Da’wah to Elderly Parents

There is a useful post on the award-winning Sadaf's Space blog entitled: "Da’wah to Elderly Parents: a Challenging, Tedious Task". I loved the way this post begins with the example of the Prophet Ibrahim (AS) trying to save his father from indulging in shirk. The post then discusses some of the difficulties in making dawah to your own parents (particularly Muslim parents) and offers some solutions:

"This post is about warning parents, because conveying the message of Islam, particularly one containing warning and admonishment, is a tricky, sensitive issue when it comes to them. Every man knows how to command his wife to do something or abstain from something for the sake of Allah. Similarly, every mother knows how to scold her children to make them offer prayers or speak the truth.

What many people are too ignorant, unequipped, unconfident and unprepared to do, though, is warn their parents when the latter do something, even if it is something that is explicitly forbidden in Islam. "

You can read the full post here.

Mission Possible: Teen Da'wah

Mission Islam has an article entitled "Mission Possible: Teen Da'wah" which presents some strategies that parents can use to present their faith to their children:

"Do you get the feeling that every Islamic oriented discussion with your teens is falling on deaf ears lately? If so, you're not alone, but it may not be as bad as you think. Many children feel an exaggerated sense of independence when they reach adolescence.

As a result, they may feel they no longer need their parent's intervention or advice; perhaps feeling their parents are old-fashioned or out to touch. Sound familiar? For us, as parents, to get our point across, it all comes down to simply this: technique. You may feel as if you are taking one step forward and two steps back, but it's possible that you just need to overhaul your method and revise your strategy.

Timing is Everything

It's true. Timing can really make all the difference. If you try talking to your teens in the midst of them running out the door to go to a friend's house, chances are they will absorb less than 5% of what you just said. Their focus at that point in time is getting where they want to go, as fast as humanly possible.

Smart Strategies

Keep it Short and Sweet - Children young and old have short attention spans and easily be distracted. The less time you spend talking, the more effective your point will be.

Fresh Ideas

Family Outings - Do some research before the next outing and have your kids look up the miracles in the Holy Qur'an that deal with nature (bees and plants etc.). Then on your outing, have a scavenger hunt to search for those miracles."

Read the full article, with each of these strategies outlined in more detail here.

Quran on Dawah: Surah Yusuf: 108

Say : "This is my way; I invite unto Allah with sure knowledge, I and whosoever follows me with sure knowledge" (Quran - 12:108)

There is a useful tafseer (exegesis or commentary) on this verses here

More Than Eighty Ways To Make Dawah

Muslim1st.com has an article entitled "More Than Eighty Ways To Make Dawah" which outlines how you can do this at home, in the masjid, at school and at work:

"It is from Allaah’s grace upon us in these times that there are many ways to give da‘wah (calling to Islaam) and sufficient opportunities for everyone to participate and benefit from its great rewards. One who calls to Islaam is obliged to choose the most suitable way for those whom he or she calls. Furthermore, the caller has to vary these methods according to the particular circumstances he finds himself in, as Prophet Noah and the prophets before him did.

The responsibility of the caller is to be aware of the various forms of invitation in order to facilitate his work. The caller should also direct his invitation to everyone, including his immediate family, relatives, servants, guests, neighbors, colleagues and his friends. He should also be aware of the various locations where the invitation can be given like mosques, prayer halls, schools, hospitals, prisons, parks, beaches and recreational areas, Hajj tents, hotels, residences, airports, bus stations, banquet halls, shopping centers, market places, barbershops, public buses, offices, lunch rooms, cafeterias, and restaurants. Places where new comers to the country frequent such as passport offices, duty free shopping areas, immigration offices, post offices, traffic police offices, police stations, tourist bureau, information counters in the various governmental departments and embassies.

Cooperation in da‘wah is also important as there are many others striving to give the invitation whose skills and experience may benefit you and yours may benefit them. Learning from their experiences will help you to be more creative and upgrade your knowledge and da‘wah skills. Consequently, the caller should eagerly encourage others to collaborate with others in da‘wah and to give their utmost in serving the religion, whether they are from his family or not. Futhermore, he or she should utilize a variety of da‘wah materials and advertisements to recruit others to this noble cause by jointly printing books, pamphlets, and brochures, as well as copying tapes, CDs, video tapes, etc. and distributing them as widely as possible within his or her circle of friends as well as outside of the circle."

