More Than 80 ways to Make Dawah-1

More Than 80 ways to Make Dawah:-

All praise is due to Allaah who expressed the highest praise for the “caller” to his religion
saying: “And who is better in speech than one who calls to Allaah and works
righteousness and says: ‘Surely I am of the Muslims.’ ” (41: 33). And may Allaah’s
peace and blessings be on Prophet Muhammad, the role model, who said: “Whoever calls
to guidance will have a reward similar to that of one who follows it.”1
Muslims know that Allaah is the one who honored them with the religion of Islaam and
made them responsible for fulfilling the trust of spreading it. Furthermore, they know that
they will be asked about this responsibility, as Allaah says: “This is a reminder to you
and your people and you will be asked (questioned).” (43: 44) They also know that if
they fulfill this trust and become a reason for the guidance of others to Almighty Allaah,
they will receive a reward greater than they can possibly imagine, as the Almighty said:
“Say: Let them rejoice in Allaah’s grace and mercy, for it is better than what they
accumulate.” (10: 58) And the Prophet (r) said, “For Allaah to guide someone by your
hand is better for you than anything this world contains.”2
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
1 Sahih Muslim, vol. 3, p. 1050, no. 4665.
2 Sahih Al Bukhari, vol. 4, pp. 156-7, no. 253.
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.


Since people are often at a loss as to how they should go about giving da‘wah
and use their ignorance as an excuse not to do anything, the following list of more than
eighty suggestions have been compiled from among the many possible ways to give
da‘wah in order to make the way easier:

At Home:

1. Household library. Prepare a collection of books, magazines and tapes according
to what is suitable for the various age groups (with consideration of what are
suitable for all the members of the family).
2. Posters. Make a bulletin board for the home on which announcements for
Islaamic lectures and events can be posted in order to remind the family of
important events and lectures.
3. Family lessons. Read from a book, listen to a tape or memorize a portion from
the Qur’aan and hadeeth together as a group.
4. Family Competitions. Engage family members in Islaamic competitions and
maybe the prize is writing the winner’s name on the honor roll in the house).
5. Family Magazine. Create a family magazine by having family members
participate writing essays or in cutting articles and pictures related to Islaam from
the magazines and newspapers which you bring home.
6. Participation in Islaamic Social Work. Have your brother or son accompany
you to the prayers, lectures or to visit a sick person or a scholar or the offices of
Da‘wah.
7. Righteous Acts in Public. Do some righteous acts in front of the family, such as
prayer, reading Qur’aan and giving charity, as an example for them to learn from.
At the Mosque:
8. Participation in the Wall Magazine. In most mosques there are bulletin boards
at the back with announcements and Islaamic posters. Contribute articles to the
board and purchase beneficial and informative posters for it.
9. Development of the Mosque’s Facilities and Programs. Participate in
developing the mosque’s Da‘wah facilities and activities such as its library,
Qur’aan memorization classes and its contribution’s box.
10. Providing Books and Tapes. Collect good books, booklets, pamphlets and tapes
from Islaamic charitable organizations and put them in various locations in the
mosque. For example, it is possible to place the literature in the Qur’aan shelves
and in particular the Qur’aanic commentaries and their translations in different
languages.
11. Advertisement for Mosque’s Programs. Announce the topics and timings for
new lectures and classes in the mosque and post advertisements for them on the
bulletin boards and on the doors of the mosque.
12. Lectures. Invite a good lecturers know to you to give lectures at the mosque or
contact organizations like the Awqaaf or other Da‘wah organizations to provide
lecturers for your local mosque on a regular basis.
13. Translation of Friday Khutbah. Arrange with the Awqaaf for the translation of
the Friday sermon into the languages of the majority of those who attend Jumu‘ah
in your local mosque.
14. Mosque Committee. Participation in the mosque’s committee which organizes
the mosque’s Da‘wah programs and its and social activities.
At School:
15. Morning Assembly. Help to prepare da‘wah oriented material for the morning
assembly and the school’s morning broadcast.
16. Bulletin Boards. Prepare attractive posters advertising internal extra curricular
activities as well as external Islaamic lectures and classes for the various bulletin
boards around the school.
17. Drama Activities. Participate in the drama activity in the school by developing
Islaamic plays and themes.
18. Lectures. Arrange for the visits of various speakers and callers to the school.
Focus on open forums in which students are able to ask the questions which are
most important to them, thereby making Islaam seem more relevant.
19. Competitions. Organize Islaamic and academic educational competitions
between the students and schools and distribute Islaamic prizes. Use such
occasions as a means to talk about the importance and responsibility of da‘wah.
20. Facilitating Student Input. Collect students’ suggestions and complaints and
present them to the school authorities. Give full support to student opinions on
important issues, especially those related to Islaam.
21. Islaamic Library. Help the Islamic studies department to develop a strong and
varied section for Islaam in the school’s general library. Focus on Islaamic novels
and stories of the Companions and others.
22. Exhibitions and Expositions. Participate in book and tape exhibitions or antidrug
epositions, etc. which are officially organized by the school.
23. Islaamic Week. Request that the school dedicate a week annually to Islaamic
exhibitions, displays, posters, artifacts, videos, books and tapes.
24. Summer Holidays. Introduce Islaamic content in the summer vacation activities
of the school
.
At the Work Place:

