Da’wah in the Qur’an & Sunnah

The Qur’an and the teachings of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)
urge the importance of inviting mankind to worship Allah alone and bring others
out of the darkness of disbelief and into the light of Islam.
“Thus you are appointed as the model community so that you may become witness against
mankind and the Messenger is witness against you” (Al-Qur’an 2:143)
It is through Allah (SWT)’s mercy that we are all Muslims and it is a Muslim’s
obligation to convey the message of Islam according to his ability and knowledge.
“Convey from me, even if it is just one verse.” [Sahih Bukhari]
As we live in a society which increasingly shows Islam in a negative light, it is a
Muslim’s duty to separate the negative images people might associate with Islam,
from the actual belief system.
"And do not debate with the People of the Book except with the best words, except for those
who remain obstinately upon unbelief and would rather wage war."
(Al-Qur’an 20:46)
Due to Allah (SWT)’s mercy, no effort is wasted as there is also great reward for a
Muslim who (through Allah (SWT)’s will) guides someone towards Islam.
"Whoever guides [another] to a good deed will get a reward similar to the one who
performs it." [Sahih Muslim]
Da’wah is incumbent on all able Muslims and must be done in compliance with
the methodology already established by the last Prophet of Islam, Muhammad,
peace and blessing be upon him.
"Invite (all) to the Way of thy Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching; and argue with
them in ways that are best and most gracious." (Al-Qur’an 16.125)

Some Methods of Doing Da’wah
Leaflets
• Setting: Any heavy traffic areas
• Goal: hand out as much material as possible
• Requires a plan for canvassing the area
• Not much talking
• Cover the entire pathway so you don’t miss a single person
• Have a catch phrase to arouse interest
• Smile
Group Da’wah
• Setting: Giving a talk or lecture to a group of people
• Stick to the point
• Keep within the announced topic
• Example: Interfaith forum.
One-on-one style street Da’wah
• Approach people by asking them basic multiple-choice questions about Islam.
• Intoxicated - move on! Argumentative - move on!
• If conversation is getting long: make an appointment
Internet Da’wah
• Setting: use email, chat rooms to propagate Islam or send letters to prisoners.
• Send links to websites in the end
• Stick to the point
One-on-one sit down Da’wah
• Setting: A detail oriented theological discussion
• Usually pre-planned
• Begin with how much the person knows about Islam.
• You may have time, but still use it wisely!
• Listen; Don't interrupt and let them finish
• Common Problem: If they repeat an argument, rephrase and say it back to them
• If the person has studied Islam find the core issue that are keeping him away
Interfaith Dialogues
• Effective way of learning about religions within a safe environment.
• Choose a topic so that the parties can come prepared.
• Ideally find speakers to talk about the chosen topic.
• After listening to speakers, form segregated groups to discuss the topic further.