As a Muslim, which means a Muslim who is not confined to any movement, border or particular group and as an individual who puts the allegiance to the God the Highest and the noble prophet Muhammad s.a.w through our ancestors and brothers of the past whom prayers accompanying us as the fort. I believe in the amr ma'ruf nahi munkar which means the advice toward chastity and charity and to remind myself to stay away from the evil.
Why am I saying to remind myself in the first possessive pronoun rather than to remind people? I believe that my soul is linked to others soul through the common "faith". If I do not practice, then who else to practice the "faith" and the spiritual practices prescribed within the "shari'a"? Our method of da'awa is based from the tradition of sages and prophets as prescribed in the sirah and through the enlightenment of the Glorious Quran where the words taught us to take the example from the analogies and from proverbs. When we practice, then we already calling the people toward the faith in Him because it is not our right to force people to believe in what we believe or to judge others.
Why am I saying to remind myself in the first possessive pronoun rather than to remind people? I believe that my soul is linked to others soul through the common "faith". If I do not practice, then who else to practice the "faith" and the spiritual practices prescribed within the "shari'a"? Our method of da'awa is based from the tradition of sages and prophets as prescribed in the sirah and through the enlightenment of the Glorious Quran where the words taught us to take the example from the analogies and from proverbs. When we practice, then we already calling the people toward the faith in Him because it is not our right to force people to believe in what we believe or to judge others.
Etymology
Literal Meaning
Da'awa is the Arabic word derived from دعَى which means an invitation or a call and the word دعوة in the active participle verb form literally means issuing a summon or making an invitation. The meaning is not really proselytizing though it could be used to mean preaching.
A Muslim who practices the da'awa either as a "religious worker" or in a "volunteer community effort" is known as a داعي dā'ī or plurally as دعاة du'āt. The wikipedia mentions that a dā'ī is a person who invites others to understand Islam and its Path through a dialogical process, and may be categorized in some cases as the Islamic equivalent of a missionary, as one who invites people to the faith, to the prayer, or to Islamic life. There are various dialogues about religions since whenever it is. However, the way the dialogues moved on sometimes had been deflected by the clinging of those who were involved in them to manifestations of the intellectual sparks. What I mean here is that, those involved within the dialogues identified themselves to the issue but not to their "nature" so "egoism" is in the scene. There are strategies for dialogues but it is not a topic for this post.
As for myself here, this site is not to proselyte anyone nor converting anyone! I am just sharing my life as a Muslim guy and I am talking to the God the Highest Himself through mediums around this world. I just wanted fellow non-Muslims and Muslim brethren to know that I live just like others. I am a human-being who possess the same intellectual faculties like everyone else in the world. I am not a demon nor am I an angel. I love to treat others the way I treat myself although I sometimes receive different treatment as opposed to the way I treat them.
Technical Meaning
The word refers to determination for everyone to involve himself with charity, chastity and guidance. Inviting one self to perform charity and to protect one self from vices and crimes may the "self" receives salvation in this world and the hereafter. On the other hand, da'awa means inviting the souls with wisdom and good words to return to His guidance through His messenger, Muhammad s.a.w who transmits the revelation. This is the meaning of amr ma'aruf nahi munkar that we hold for our selves.
Muslim Scholars View
These guys are the figures of Muslim Brotherhood and I mingled with some of their supporters here as well as with those from other movements such as Tabligh. However, I am not a member of this particular movement nor any movement because I am just a "Muslim". I am just presenting their definitions with regard to the term in discussion. There are various definitions which were derived from the basic root word for this term.
Jum'a Amīn 'Abd al-'Azīz
He defines in the Jurisprudence of Da'awa that, Da'awa Islamiah is the final message revealed to the noble prophet Muhammad s.a.w in the form of revelation from the God the Highest which is pure from impurities. The word revealed to him is a miracle in its value and later being recorded into copies after the narration pours down through the tongue of the noble prophet s.a.w sequence by sequence. Reciting the revelation is done in the value of worship.
Dr. 'Abd al-Ra'of Shalabi
He explains that the Da'awa Islamiah is a movement which would eventually bring a transformation in a society. From the blasphemy to the faith, from the darkness into the enlightened ones and from the narrow space to the broad one, in this very life and the hereafter.
'Ali 'Abd al-Ḥalim Maḥmūd
He stated his opinion that the da'awa to the God the Highest means, we are inviting the man-kind to have faith in the God the Highest, messages brought by all the noble prophets and messengers of the God the Highest, obedience to His commandments, totally stopping oneself from disobedience or disloyalty to Him and to have faith in the words of the messengers of the God the Highest. The significance of da'awa is to invite everyone to Islam, the seal of the word of the God the Highest, and to the perfect and comprehensive path. Islam is the religion which is guaranteed on its protection by the God the Highest as recorded in the Glorious Quran while other religions are protected by their adherents. He believes that Islam would be established without any blemish nor changing (Manhaj al-Iṣlah al-Islāmi fi al-Mujtama', 2005).
Dimensions of Da'awa
From opinions stated above, we may conclude that da'awa is an effort to invite man-kind to have faith in the God the Highest and to validate the messages transmitted through noble prophet Muhammad s.a.w.