25. Da‘wah Posters. Put up Da‘wah posters and announcements for Islaamic events
on the office’s bulletin boards.
26. Your Desk. Keep Da‘wah material on your desk at all times, among your books,
in a rack as well as on your own bulletin board.
27. Tape Distribution. Distribute tapes of recent lectures relevant to co-workers.
Especially those with catchy titles that address materialism.
28. Invitations. Invite interested co-workers to lectures and other Islamic events, as
well as to visit Islaamic da‘wah offices.
29. Congregational Prayer. Establish congregational prayer in the office or invite
co-workers to accompany you to the nearby mosque.
30. Islaamic Socialization. Organize social gatherings and invite Islamic propagators
to join you as informal guests.
31. Open Discussions. Encourage Islamic discussions during lunch and tea breaks.
32. Islaamic Projects. Gather other active Muslims in the office to initiate Islamic
charitable projects on your job.
33. The Islaamic Example. Do your job to the best of your ability at all times as a
good Islamic example to your co-workers.
General Means of Da􀂵wah:
34. Da‘wah Posters. Create or purchase a variety of beautiful eye-catching posters
whose scenes match though-provoking Islaamic texts or suitable Da‘wah
situations and put them in appropriate locations around the city.
35. Muslim Greeting Cards. Print and distribute congratulatory cards and Eed cards,
as well as cards commemorating other occasions of Islaamic significance which
contain beneficial da‘wah messages and slogans.
36. Da‘wah Album. Collect awe-inspiring pictures and powerful Da‘wah slogans in
da‘wah albums which may be kept for visitors and guests or given as a gift.
37. Marriage Invitation Cards. Turn the cover of a useful pamphlet into a marriage
invitation card as a means of reaching all who attend. For example, where people
are accustomed to a number of un-Islaamic practices during marriage, a wellknown
booklet on the etiquette of marriage could become the marriage invitation
card.
38. Revision or Typing. Request the person you wish to invite to Islaam to revise or
type out a da‘wah article as a means of indirectly exposing them to the Islaamic
information you wish to get across to them.
39. Da‘wah Mobile. Send da‘wah messages by mobile to the general public or by
email to mass mailing lists as reminders for religious occasions or lectures, etc.
40. The Internet. Utilize the Internet for da‘wah conversations or participate in any
of the many the chat rooms in which Islaam is being maligned on the net.


                           SOURCE:- DR. BILAL PHILIP
                                        BOOK OF DAWAH

More 80 Ways To Make Dawah-2

More 80 Ways To Make Dawah:-

41. The Media. Participate in spreading the Da‘wah by developing and presenting
radio and TV programs or writing Islaamic articles in local newspapers. These
programs should be widely advertised through the many means of communication
mentioned.

42. Stickers. Arrange for the posting of stickers containing beneficial Islaamic
reminders in appropriate locations like the prayer for traveling and riding vehicles
in buses, airplanes. Distribute stickers containing the supplications for various
occasions like leaving and entering the home, the toilet, etc., for people to put
around the home. Negotiate with hotels and other such institutions to post stickers
with beneficial advice like the sticker showing the direction of the Qiblah in hotel
rooms, etc, to remind residents of prayer and help them to do so properly.

43. Schedules. Post schedules of the prayer timings and Ramadaan fasting timings,
on bulletin boards in suitable locations around the city as prayer reminders and
guides for those fasting.

44. Diaries and Agendas. Publish or print diaries, agendas and educational schedules
containing Da‘wah reminders as well as significant Islaamic dates and occasions.

45. Calling Cards. Print attractive calling cards with Da‘wah information and
arrange to have shops include them with their products when giving them to their
customers.

46. Post Cards. Design post cards with attractive local scenes or landmarks with
brief Islaamic messages on the back. For example, a post card with a picture of a
date farm could have on the back a Qur’aanic reference to the water cycle.