Read the full article with the 80+ ways of giving described here.

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Islam's Green on Ways to Make Dawah

Brother Abdur-Raheem Green's blog Islam's Green has some useful articles on ways to make dawah:

101 ways to give Dawah
Lists ways that we can make dawah in every day life like through youth work, sports and engaging with schools. So far the list is at 71, so readers suggestions are welcome.

Da’wah from the comfort of your home!
This is an article taken from Sisters magazine and written by Fatima Barkatulla and gives some excellent examples of ways that sisters can make dawah.

The Invitation - A new era in Dawa, inshallah!
Explores what is dawah and some of the reasons it is so important.

Advice for "I wanna be a diaee"
In this post brother Abdur-Raheem Green publishes his reponse to a brother seeking advice about how to give dawah.

Illuminating the Way

Illuminating the Way: Priorities in Calling to the Message by Abu `Abdil Kareem was the first prize winner in the Islamic Assembly of North America's "Priorities in Bearing the Message Writing Contest" and was published by Al-Jumu`ah Magazine in Ramadhan 1417:

"In every age, the Prophets `alaihimussalaam, worked on reforming their societies by calling people to the message that Allah subhaanahu wa ta`ala sent them with. Today, Muslims are suffering in all spheres of life, while non-Muslim nations continue in their ignorance of purpose and path in this life. To reform these, it is essential for Muslims to follow the model of the Prophet of Islam sallallahu alayhe wa sallam and, after firmly grasping the message themselves, call others to it. Muslims therefore must exercise their efforts and use all permissible means to invite others to the truth they have. Bearing the message is a serious responsibility and a noble task and as such it has to be performed with knowledge, seriousness, consideration and wisdom. In embarking in such an effort, what are the priorities that one should keep as a guide

"Da`wah should start with fundamental issues, before proceeding with those that are less central. The Oneness of Allah is the beginning and the end. Each deed should be connected with it."

You can read the abridged article here.

The Desire to Make Dawah: All My Wonders

Sister F writes beautifully on her blog All My Wonders about her desire to make dawah:

"For the past few weeks, I've had an urge to go and make dawah. I want to call people to Islam. I want to talk about Allah (swt) all the time. I love speaking about Him. I love being in the presence of people who love him. I want to tell people about Allah and his bounties. The thing is, I don't know what to say or how to say it. I lack knowledge. I lack experience. For me, I write better than I speak. I can't think on the spot nor can I convince people with my words.

I want to help our Ummah. I want to help people find their way. I want to save people from the harsh punishment of the grave. punishment on the Day of Judgement. punishment in Hellfire. I tried speaking to my mum and step-dad about working for the hereafter instead for this dunya...but only my step-dad was listening and conversing with me. I cried. I cried because I'm failing to save my families from Hellfire. I cried because I doing my best and that is still not good enough. I cried because I can't save them if they can't save themselves. I'm being patient. I know these things take time. Lots and lots of time. I know that I can't give up. I can't lose hope in Allah (swt). It is true though. Allah doesn't guide those whom you love, rather He guides those whom He wills. And that is a fact we have to accept. As we are, ultimately, His slaves after all ."

You can read her full post here.

Revert Stories: 85 year old New Muslim in the UK

85-year old revert brother James being inetrviewed on his return from hajj by Shaykh Yusuf Estes for the Deen Show.

The Last Sermon of our Beloved Prophet (PBUH)

This sermon was delivered on the Ninth Day of Dhul Hijjah 10 A.H. in the 'Uranah valley of Mount Arafat' (in Mecca).

After praising, and thanking God he said:

"O People, lend me an attentive ear, for I know not whether after this year, I shall ever be amongst you again. Therefore listen to what I am saying to you very carefully and take these words to those who could not be present here today.

