involved in the work related to inviting others to the path of Allah)

◊ A proper definition would be: A person who undertakes da`wah activities on a regular and sustained basis, and fulfills the minimum required qualifications of a da`ee.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS OF A DA`EE A good da`ee is basically a good human being

a. Practicing Muslim b. Has Knowledge of: - Essentials of Islam - Basics of Da`wah

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MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS OF A DA`EE

c. Some Personal qualities of a Da`ee

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THE JOB OF A DA`EE

† A da`ee has to COPE with the addressee C = Cool O = Optimistic P =

Polite

E =

Enduring

THE JOB OF A DA`EE † A da`ee’s job is to hammer a hard rock – the other person’s heart –

in order to break it open (F Hit not in the sense of harshness)

Even if it does not break open in the first hit, every hit does have its impact. Who knows how many hits would be required!

So, be interested in the hit.