Da'wah Workshop: Aspire to Inspire

Islamic Outreach: The Prophetic Way

“Aspire to inspire before you expire.” 

Da’wah Workshop

7/7/18

MCA Santa Clara, CA

Imam Jawad Ahmed

Director of WhyIslam

Importance of Da’wah in Islam

Definition of Arabic word Da’wah & It’s Implications

• Comes from root word of Da’aa which literally means to call, to invite, to supplicate.
• Technically it is used to refer to the act of conveying or calling people to the message of Islam.
• Da’wah means to call to Islam.
• The purpose of Da’wah is to call others to the truth.
• Giving da’wah to Muslims is Islaah/Rectification. 
• But usually we focus more in giving da’wah to non-Muslims because they don’t know anything.

Terminologies: Da’ee, Da’eeyah, Madu’oo

• Da’ee - male caller to islam
• Da’eeyah - female caller to islam
• Madu’oo - the one who is called to Islam

Virtues of Da’wah: Noble Blessings

• You are enjoying the blessing of La ilaha illa Allah, why are you enjoying it alone? Share it with others.
• “Aspire to Inspire before you expire.” 
• We have an expiration date but it’s not written on our face. So we need to use our life in the optimum productive manner. 
• Aspiration is a desire, a desire to inspire. 
• Hadith “By Allah if a single person is guided by Allah through you, it will be better for you than a whole lot of red camels.” Bukhari and Muslim
• Red camels in those days were one of the most desired things. For us, imagine it is as 1000 Red Ferraris or mansions or summer homes. 
• What it means is - you might desire worldly things, but there’s nothing better than giving the gift of hidaya to others. Imagine the day someone comes up to you and says ‘I want to become Muslim can you help me?’. 
• We don’t want to go to Jannah alone, you want to go with your loved ones and friends. Our desire should be for Allah to reconnect us in Jannah. In Jannah you will see people and you will say oh you look familiar. How beautiful it will be to meet those you know in Jannah. 

Benefits of Da’wah

• Removes misconceptions about Islam from people.
• Fights IsIamophobia and hate mongers influence.
• Spread message of Islam to all parts of world.
• Spreading Islam does not mean converting! Ayah in Surat al Baqarah: “There is no compulsion in religion.”
• When you spread truth, falsehood will automatically reduce. It will appeal to people’s common sense and their natural fitrah to recognize truth.
• We only need to create the curiosity and thirst for the truth.

Obligation: Is it Fard, Sunnah, Wajib?

• “And who is better in speech than one who incites to Allah and does righteousness and says ‘Indeed I am of the Muslims’ 41:33
• “Say, ‘This is my way; I invite to Allah with insight, I and those who follow me. And exalted is Allah; and I am not of those who associate others with Him.’” 12:108
• Hadith “Call them to Islam, and inform them of their obligatory duties regarding the rights of Allah. If Allah guides through you, even one single person, that is better for you than to possess (the most valuable) red camel.” Bukhari and Muslim
• These obligate us and make it fard for us to pass the message of Prophet Muhammad (S) to others. It is your duty and Allah will ask all of us ‘I put you on the earth, what did you do for my deen?’ What will you say.. Oh Allah I had no time for you…
• But what if you are not a shaykh or don’t know much about Islam? The Prophet Muhammad (S) said, “Convey from me even if only one sentence.” Bukhari, Tirdmidhi, and Ahmad. If you know even one thing or aspect talk about it spread it. 

Modalities of Da’wah: Theory and Practice

• Technology has taken us to land of no barriers to da’wah. We are borderless. And we have an abundance of social media tools. 
• The same Allah that made Musa (AS) speak in front of Pharoan can make anyone speak. As long as the intention niyyah is there ‘I want to spread the message of Allah’. 
• You can make a ten second video and put it on youtube. A random person sees it and you have done your duty. 
• Our job is not to convince them, just to convey in a multitude of ways.
• You can write articles in the oped page in the local newspaper. Magazines, write on a topic, but insert a few lines islamic view on the topic. 
• If you know something or have a skill you need to be teaching others. 
• “Call to the way of your Lord with Wisdom and good instruction, and argue with them in a way that is better.” Surat al Nahl 16:125
• Three things mentioned here: wisdom, a fair warning/alert, if they argue then you respond in a better way. It does not mean debate with them, it means try to stop the argument ‘say peace’.   