47. The Da‘wah Briefcase. Purchase and distribute Da‘wah briefcases manufactured
with many pockets designed to hold leaflets, booklets and tapes in various
languages for easy circulation
.
48. Magazine Subscriptions. Give a subscription to an Islaamic magazine to
someone as a gift or donate the amount of the subscription to a Da‘wah office so
it can choose someone to send it to.
49. Collect Used Magazines and Books. Start a project to collect used magazines
and Islamic books, etc. from homes and institutions in order to ship them or
distribute them where they are needed.
50. Leaflets and Flyers. Select Da‘wah articles from books or lectures from tapes
and reprint them as leaflets and flyers for various occasions like people going on
Hajj or on vacation, or for expatriate workers, or for the sick, doctors and nurses,
or for prisoners, for women and children, or for weddings, Ramadaan or Eed.
51. Bill Advertisements. Include brief Islaamic announcements and reminders on
common utility bills like telephone or water and electricity bills as well as on
supermarket bills.
52. Islaamic Slogans. Catchy Islaamic sayings or slogans can be printed on
calendars, agendas, car sunscreens, plastic shopping bags and other similar items
that are commonly circulated among the masses of people, with the agreement of
their manufacturers and by providing those responsible with suitable sayings.
53. Open Letters. Prepare letters for specific categories of people. For example,
letters may be directed to the neighbor of a mosque, to the mosque’s imaam, to
the public speaker, to the doctor, to the teacher, to the student, to a publisher, to a
father, to a mother, to a husband, to a wife, to an employer, a trader, a consumer, a
security guard, a prisoner or a traveler.
54. Public Competitions. Purchase and give away Islaamic books, tapes, CDs,
DVDs, videos, etc. as prizes in general knowledge quiz competitions or programs
specially designed for certain categories of knowledge like science or particular
categories of people like high school students, etc.
55. General Publications. Arrange for the production of books, tapes and CDs about
the stories and confessions of those who were astray and then were guided, as
well as publications containing poems, plays and literary pieces and linguistic
works, and the biographies of famous people, and modern business related work
on topics like administration and communication, international politics and
science and medical topics like the functions of the body etc, in order to reach
groups that do not normally read purely religious books.
56. Distribution of Da‘wah Materials. The various Da‘wah offices should organize
the weekly delivery of their flyers, books and tapes to houses and schools at
certain times.
57. Production Companies. Approach companies and institutions that specialize in
co-coordinating and holding major events and programs for big occasions such as
marriages, and prepare special da‘wah material for distribution at the events.
58. The Da‘wah Car. Purchase van type vehicles and write on them suitable phrases
of Da‘wah and park them in public places in order to distribute a variety of audio
and visual Da‘wah materials.
59. Large Bill Boards. Make neon signs or bill boards with Da‘wah messages and
erect them in suitable places in the country to promote the Da‘wah and advertise
activities and events.
60. Sporting Events. The Da‘wah Offices should participate in organizing sports
events for adults and youths and include in the program Da‘wah related material
for distribution among participants and onlookers as well as for winning teams
and individuals.
61. The Charity Clinic. Doctors concerned about da‘wah should provide free
medical checks up from a supportive private clinic for the general masses or for
particular groups like those new Muslims and non-Muslims who study in the
Da‘wah offices.
62. Women’s Courses. Write Da‘wah articles or slogans on the sidelines of course
materials geared towards women’s needs and interests like cooking, home
economics, child rearing, married life, home financing, managing house maids
and housework, preparation for married life, breastfeeding or children’s illnesses,
safety in the house and first aid.
63. Charity Bazaars. Hold charity bazaars, charity luncheons, etc. to raise donations
for any one of the many worthy Islaamic causes. Include in the function Islaamic
lectures addressing women’s issues as well as other general da‘wah issues.
64. Award Functions. Organize public functions in which tokens of appreciation are
presented to scholars, callers, Da‘wah offices, religious magazines, Islamic tape
stores and good websites, etc. to educate the masses about the importance of their
da‘wah activities and to enlighten them to some relevant Islaamic issues through
the speeches made at the events.
65. Da‘wah Directory. Prepare a the tourist’s da‘wah guide which shows the
locations of the Da‘wah offices and associations, Islaamic libraries and Islamic
studios, prominent mosques and Islaamic schools and universities, and locations
and timings of ongoing religious circles, as well as the whereabouts of local
scholars.
66. Islaamic Exhibitions. Arrange for book exhibitions by the major bookstores,
cultural exhibitions by the Culture and Tourism Board or a cultural tent to visit
schools and companies and participate in some of major science and technology
expositions with the goal of da‘wah in mind.
67. Da‘wah Website. Establish a comprehensive da‘wah website catering to as many
da‘wah needs as possible which would function as a think tank for Islaamic ideas
and would entertain discussions and post rulings on specific questions related to
da‘wah.
68. Breaking Fast. Introduce or participate in da‘wah project related to breaking fast
in Ramadan or on Mondays and Thursdays throughout the year. Include brief
talks to those present enlightening them about the unique aspects of fasting and its
spiritual significance.
69. Hajj and ‘Umrah. Offer trips for Hajj and ‘Umrah to particular groups,
especially new Muslims, for the purpose of da‘wah and implement programs
designed to increase peoples’ awareness before, during and after Hajj.
70. Transportation. Provide your personal vehicle and time as alternative means of
transportation for those needing help in getting to the various Da‘wah offices for
classes, lectures or conferences.
71. Da‘wah Warehouse. Set up charitable da‘wah warehouses that collect and accept
materials for da‘wah and make them accessible to schools and mosques and
others at nominal prices.
72. Da‘wah Offices. Join the local offices of Da‘wah, introduce others to them, and
visit them regularly in order to participate in their programs and to support and
encourage those working in them.
73. Supplications. Make supplications on various occasions as a way of calling
others to Allaah, like saying to someone involved in haraam, “May Allah save
you from the fire,” or to someone doing a praiseworthy act, “I ask Allah to bring
us together in Paradise with the Prophet,” or for you to pray for a student saying,
“I ask Allaah to give you success in the tests of this world and the next.”
74. Personal Visits. Visit those who are neglectful of their prayers close to the time
of the call to prayer so that he may accompany you to the mosque.
75. Declaration of Islaam. Bring new Muslims to the local Friday mosque and have
him openly declare his Islaam after the Friday prayer following a brief story about
his way to Islaam. And follow the ceremony by pointing out ways that those
present can help others find Islaam. In the case of female converts, she may
declare her Islaam at a girl’s school or women’s association, etc.
76. Public Transportation. Provide public and private transportation companies, cab
companies with attractive and appropriate posters, stickers, and tapes, and later
give awards to their management for their cooperation with the Da‘wah offices.
77. Da‘wah Booths. Set up in the major shopping malls, supermarkets and other
locations in which large numbers of the public gather da‘wah booths, stalls and
tables equipped with large screen televisions and distribute pamphlets, booklets,
audio tapes, videos, CDs, VCDs, etc.
78. Telephone Da‘wah. Record various brief da‘wah subjects to be played telephone
systems when callers are put on hold. The telephone can also be used to answer
Islaamic questions and to provide consultation.
79. Arabic Language Courses. Run programs for learning conversational and
grammatical Arabic language either as courses or through books or tapes at the
local da‘wah center or at people’s work place, if it is more convenient.
80. Islaamic Courses. Offer general Islaamic courses at local da‘wah offices,
mosques, or public lecture halls covering topics from the major Islaamic
disciplines as well as intensive courses for those specializing in da‘wah.
81. Da‘wah Day. Hold an open day of da‘wah with a variety of programs or special
educational ones which are presented during the whole day catering to men and
women, locals as well as expatriates. For the expatriates, the programs could be in
one of the major languages of the expatriate community each day. Articles should
be written a month in advance announcing da‘wah day and flyers and posters
should be distributed all mosques and prayer halls, schools, malls, etc. so that it
may be the talk of the people for that month.
May Allaah make you and us guides for others and grant us a place among those who are
themselves rightly guided.