Da'awa also means to invite one to practice the example of noble morality as according to the Glorious Quran and the traditions taught through the noble prophet Muhammad s.a.w. It could be perceived in two different dimensions....
A Muslim who practices the da'awa either as a "religious worker" or in a "volunteer community effort" is known as a داعي dā'ī or plurally as دعاة du'āt. The wikipedia mentions that a dā'ī is a person who invites others to understand Islam and its Path through a dialogical process, and may be categorized in some cases as the Islamic equivalent of a missionary, as one who invites people to the faith, to the prayer, or to Islamic life. There are various dialogues about religions since whenever it is. However, the way the dialogues moved on sometimes had been deflected by the clinging of those who were involved in them to manifestations of the intellectual sparks. What I mean here is that, those involved within the dialogues identified themselves to the issue but not to their "nature" so "egoism" is in the scene. There are strategies for dialogues but it is not a topic for this post.
As for myself here, this site is not to proselyte anyone nor converting anyone! I am just sharing my life as a Muslim guy and I am talking to the God the Highest Himself through mediums around this world. I just wanted fellow non-Muslims and Muslim brethren to know that I live just like others. I am a human-being who possess the same intellectual faculties like everyone else in the world. I am not a demon nor am I an angel. I love to treat others the way I treat myself although I sometimes receive different treatment as opposed to the way I treat them.
Technical Meaning
The word refers to determination for everyone to involve himself with charity, chastity and guidance. Inviting one self to perform charity and to protect one self from vices and crimes may the "self" receives salvation in this world and the hereafter. On the other hand, da'awa means inviting the souls with wisdom and good words to return to His guidance through His messenger, Muhammad s.a.w who transmits the revelation. This is the meaning of amr ma'aruf nahi munkar that we hold for our selves.
Muslim Scholars View
These guys are the figures of Muslim Brotherhood and I mingled with some of their supporters here as well as with those from other movements such as Tabligh. However, I am not a member of this particular movement nor any movement because I am just a "Muslim". I am just presenting their definitions with regard to the term in discussion. There are various definitions which were derived from the basic root word for this term.
Jum'a Amīn 'Abd al-'Azīz
He defines in the Jurisprudence of Da'awa that, Da'awa Islamiah is the final message revealed to the noble prophet Muhammad s.a.w in the form of revelation from the God the Highest which is pure from impurities. The word revealed to him is a miracle in its value and later being recorded into copies after the narration pours down through the tongue of the noble prophet s.a.w sequence by sequence. Reciting the revelation is done in the value of worship.
Dr. 'Abd al-Ra'of Shalabi
He explains that the Da'awa Islamiah is a movement which would eventually bring a transformation in a society. From the blasphemy to the faith, from the darkness into the enlightened ones and from the narrow space to the broad one, in this very life and the hereafter.
'Ali 'Abd al-Ḥalim Maḥmūd
He stated his opinion that the da'awa to the God the Highest means, we are inviting the man-kind to have faith in the God the Highest, messages brought by all the noble prophets and messengers of the God the Highest, obedience to His commandments, totally stopping oneself from disobedience or disloyalty to Him and to have faith in the words of the messengers of the God the Highest. The significance of da'awa is to invite everyone to Islam, the seal of the word of the God the Highest, and to the perfect and comprehensive path. Islam is the religion which is guaranteed on its protection by the God the Highest as recorded in the Glorious Quran while other religions are protected by their adherents. He believes that Islam would be established without any blemish nor changing (Manhaj al-Iṣlah al-Islāmi fi al-Mujtama', 2005).
Dimensions of Da'awa
From opinions stated above, we may conclude that da'awa is an effort to invite man-kind to have faith in the God the Highest and to validate the messages transmitted through noble prophet Muhammad s.a.w.
Da'awa also means to invite one to practice the example of noble morality as according to the Glorious Quran and the traditions taught through the noble prophet Muhammad s.a.w. It could be perceived in two different dimensions....
- The general significance of da'awa, which is a science about the methods and the opinions on how those who practice the da'awa could attract the attention or the interest of one to agree, to embrace, to be in accordance or to execute a particular ideology.
- Da'awa as according to Islam is to invite one through wisdom to the righteous path, appropriate to the commandments of the God the Highest toward a better society and for the happiness of this life and the hereafter.
Fortunate be those who validate the message as the God the Highest which means, "And whoever makes the God the Highest and His messenger and those who are faithful as their allies, indeed the party of the God the Highest is always the winner" (Surah al-Ma'idah 5:56).
In every cycle of period, da'awa is among the needs for everyone to protect himself from the predominant social problems. It is necessary for the practitioners of da'awa to deliver their invitation with wisdom and the most important thing is to avoid from insulting the intellect of the audience of the da'awa which I always see because I am also a target of the movements even though I am a Muslim. There is also an urge about the duty of the practitioners to actively "encourage" fellow Muslims in pursuance of greater piety in all aspects of their lives in Islamic contemporary thought but it somehow does not work well but making people going far from Him after being "preached" by the practitioners.