Consequences of NOT giving Da’wah

• People don’t learn about Islam and its message
• We are deprived from reward 
• Misconceptions spread all over
• Haters defame and malign Islam
• Muslims isolated from society

Da’wah Etiquettes

Pre-Requisites for Da’ee/Da’eeyah 

1. Knowledge: Ilm. 

• When you decide and intend to do dawn it is imperative that you start seeking knowledge.
• Learn about the misconceptions and their answers
• Books, audio lectures, youtube videos

2. Kindness/Gentleness: Leen. 

• “You were lenient with them.” 3:124?
• Ask Allah for Rahmeh and ask Him to make your heart and tongue soft for this da’wah as You did for Muhammad (S). 
• “If you were stiff with them, they would run away from you.” A stiff hearted person won’t be able to give good da’wah, ask Allah to calm you down and give you the etiquettes. The Prophet (S) was a like a magnet. We should have a behavior that attracts non muslims and people want to hang around with us. Our facial expressions, our body language. 

3. Wisdom: Hikmah.  

• Knowing the audience, knowing their culture, knowing their concerns. It’s not about comparing the religions, differences tear us apart. Let’s not focus on that. That should not be the starting point. Start with the similarities. For example: Respect for parents, kindness to neighbors, 

4. Patience: Sabr. 

• Act not react. Being calm. Resist anger. Listen. 

5. Morality: Hayaa. 

• Hayaa is modesty in character and behavior. It is really your body language. They are watching everything. So it is important for the da’eeya to improve their behavior. We need regular classes of Quran and tafseer to build your akhlaaq and personality. Your akhlaq will change people’s hearts and minds. 

Know your Audience

• Customize the delivery of your message to their understanding. Use your knowledge of the culture to insert Islam. 
• Example: 4th of July while waiting for fireworks to start strike a conversation. ‘These fireworks are beautiful and my family comes to see it every year.’ 
• Use analogy as a tool. 
• Build on similarities and items they already appreciate
• Drive the conversation
• A lot of times we just answer questions, but that is not really da’wah. Da’wah is to use that question to relate things to drive the conversation further. 
• Ex: the Kufi how can we use a question about that to drive a further conversation? Could connect it to modesty topic, spirituality/God watching you, visibility attracting attention and showing courage, 
• ask questions to know your audience
• understand their concerns so that you can address them

How to Engage your Audience

Opportunity of Open Ended Questions

• You can meet someone in a grocery store line and while you are standing you can make a conversation. What’s the worst that could happen? 99 times out of 100 they shared their stories with me, and only 1 time I got a negative reaction.
• Allah put you in the right place at the right time to deliver the message. 
• No prophets will be sent, so we need to deliver the message.
• Golden Rule: Don’t just answer their question and query then stop! Instead ask questions that provoke their interest into Islam, its beliefs and practices.. this is engaging the caller.
• If you feel they have time and are interested to learn then give details.
• An open ended question is a perfect opportunity for da’wah. Ex: what are your views about… , then reply, btw we believe… 
• Try to bring up this question in your conversations. “What do you know about Islam?” If food attracts someone to Islam, use it, then say btw our Lord said we should not waste food. Our Lord gave us this food. Ayah ‘eat and drink and don’t waste’. In Jannah we can eat and drink.

Examples of Open ended questions

• What do you think is the purpose of life? 
• Do you follow a faith? Why?
• Do you believe in a Creator of the universe?
• Have you ever experienced spirituality? How?
• What do you think of death? Why?
• How… Why… What.. When…

• American is seriously depressed. Look at the statistics. How many Americans are considering suicide, committing suicide. And the medicine and cure is with Islam, Qur’an, Allah. “And I didn’t create human except to worship.” “We will test you with loss of life, loss of money, hunger, but give good news to the patient.”
• They call the WhyIslam hotline saying they want to commit suicide. Ask them, do you meditate? Then tell them, we meditate/pray 5 times a day. Studies show that when you put your forehead on the floor it circulates the blood through the head and re-energizes you. Isa (AS) also prayed by kneeling and putting his head on the ground. Imagine someone who has never prayed in their life, never put their head on the ground, they don’t know what it feels like. 
• Story: A woman called and wanted to end her life, she said just tell me one thing to do, and he told her to make sajdah, just kneel and put forehead on ground and leave it there for 2 minutes, and she said, wow that was so soothing where did you learn that are you a doctor? No. why did you tell me to do that. Well that’s what we do 5 times a day. She said I feel so relieved now and feel so calm. Even if she didn’t convert so what, at least we delivered the message. I have to keep stressing da’wah is not about shahadah. Allah will guide them not us. But Allah is using us as a cause. Let us be that cause.

