(a summary of my article entitled "redefining da'wah. it's 4pages long in Microsoft words so i hv to shorten it up for blogging purpose)
I’ve heard a lot of voices talking about da’wah recently,here and there. The word ‘da’wah’ is beginning to be quite ubiquitous. . suddenly everybody’s talking about da’wah,which is GOOD though,not that I’m complaining. At least it shows how,how conscious and aware muslims are about the needs for da’wah.
but still, (there’s always have to be a but,huh)it seems that people often tend to forget one thing when talking about da’wah;well,either they forget or they ignore because it seems a little too hard to do.-da’wah to the non-muslim. i,myself was beginning to forget ,myself until someone reminded me sometimes ago,jazakllh Bro kamarudin.
da'wah is't just about calling someone to prayer,or correcting fellow muslims wrong doings and preaching for ma'ruf. MOst oftenly,almost everyone forgets of the true 'da'wah' and for whom does it really meant to,foremost.da'wah to the non-muslim.
i've read a lot of blogs and webs,all containing tazkirahs and telling stories of how they taught their muslim friends of do's and don'ts ini Islam,and articles on how important da'wah is but none,as far as i have seen,none have mention the importance of da'wah towards the non-muslim.
I've written a notes,(a mini-article) in Fc regarding the current issue which is the banning of mosque minaret in Switzerland and many other moves indicating discrimination towards the Islam worls and expect feedbacks from others. i received a comment,unexpectedly coming from the man I've heard so much of(good things,all of them)from my friend,Bro Kamarudin Abdullah,a man known for his brilliant comparative religion class. i've always been interested in his class and wished to join but never had a chance(no notification,i blamed myself for that for not being alert. So much for a 'knowledge hunter')
he replied," Tanya secara ikhlas, salah siapa sehingga wujud perasaan..ini.
Umat Islam lah punca yang sebenarnya kerana mereka lupa Perintah Utama Allah..yakni Jihad dan Dakwah".
translated: ask sincerely,whose fault is it that this feeling exists,Muslims are the real cause because they forget Allah's decree..which is jihad and da'wah"
Below are,as a simple share of thoughts from this shallow mind of mine,what WE,can do,within our capability and opportunity to commit da'wah to the non-muslims.
1. 1. The first step,a major leap,is making friends woth the non-muslims. Now ask ourselves,how many of non-muslims friends do we have.
2. 2. Show a good akhlak. WE,are mirrors that reflect Islam in generals. The ‘Islam’ that Prophet Muhammad brings that have touched a lot of the non-muslims hearts back then was an islam that reflect peace,and harmony,and love,and a religion that teaches gih level of morality. Just looked at how Muhammad react to those kafirun who used to throw rubbish and stones and cursed and condemned him. All retaliated with the sweetest smile and forgiveness. masyaAllah.
4. 3. Shah Kirit,another comparative religion,an awesome man in the field of da'wah,said the ‘master key’ in da’wah to the non-muslim is by studying their religion. So,go to a comparative religion class if there is any nearby. grab the chance so you can debate with wisdom should there is anyone asking. (I,myself haven’t got a chance to attend one. the first time it was held near my place,I wasn’t notified and was already in other places joining an environmental camp;I fully blamed myself for not being alert) for info,you can add bro kamrudin Abdullah via fb,his name is Kamarudin Abdullah,or contact brother Shah Kirit himself at this link.
So,people,lets expand our social range. Approach the non muslim with an open heart. If you don’t have enough knowledge to preach,at leats let’s do our parts by showing good examples of akhlak islamiyah like Prophet Muhammad S.A.W taught us. Wallahua’alam. I’m just a fakir who doesn’t necessarily fulfil everything she says. Allahuakbar.