There are methods of the da'awa as to ensure that it could be a real "cure" for the problem. To cure the problem is to know on which is the suitable medicine for prescription and what is the condition of the patients. We cannot just treat everyone the same. It shows that a practitioner shall need some preparations and a strong self-identity.
To face people is not an easy job since there are various kinds of people. One could take the example of those who were involved in customer service and retail business on how they attract their buyers through advertisements, persuasion and how they deal with customers at their shops. They have got to have patience in explaining things with regard to their "service". To be a practitioner of da'awa is not something for us to get an easy money through lectures given at the mosque on invitation or to live with the expense donated from others to us. It is a sincere service rooted in our devotion to the God the Highest. It is about the aim of the da'awa.
There are physical and mental preparations for those who work as a volunteer in this service since one would face disappointment and also failure just like what had happened on prophets such as Jonah a.s. who was disappointed with the people of Nineveh that made him ran away from the area appointed for his service. So, it is important for the practitioner of da'awa to equip himself with social sciences, political and economic sciences, psychology, to be inquisitive and using all sort of intellectual faculties in dealing with people around.
General Ethics
Kindness and Gentleness
With regard to noble prophet Muhammad s.a.w nature which is mild in sharing the message of Islam, the God the Highest says which means...
The Glorious Quran also mentions the commandment of the God the Highest to Moses and Aaron who were sent to bring the reminders to Pharaoh as recorded in Surah Ta-Ha 20:44 which means..."And by the mercy of the God the Highest you dealt with them gently. If you were harsh and hard-hearted, they would have fled from around you" (Surah Āli-'Imran 3:159).
"So speak to him, both of you, mildly in order that he may reflect or fear the God the Highest".
Noble prophet Muhammad s.a.w said, "Whenever gentleness is in a thing, it beautifies it and whenever it is withdrawn from something, it defaces" (Bukhari compilation vol. 4, pp. 1370; no. 6274). He also said, "One deprived of gentleness and politeness is deprived of all good" (Bukhari compilation vol. 4, pp. 1370; no. 6270-6271).
Wisdom
"Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good instruction, and argue with them in a way that is best. Indeed, your Lord is most knowing of who has strayed from His way, and He is most knowing of who is rightly guided.." (Surah al-Naḥl 16:125).
A classical example of diversion in da'awa can be seen in the case of prophet Joseph a.s. in prison when two prisoners asked him to interpret their dreams (Surah Yusuf 12:35-41). Then it occurred to them, after they had seen the proofs to imprison him for a time. And there entered with him two young men in the prison.
One of them said, "Indeed, I saw myself pressing wine". The other said, "Indeed, I saw myself carrying bread on my head and birds were eating from it". They asked, "Inform us please, the interpretation of these as we believe that you are a righteous man".
Joseph a.s said, "Whenever food came to you as your provision, I informed you about it before it came. That is from what my Lord has taught me. Indeed, I have abandoned the religion of a people who did not believe in the God the Highest and the hereafter. And I followed the religion of my forefathers... Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And we would never attribute any partners whatsoever to Him. This is from His grace to us and to man-kind, but most people are not thankful.
O my two prison companions! Are many different lords better than Him, the One, the Irresistible? You are only worshiping besides Him names which you and your fathers made up for which no authority was revealed by Him. Judgment belongs to Him alone! He has commanded that you worship none besides Him; that is the upright religion, but most people do not know.
O my two prison companions! As for one of you, he will pour wine for his master to drink and as for the other, he will be crucified and birds will eat from his head. This is the case judged concerning which you both inquire..."
Common Language
This is what I always talk about when some of those practitioners using weird terminologies and why I am using English in my posts. Because it is widely known.
"I did not send any messenger except that he spoke the language of his people to explain to them". (Surah Ibrahim 14:4).
And we must speak in the language that people know and understood. If you are in Japan then use Japanese to inform people and not Urdu! If you are in Russia then use Russian, not Bengali! Try to speak in their national languages or the language of the majority. That
makes the study of languages and its cultural sphere important for the
practitioners.
Location
Practicing da'awa in the right location and appropriate place is crucial. For example, Mount Ṣafa in the period of prophet Muhammad s.a.w was used for announcements. So, he went there to make his point. He chose that particular location because he knew the people who he was inviting to the "path". He knew their general nature and characteristics, so he chose that particular place. He climbed up to its summit and addressed his people by saying, "O Quraish men! If I were to tell you there was an army behind this hill, would you listen to me?".
Conclusion
My conclusion for this is that, da'awa is an obligation for a part of people in Muslim society who are sane and who could recognize the law and norms. When there are those who dedicate themselves for this service then others are not obliged no more.
This service is a noble service and should be conducted with the burden of morality. As for myself, I am practicing the approach of the noble prophet Muhammad s.a.w where he begins his da'awa with his reflection in the Hirā' cave in holy Mecca at the time he was a young man and he has got not so much support except from his clan and his close family members such as his wife, lady Khadijah r.a and his uncle, Abu Tālib.
He begins with himself and later that he moved stage by stage until the nations being formed before the period of the Resurrection begins which also includes us within the cycle...
Sealed with prayers for mercy, peace and love, amin!
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