Da’wah Skills: “S.T.R.A.W”

• These are the basics of Islam. If you don’t have time to fully talk about Islam, at least talk about the basics.
• Ask open ended question to them so then you respond with any of “TRAW”
• In the Makki surahs Allah constantly refers to these 3 points: Tawheed, Risalah, and Akhirah. 

S: Shahadah is end goal

T: Tawheed - Oneness of God in all aspects.

R: Risalah - Messengership of Prophet Muhammad: Why was he sent? Need for? 

A: Akhirah - AfterLife & Its Purpose for humans (You will return to Allah)

W: Wahi - Revelation - connector of all 3.

- Then when they learn about these they will naturally get to S-Shahada. 

How to Steer a Conversation to Da’wah?

• Try to make a connection between caller’s question and tawheed.
• Ex: Hijab can be connected to oneness of Allah and how we should respect His authority. Explain what is Tawheed, then link it to Risalah, and then Akhirah.
• There is only One God, and He sent prophets and messengers to deliver His message to humanity. All the prophets of Allah were brothers who sent the same message. If they ask: If Muhammad like Jesus, then why should they follow Muhammad (S) then? Jesus told his followers that another Prophet would come that you have to believe in. Jesus said that. Moses said after him will a prophet. Every prophet told their people to believe in the last Prophet in order to complete the message. You have a small part of the message.  

Dealing with Conflict

• If someone attacks you or your religion, don’t start attacking them. Steer away from conflict. Turn the conversation. They want to pick a fight and start a debate and irritate you. Say wait a second, let me tell you something, who gave us life? is the being that gave life going to tell us to take a life? No religious person will tell you to kill yourself or kill others. Suicide is prohibited in all religions. If someone is forbidding you to take your own life, why would He allow you to take others’ lives? 
• Avoid saying negative things of other religions.
• Acknowledge that they have the right to choose their belief system.
• Build on similarities before pointing out differences.
• Acknowledge the good that you see.
• Be prepared to clarify the Islamic position on issues, even if they won’t be accepted by the listener.
• The responsibility is to give the message, the rest is from Allah. 

How to answer tough questions

• They came with a sickness, you start with the medicine. 
• Suicidal person: Ask them tell me something good you did in your life. This will help move them from negative thoughts to positive thoughts. 
• Prophet is pedophile?: Say: ‘Let me tell you about our Prophet Muhammad (S)’. Talk to them for 15 minutes about the Prophet’s life. Then use common sense - a pedophile is someone that has lustful desires. But the Prophet Muhammad (S) married someone 15 years older than him a widow, does that sound like a pedophile? He was loyal and married to her for 25 years until her death. Steer them from negativity to positivity. 
• First: Give short/brief answer then immediately connect to one of the “TRAW”
• Second: If you don’t know the answer to the question then tell them “there is more to Islam than just that you are asking.” Then start using TRAW with caller to show them what true Islam is and what are the basic tenants as opposed to focusing on one issue. Also you can tell them you will ask about it and get back to them.

ICNA Update & Volunteer Needs

• Islamic Circle of North America
• Relief Department: Mercy on Wheels foods to SF, Oakland, San Jose, and Stockton area. Planning to start Mobile health clinic.
• Young Muslim Department (YM): ICNA annual Islamic quiz. 
• Dawah department: Why Islam. 
• Dawah Channels: dawah at farmers markets, fairs and festivals, MSA’s (giving them pamphlets, event Jesus in Islam), street dawah, and open houses (lunch with a muslim, mini open house at library). 
• Ansaar Activities: Masjid tours, New Muslim mentoring (those who take shahada at our events or through the WHYIslam hotline), and New Muslim Eid Dinner. *Need for help from sisters to help new Muslimahs
• Inventory: brochures, Qur’an translations in English and Spanish, Shahadah packages (brothers, sisters, English, Spanish), Dawah CDs, bumper stickers, Islamic books. *Need people to help review books before adding to our inventory. 
• Training and Tarbiya: Why Islam bay area Dawah guidelines document, dawah workshops, Volunteers Islamic Tarbiya halaqas for WhyIslam volunteers, Soft skills training in Dawah.
• Media: bus ads, billboard ads, newspaper ads. Not doing this frequently in the past 2 years because we have seen more response from mass mailings. Also it is more costly. 

Volunteer Needs: 

• farmers market, street dawah, library, mall, tarbiya for volunteers, follow up with non-muslim visitors, ansaar for reverts, social media, website maintenance, more events with MSAs. 

Contacts and Links:

• National Hotline: 877-WHY-ISLAM
• Website: www.whyislam.org
• External Requests: whyislam@icnabayarea.org
• Internal requests: info@icnabayarea.org
• Local Website: www.icnabayarea.org