                                          SOURCE: DR. BILAL PHILIP
                                                       BOOK OF DAWAH

7 TIPS ON HOW TO BEGIN DA’WAH

1. WHAT DO YOU KNOW OR THINK ABOUT ISLAAM:-

This question should be preceded by other general conversation. For example, ask how
long the person has been in the country. If they have been in the country for a long time,
this is a suitable question. If they have only just arrived, another approach is required. For
example, one could offer to show them around, or invite them to a gathering, etc.

2. CURRENT ISSUES: WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT HIJAAB OR THE WAR
IN IRAQ?:-

Use current issues in the media as a means of discussing about Islaam. If they are openminded
and see the obvious injustice in the Hijaab ban and the Western invasion of Iraq
based on non-existent WMDs, then the conversation can be steered to the media
distortion of Islaam, etc. If they didn’t understand the issues behind the Hijaab or the
invasion of Iraq, they should be enlightened briefly and these issues linked to Islaam.

3. HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT BEING IN A MUSLIM COUNTRY?:-

Discuss the differences between being in their country and being here as a means to
clarifying misconceptions about Islaam and Muslims. Find out their impressions about
Muslims, and correct the negative images. Distinguish between what Muslims do and
what they are supposed to do – i.e., Cultural Islaam and Islamic Culture.

4. HOW HAS YOUR IMPRESSION OF QATAR/THE GULF STATES
CHANGED SINCE COMING HERE?:-

Usually Westerners and others have very negative images of this region and its citizens.
The technological and social differences are often quite vast. Violence and backwardness
are often to two main misconceptions. One may clarify the Islamic stance on violence
and terrorism and stress that Islaam encourages scientific advancement. The issue that
Islaam was spread mostly in times of peace (e.g., Indonesia) and that the Qur’aan
prohibits compulsion in religion are good to relate in this context.

5. ARE YOU RELIGIOUS? WHAT DOES YOUR RELIGION SAY IS THE
PURPOSE OF EXISTENCE/CREATION?:-

Find out the person’s spiritual state. If they are religiously committed, then ask them to
define, according to their scriptures – not according to their personal opinions, the reason
for their existence. Most people have no answer. They never thought about it and their
religious teachers and teachings don’t spell it out clearly. Here, the clarity of purpose
mentioned in the scripture, Qur’aan, may impress them and encourage them to read the
Qur’aan. Otherwise, a discussion of purpose would be good.

6. WHY DO YOU WEAR A CROSS? WHY DO YOU KEEP THAT IDOL?:-

Ask questions about the person’s religious symbols in order to introduce Islamic ideas in
contrast to what the person believes. The goal being to bring out the false ideas the
person holds and to compare them with Islaamic beliefs and practices. Or you may use
other people’s question to begin discussion. If they ask about your hijaab or your
Islaamic cap or gown, use the question to clarify misconceptions or to introduce them to
some Islaamic concepts.
7. DISCUSS ISLAAM IN THE PRESENCE OF OTHERS.:-
If you are traveling with Muslims and sitting among non-Muslims, use the opportunity to
discuss about basic Islaamic beliefs for their benefit. For example, one of you asks the
others about the difference between God in Islaam and in Christianity. Or, less directly,
one asks about the meanings of Sura al-Fatiha and the others explain it or discuss it.
                                           
                                              SOURCE:- DR. BILAL PHILIP
                                                                BOOK OF DAWAH
                                                         

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN

DOUBLE STANDARD IN INHERITANCE:-

The unequal division of inheritance between men and woman is sometimes cited as
an example Islaam';s oppression of women.
1. Before looking at the division of inheritance in Islaam with regard to women, one
needs to look at Western inheritance laws. The right for women to inherit and own
property was only given to women in the West at the turn of the century, whereas that
right was given to women in Islaam 1,400 years ago. Furthermore, in the West, a
person may legally write a will giving all of their wealth to their dog or cat and
exclude their wife, children and other relatives. In the Islaamic system, the rights of
wives, children and relatives to inherit are protected. Set portions of the inheritance to
be given to them are identified in the Qur’aan. No one can write a will and cancel or
modify what is due to them. A will can be written to give up to a maximum of one
third to those who would not inherit by law. As to leaving even the third of one’s
wealth to animals, the Muslim State could step in on behalf of the inheritors and
cancel such a will as it obviously indicates some form of mental disorder. The third
would then be divided up among the natural inheritors.
2. In Islaamic society men are responsible for the maintenance women. For example, if
a son, a daughter and a mother inherit, the son also has the additional responsibility of
looking after his sister and his mother. Consequently, based on the male role, Islaamic
Law awards the son twice the portion of the daughter.3
3. However, the two to one division is not applied in all cases. For example, the Qur’aan
states (4: 11): “If a man or woman [died and] left neither descendents for ascendants,
but left behind a brother or a sister, each gets 1/6th; and if they are more than two,
they equally share 1/3rd.”