O People, just as you regard this month, this day, this city as Sacred, so regard the life and property of every Muslim as a sacred trust. Return the goods entrusted to you to their rightful owners. Hurt no one so that no one may hurt you. Remember that you will indeed meet your Lord, and that He will indeed reckon your deeds. God has forbidden you to take usury (interest), therefore all interest obligation shall henceforth be waived. Your capital, however, is yours to keep. You will neither inflict nor suffer any inequity. God has judged that there shall be no interest and that all the interest due to Abbas ibn 'Abd'al Muttalib (Prophet's uncle) shall henceforth be waived...

Beware of Satan, for the safety of your religion. He has lost all hope that he will ever be able to lead you astray in big things, so beware of following him in small things.

O People, it is true that you have certain rights with regard to your women, but they also have rights over you. Remember that you have taken them as your wives only under God's trust and with His permission. If they abide by your right then to them belongs the right to be fed and clothed in kindness. Do treat your women well and be kind to them for they are your partners and committed helpers. And it is your right that they do not make friends with any one of whom you do not approve, as well as never to be unchaste.

O People, listen to me in earnest, worship God, say your five daily prayers (Salah), fast during the month of Ramadan, and give your wealth in Zakat. Perform Hajj if you can afford to.

All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over black nor a black has any superiority over white except by piety and good action. Learn that every Muslim is a brother to every Muslim and that the Muslims constitute one brotherhood. Nothing shall be legitimate to a Muslim which belongs to a fellow Muslim unless it was given freely and willingly. Do not, therefore, do injustice to yourselves.

Remember, one day you will appear before God and answer your deeds. So beware, do not stray from the path of righteousness after I am gone.

O People, no prophet or apostle will come after me and no new faith will be born. Reason well, therefore, O People, and understand words which I convey to you. I leave behind me two things, the Quran and my example, the Sunnah and if you follow these you will never go astray.

All those who listen to me shall pass on my words to others and those to others again; and may the last ones understand my words better than those who listen to me directly. Be my witness, O God, that I have conveyed your message to your people".

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E-Dawah

Islam for Today has an article entitled "E-Dawah: Fundamentals and Methods" by Juan Galvan which explains how Muslims can use modern technology to share the message of Islam:

"The Internet is revolutionizing the everyday life of ordinary people. Many Muslims do not recognize the unique opportunity the Internet offers for conveying Islam. Many nonMuslims searching for truth also benefit from the Internet. The Internet will never replace face-to-face dawah and direct mailing of Islamic literature, but the Internet will continue to broaden dawah opportunities in new ways that benefit both Muslims and non-Muslims. With the growth of the Internet, we have seen an amazing growth of business conducted over the Internet, or E-Commerce. I want to encourage using the Internet to convey the guidance of Islam, or E-Dawah. I want to explain specific ways we can use the Internet to propagate Islam. This article is only meant to be a starting point."

You can read the full article here.

21 Techniques for Dawah

Khutbah.com has an excellent article by Shaykh Muhmmad AlShareef entitled "Humanity’s Teacher: 21 Teaching Techniques of the Prophet". This outlines some of the different ways that our beloved Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) passed on knowledge of the faith to his companions and how these methods might be used by us today to pass on that same knowledge and engage in dawah:

"So how does learning these teaching techniques benefit you? First, when you understand these techniques, you are better able to grasp what is being said. Now when you come across a hadith that you are already familiar with, you will be able to recognize the teaching technnique being used by the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam and it will help you in both your learning and teaching of the information.

Secondly, when you gain knowledge about the techniques of RasulAllah sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam and you see how beautiful they are, it will increase your love for RasulAllah sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam. If you notice for example, in the hadith of the man who urinated in the masjid, everybody got angry at him except the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam. And in the end of the story, because of the way the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam taught him, the man raised his hands and said, “Oh Allah, forgive me and forgive Muhammad and don’t forgive anyone else after this.” This is how much he loved the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam for the way he taught him and in sha Allah, when you learn the techniques of RasulAllah sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam, your love for him will also increase.

Another benefit of learning these techniques is their effect on our da’wah efforts. Something interesting I have noticed is that so many people, including Muslims, constantly buy lottery tickets hoping to win the jackpot and never feel sad again. The Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam said:

“If one person gets guided on your hands, it is better for you than a red she-camel.”

This means that it is better for you than the dunya and everything in it. So in today’s terms, if the jackpot is three hundred million dollars, giving da’wah is your way to win it, and the odds are not one in twenty-five million; rather they are very good, in sha Allah.

For people who are involved in da’wah, learning the teaching techniques enables them to recognize when and how to apply these techniques. As a result, when people approach them to talk about Islam, they will be better able to convey the message of Islam to others.

Another benefit of learning the techniques is that it may be related to your work. Someone may be teaching at a Saturday or Sunday school or even at a full time Islamic school and may have knowledge of sciences, math, or literature, but not necessarily knowledge of Islam. Some of these techniques are taught in schools of education today. But these ‘modern’ teaching techniques are actually teachniques that the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam taught us; they are actually techniques of the Prophet sal Allaahu alayhi wa sallam that you’ll find in ahadith. When a teacher knows how to correctly use these techniques, it reflects well on himself, as the parents see that their child is understanding and is changing. That in turn also reflects that the school is able to touch the children and it brings more benefit to the entire system that is striving to educate."

You can read the full article which explains each of the techniques, it's benefits and how to apply them here.

The Misbah Institute

One problem some people face after converting to Islam is the lack of a supportive community or network around them. The Misbah Institute tries to address this issue. It describes itself as:

"a new intiative that caters for the needs of converts to Islam, whether they have just recently converted or are more established converts. The objectives of the Misbah institute can be summarised through CARE:

Community
Creating a community that provides a supportive environment for a convert to engage with their faith
Awareness
Raising awareness in the non Muslim and Muslim community of the unique needs of converts.
Relate
Supporting converts in their journey through access and provision of services
Empowerment
Empowering new Muslims through training, education and access to reliable and authentic scholars."

The Institute arranges talks and events for reverts and has a survey on the website for reverts to give some idea of some of the issues they face. The website also provides an opportunity to get involved through volunteer work.

Find more details at the website here.

Quran on Dawah: Surah Aal-e-Imran: 104

"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, and it is they who are succesful."

Video: Shaykh Yusuf Estes: How to Invite Non-Muslims to Islam

I Defeat my Opponents with Three

It was related that a man said to Haatim al Asam: “You are a non-Arab who cannot speak fluently, but no one has debated you except that you silenced him, so how do you defeat your opponents?”

He said: “With three:

1. I am pleased when my opponent is correct,
2. I am sad when he is incorrect,
3. And I preserve my tongue from saying anything that offends him.”

Al Imaam Ahmad stated: “What a wise man he is.”

Al Khateeb al Baghdaadee stated: “A person’s intention should be to clarify the truth when debating, not to defeat his opponent.”

Al Imaam ash Shaafi’ee said: “I did not debate anyone while hoping that he would err.”

He also said: “I never spoke to anyone except that I hoped that he would be granted success and supported. I never spoke to anyone except that I didn’t mind whether Allaah clarified the truth upon my tongue or his.”

Al Hafidh ibn Rajab comments: “This indicates that he did not have any intention except the clarification of the truth, even if it were from the person who is debating and contradicting him. Whoever is of this state would not dislike it when his opinions are refuted and when his contradiction to the Sunnah is clarified, not while alive or after his death. This is also what we think of the other Imaams of Islaam, those who defended Islaam and supported it whether they were from the Salaf or those who came after them. They also never used to dislike those who contradicted them as long as they were following evidence, even though the evidence was not strong enough for them to follow or leave their own evidence for.”

References:
The Difference between Advising and Degrading by Ibn Rajab al Hanbalee.
Al Faqee wal Mutafaqih by al Khateeb al Baghdaadee.

Quran on Dawah: An-Nahl: 125

“Invite to the Way of your Lord with wisdom and fair preaching, and argue with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided.” (Quran, an-Nahl: 125)