TWO WOMEN EQUAL TO ONE MAN:-

The finger is also pointed at Islaam as considering women inferior since the witness
of one man is equal to that of two women.
1. The Qur’aan does state in Soorah al-Baqarah (2: 282): 􀂳Get two of your men as
witnesses. But if two men are not available, then get a man and two women
agreeable to you as witnesses, so that if one of them makes a mistake, the other
can remind her...􀂴 However, this principle is not applied in all cases. This is specific
to business contracts as the beginning of the verse indicates. Since women in Muslim
society generally stay at home and men work outside the home, they tend not to be
that familiar with business dealings and as such they may forget some of the details –
as the verse explains.
2. This consideration may seem quaint in the West where women have been a part of the
work force for much of the 20th century. Women entered the work force as a product
of the need for them in the society and the munitions factories during the two World
Wars. Millions of men in their prime were sent overseas to fight and their jobs had to
be filled by women. Once the wars ended, many refused to return to their homes and
the feminist movement was born. Eventually, many women came to look at
3 The mother would receive 12.5% (1/8th ), the daughter 29.2% (1/3 of 7/8) and the son 58.3% (2/3 of 7/8).
fulfillment in the work place and not at home. Even if her job was only that of a
secretary, harassed by her boss, smiling sheepishly to keep her job, she felt it was
better than being stuck at home cooking, washing dishes, changing diapers and
preparing bottles of milk. Many Western women became familiar with business
dealings, so the previously mentioned considerations would seem to them irrelevant.
However, even in America, the vast majority of women are housewives, spending
most of their lives in their homes, while their husbands work and bring home the
bread.
3. In areas of female expertise, the witness of a single woman is sufficient. For example,
when ‘Uqbah ibn al-Haarith complained to the Prophet that a former slave woman
informed him that she had wet-nursed both himself and his wife, Umm Yahyaa bint
Abee Ihaab, he replied, “
 How can you object when it has already been
stated?”4 According to Islaamic law, those who suckled from the same breast before
the age of two become suckling brothers and sisters and are not allowed to marry.
Consequently, their marriage was annulled on the basis of a single woman’s
testimony.                  

                                                                                             SOURCE:- DR. BILAL PHILIP
                                                                                                                BOOK OF DAWAH

HIJAB IS PERFECT FOR WOMEN

MUSLIM WOMENARE OPPRESSED BY THE ISLAAMIC DRESS CODE:-

The covering of Muslim women has become one of the international symbols of
female oppression in feminist circles.
There are two major trends which have developed in the West over the past century. On
one hand, the fashion industry has systematically unclothed women. From being fully
clothed from head to toe at the turn of the century, she now wears virtually nothing
when the weather permits. On the other hand there has been a dramatic rise in the
reported incidents of rape. In the USA in the early 90s the reported incidents of rape
had crossed the 100,000 mark. And researchers estimated that the actual number was
between 7 to 10 times that number since most women are shy to report rapes. The two
trends are closely interrelated. The woman in the West has become a sex-object with
which to sell products thereby pumping up the sexual tension of the society. The
Corvette is not sold based on its powerful engine or its special features, instead the
car is displayed with a model in a bikini lying on it. Similarly, a new Gillette razor
blade is not sold by giving details about its new titanium blades. Instead, a man is
shown in ads shaving with a woman’s hand with long red fingernails coiled around
hold his. The subliminal message being taught is: You buy the car, you get the girl.
You buy the razor, you get the girl.
Islaam prescribes the covering of females for two primary reasons stated in the Qur’aan.
God says in Soorah al-Ahzaab (33: 59):

Let them cast their outer garments over their bodies. That is best in
order that they be known and not harmed.􀂴
The hijaab is to make the Muslim woman known in the society as a virtuous and
honorable woman. Her hijaab makes the statement that she is not available and not
interested in any advances. Many Muslim women who have emigrated to the West
take of their scarves and outer garments because they claim it draws attention to
themselves. If they expose their hair and dress in modest western dresses no one will
look at them. It is true that the hijaab does provide a level of anonymity, as many of
the woman’s physical details will be hidden. However, the intent is not to prevent
men from looking. When men see a nun in her habit, fully covered like a Muslim
woman in full hijaab, they will turn their heads and stare at her. Similarly, when they
see a woman walking in a bikini, they will also turn their heads and stare. However,
the first stare is different from the second. The first is out of curiosity, having seen
something unusual, while the second is out of lust and aroused sensuality. The
consequence of the second is the molestation of women on a national scale while the
first causes respect.
The penalty in the Islaamic state is very severe for rape in order to further guarantee
protection for females. Where weapons of any type are used in the rape, the
punishment is death. The death penalty has also been introduced in Philippines and it
is being called for in India currently. However, to allow women to expose themselves
and then kill those who react unduly is not practical. The law should be balanced. The
circumstances, which might encourage rape, should first be removed from the society,
then a severe penalty may be enacted.
It may be said that even in societies where women are fully covered, they may still be
approached and molested. However, if the vast majority of those who are molested
are not properly covered, the principle of protection still applies. Even in the society
of the Prophet, one thousand four hundred years ago, some women were molested
and raped.
Some people question the imposition of hijaab by the Islaamic state. Is it a personal
choice of women or a legal obligation? It is the responsibility of the head of every
family to insure that the women of his household leave the home in a legally
acceptable state of dress. The state is further responsible to prevent any women who
appear in public in a state of undress in order to protect public dignity and morality.
The West has set its own limits for dress which change according to the mood of
society. At one point in time, strip joints were illegal. Now many bars have topless
waitresses and dancers. In most states, a woman may not appear in public topless.
However, a woman recently contested the law in Florida and won her case. Complete
nudity remains public crime throughout the West, though nudist camps and nudist
beaches have sprung up in different locations in Europe and America.
There are conditions which must be fulfilled for the hijaab to be acceptable. a) It should
be wide and loose so as to not show the shape of the woman’s body; b) it should be
made of thick material which will not reveal what is underneath; c) It should not be
colorful and ornamented so as to attract sexual admiration.
Where the hijaab has become a cultural norm and women comply out of fear of
embarrassment, it will not be worn properly. It may become transparent, or worn tight
exposing the curves of the body, or it may become so ornamented as to be attractive
by itself. It may be short so as to expose the dress underneath, or the face may be
covered and the front of the hair exposed. Such practices are the result of women
wearing hijaab for the wrong reasons. They should be educated to realize that it is for
their benefit and for the benefit of the society.

                                                                           SOURCE:-  DR. BILAL PHILIP 
                                                                                               BOOK OF DAWAH

DIVORCE SYSTEM IN ISLAM

DIVORCE IS EASY IN ISLAAM:-

It is generally held that divorce in Islaam is very easy; a man only has to say to his
wife: 􀂳You􀂶re divorced,􀂴 three times and its all over.
1. In reality, divorce is not that easy in Islaam. There are conditions which must be
fulfilled even before its proceedings can begin. Firstly, divorce cannot be pronounced
while a woman is menstruating. Prior to the beginning of the menstrual cycle, many
women suffer mood swings and become cranky. The biological changes in their
systems cause psychological changes that are commonly known as PMS
(premenstrual syndrome). In order to ensure that the cause of the husband
pronouncing divorce is not a product of behavioral changes brought on by PMS,
divorce pronouncement during menses is prohibited. Secondly, the divorce cannot be
pronounced during a period between menses in which the couple has had sexual
relations. The rational being that if the man cared enough about the woman to have
sexual relations, he needs to reflect about his decision more before going ahead. He
will have to wait until after the woman’s next menses ends, before he can pronounce
divorce.
2. The pronouncement is considered invalid if the man was in such a rage that he did not
know what he was saying. This is based on the Prophet’s statement, “The divorce
pronouncement is not valid at the time of [mental] seizure.”
3. After the pronouncement, the divorce does not come into effect until the woman has
had three subsequent menstrual cycles. The first cycle is to insure that she is not
pregnant and the second two are further opportunities for reconciliation. She is not
supposed to leave her home as is common among Muslims today. The husband is
required to continue to maintain her until the waiting period [􀂵iddah] ends.
4. If a woman is pregnant at the time of the pronouncement, her 􀂵iddah is until she has
delivered her child. This principle gives the maximum amount of time for
reconciliation in order for the welfare of the child to be reflected upon.
5. In the final analysis, divorce proceedings are somewhat easier than in many Western
countries [a notable exception being the well known “Mexican divorce” which can be
concluded in a matter of minutes]. The theory being that marriage in Islaam is
primarily a contract and not a sacrament as originally perceived in the West where it
was considered unbreakable [and remains as such among Catholics]. Consequently, if
the contract was entered into with a verbal statement of “I do,” and witnesses, it
should be dissoluble with the statement “I don’t,” and witnesses.

DIVORCE IS ONLY THEMAN􀂶S RIGHT:-

Muslim women are often portrayed as being oppressed due to their being denied the
right to divorce.
1. The pronouncement of divorce (talaaq) is primarily the right of the husband as he is
in the position of authority in the family. Also PMS considerations and the emotional
nature of women could cause a greater incidences of divorce if it were put the hands
of the wives as an automatic right.
2. The wife may institute divorce proceedings by making her request through the court.
If the judge (Qaadee) sees just cause or a real need on her part, he can act on her
behalf and institute the khula  divorce which has a waiting period of only one
menstrual cycle.
3. A woman can obtain the right to pronounce divorce if it is made a condition in her
marriage contract which her husband agrees to. She may also gain the right by
requesting her husband’s permission at any point during the marriage. If permission is
given she may pronounce divorce according to the previously mentioned conditions.
                                 
                                                                                              SOURCE:- DR. BILAL PHILIP
                                                                                                               BOOK OF DAWAH

WHY ARRANGED MARRIAGES ARE PERFECT?

ARRANGED MARRIAGES

Muslims are often accused of forcing their daughters into marriage
1. Islamic law requires that females must give their permission before they are married.
Prophet Muhammad (r) said, “The permission of virgins should be taken and their
silence is their consent. ” On one occasion a woman came to the Prophet (r) and
informed him that her father had married her off without her permission. He offered
to annul her marriage, however, she did not accept his offer saying that she only
wanted to confirm her right. A previously married woman has the right to choose for
herself.

2. Muslims are encouraged to help their children find suitable marital partners since
males and females are raised separately in society. Women are spared having to look
for their own mates.
3. From a Western perspective, where teenagers are often required to leave home and
go out to work and look after themselves, it would seem ludicrous for parents to later
on suggest whom they should marry.

4. It has become a practice among some Muslims to force their children to marry their
cousins. For Muslims in the West it becomes a means to help their family members
also reach the West. Consequently, there have been a number of cases reported in the
newspapers in England of the Home Office rescuing Muslim girls from forced
marriages at the airport. There are also many Muslim girls who have run away from
home rather than be forced to marry relatives in villages in Pakistan or India. Such
girls are being given new identities by police authorities and will likely lose their
Islaam in the process.

MUSLIMWOMENCANNOT MARRY THEMSELVES

The Muslim woman is considered oppressed since she must have her father􀂶s
permission to get married.
1. Islaamic law requires the permission of a woman’s father for her marriage to be valid.
Prophet Muhammad (r) was reported to have said, “The marriage of any woman who
marries herself without her guardian􀂶s consent is invalid.”
2. From a Western perspective in which teenagers are required to leave home and fend
for themselves, it would seem unthinkable that the father’s permission would be
needed for marriage.
3. The Muslim woman lives a sheltered life. She is not used to dealing with men outside
her blood relatives whom she cannot marry (mahaarim). The father will be more
capable of judging the young man objectively. The young woman could easily be
fooled or sweet-talked as she tends to be more emotional in her judgement.
4. If the guardian refuses proposals for illegitimate reasons like the persons tribe, race,
color, status, the young lady has the right to seek redress from the court. If he judge
concludes that the father is wrongfully preventing his daughter from marriage, he
may take the guardianship from the father and act as the girls guardian.
DOUBLE STANDARD INMARRIAGE
Muslim males are allowed to marry non-Muslim females but Muslim females are
only allowed to marry Muslim males. This is often cited as discrimination and one of
the symbols of oppression of Muslim females.
1. Muslim males are not allowed to marry any non-Muslim female. Only Christians and
Jews (People of the Book) and not any other religion. This is due to the fact that the
scriptures held sacred by Christians and Jews do contain large portions of revelation
even though the texts have been distorted and changed. Consequently, in honor of the
revelation still remaining in these texts, permission was granted to marry their
women. However, the condition of chastity is added to the permission mentioned in
the Qur’aan. Consequently, only a woman who is either a virgin, divorcee or widow
can be married. This means that the common practice of Muslims from the East
coming to Europe and America and finding blue eyed blondes in discos for wives is
quite illegitimate. Finding chaste females in the West is more difficult than finding
the proverbial “needle in the haystack.” By mid teens, virginity is looked at as a fault
rather than a virtue.
2. The reason for allowing men and not women is in order to protect the woman’s
religion. If a Muslim man requested his Christian wife not to bring alcohol or pork in
his house and that she not wear mini-skirts or kiss his friends, she could comply
without affecting her religious teachings. However, If a Christian husband requested
his Muslim wife to purchase alcohol and serve him pork, to wear mini-skirts and kiss
his friends since it is his custom to kiss the wives of his friends. It is natural for a wife
to try to please her husband. In the case of the Muslim wife, that could lead to the
destruction of her faith.
3. Marriage to non-Muslims is discouraged in situations where Muslims are weak or in
the minority in order to safeguard the religion of the children. If a Muslim man
marries a non-Muslim woman in the West and their marriage ends in divorce, or the
man dies, the courts will award custody of the children to the wife who will likely
raise them as non-Muslims. However, if they were married in a Muslim country, the
Sharee􀂵ah would not give the children to a non-Muslim mother. They would instead
be given to either the husband or his relatives in order to insure they receive a Muslim
upbringing.
                                                                            SOURCE:- DR. BILAL PHILIP
                                                                                                      BOOK OF DAWAH

GENERAL DAWAH ISSUES

MUSLIMMEN ARE POLYGAMISTS:-

Muslims are often accused of being promiscuous because polygamy is legal in
Islaam.
1. Islaam did not introduce polygamy. Unrestricted polygamy practiced in most human
societies throughout the world in every age. Islaam regulated polygamy by limiting
the number of wives and establishing responsibility in its practice.
2. Monogamy of the West inherited from Greece and Rome where men were restricted
by law to one wife but were free to have as many mistresses among the majority slave
population as they wished. In the West today, most married men have extramarital
relations with mistresses, girlfriends and prostitutes. Consequently the Western claim
to monogamy is false.
3. Monogamy illogical. If a man wishes to have a second wife whom he takes care of
and whose children carry his name and he provides for he is considered a criminal,
bigamist, who may be sentenced to years in jail. However, if he has numerous
mistresses and illegitimate children his relation is considered legal.
4. Men created polygamous because of a need in human society. There is normally a
surplus of women in most human societies.1 The surplus is a result of men dying in
wars, violent crimes and women outliving men.2 The upsurge in homosexuality
further increases the problem. If systems do not cater to the need of surplus women it
will result in corruption in society. Example, Germany after World War II, when
suggestions to legalize polygamy were rejected by the Church. Resulting in the
legalization of prostitution. German prostitutes are considered as workers like any
other profession. They receive health benefits and pay taxes like any other citizen.
Furthermore, the rate of marriage has been steadily declining as each succeeding
generation finds the institution of marriage more and more irrelevant.
5. Western anthropologists argue that polygamy is a genetic trait by which the strongest
genes of the generation are passed on. Example, the lion king, the strongest of the
pack, monopolizes the females thereby insuring that the next generation of lion cubs
will be his offspring.
6. Institutional polygamy prevents the spread of diseases like Herpes and AIDS. Such
venereal diseases spread in promiscuous societies where extra-marital affairs abound.

1 Russia: 46.1% male to 53.9% female; UK: 48.6% male to 51.5% female; USA: 48.8% male to 51.2%
female; Brazil: 49.7% male to 50.27% female (The New Encyclopaedia Britannica, vol. 17, pp. 34, 270,
244). Exceptions in China and India due to wide-spread infanticide on a national scale.
2 According to the Center for Health Statistics, American women today can expect to live to be 77.9 years
old, while men can only expect to live to 70.3.
7. Polygamy protects the interests of women and children in society. Men, in Western
society make the laws. They prefer to keep polygamy illegal because it absolves them
of responsibility. Legalized polygamy would require them to spend on their additional
wives and their offspring. Monogamy allows them to enjoy extra-marital affairs
without economic consequence.
8. Only a minority will practice polygamy in Muslim society. In spite of polygamy
being legal in Muslim countries, only 10-15% of Muslims in these countries practice
polygamy. Although the majority of men would like to have more than one wife, they
cannot afford the expense of maintaining more than one family. Even those who are
financially capable of looking after additional families are often reluctant due to the
psychological burdens of handling more than one wife. The family problems and
marital disputes are multiplied in plural marriages.
9. Conditions have been added for polygamy in many Muslim countries. For example,
in Egypt, the permission of the first wife must first be obtained. This and similar
conditions are a result of colonial domination. No woman in her right mind will give
her husband permission to take a second wife. Such a condition, in fact, negates the
permission given by God in the Qur’aan.
10. Others have accepted polygamy on condition that it not be for “lust”. That is, if the
wife is ill, or unable to bear children, or unable to fulfill the husband’s sexual needs,
etc., taking a second wife is acceptable. Otherwise it becomes “lust” on the husband’s
part and is consequently not acceptable. The reality is that “lust” was involved in the
marriage of the first wife. Why is it acceptable in the case of the first and not the
second? As has already been pointed out, men are polygamous by nature. To try to
curb it by such conditions will only lead to corruption in society.
11. Feminists may object to this male right by insisting that women should also be able
to practice polygamy. However, a woman marrying four husbands would only
increase the problem of surplus women. Furthermore, no child would accept his or
her mother identifying the father by the “eeny meeny miney mo” method.
12. The question which remains is, “If God is good and wishes good for His creatures,
why did he legislate something which would be harmful to most women?” Divine
legislation looks at the society as a whole seeking to maximize benefit. If a certain
legislation benefits the majority of the society and causes some emotional harm to a
minority, the general welfare of society is given precedence.

ARRANGEDMARRIAGES:-

Muslims are often accused of forcing their daughters into marriage
1. Islamic law requires that females must give their permission before they are married.
Prophet Muhammad (r) said, “The permission of virgins should be taken and their
silence is their consent. ” On one occasion a woman came to the Prophet (r) and
informed him that her father had married her off without her permission. He offered
to annul her marriage, however, she did not accept his offer saying that she only
wanted to confirm her right. A previously married woman has the right to choose for
herself.
2. Muslims are encouraged to help their children find suitable marital partners since
males and females are raised separately in society. Women are spared having to look
for their own mates.
3. From a Western perspective, where teenagers are often required to leave home and
go out to work and look after themselves, it would seem ludicrous for parents to later
on suggest whom they should marry.
4. It has become a practice among some Muslims to force their children to marry their
cousins. For Muslims in the West it becomes a means to help their family members
also reach the West. Consequently, there have been a number of cases reported in the
newspapers in England of the Home Office rescuing Muslim girls from forced
marriages at the airport. There are also many Muslim girls who have run away from
home rather than be forced to marry relatives in villages in Pakistan or India. Such
girls are being given new identities by police authorities and will likely lose their
Islaam in the process.
MUSLIMWOMENCANNOT MARRY THEMSELVES:-

The Muslim woman is considered oppressed since she must have her father􀂶s
permission to get married.
1. Islaamic law requires the permission of a woman’s father for her marriage to be valid.
Prophet Muhammad (r) was reported to have said, “The marriage of any woman who
marries herself without her guardian􀂶s consent is invalid.”
2. From a Western perspective in which teenagers are required to leave home and fend
for themselves, it would seem unthinkable that the father’s permission would be
needed for marriage.
3. The Muslim woman lives a sheltered life. She is not used to dealing with men outside
her blood relatives whom she cannot marry (mahaarim). The father will be more
capable of judging the young man objectively. The young woman could easily be
fooled or sweet-talked as she tends to be more emotional in her judgement.
4. If the guardian refuses proposals for illegitimate reasons like the persons tribe, race,
color, status, the young lady has the right to seek redress from the court. If he judge
concludes that the father is wrongfully preventing his daughter from marriage, he
may take the guardianship from the father and act as the girls guardian.


PALYGAMY:-

Muslims are often accused of being promiscuous because polygamy is legal in
Islaam.
1. Islaam did not introduce polygamy. Unrestricted polygamy practiced in most human
societies throughout the world in every age. Islaam regulated polygamy by limiting
the number of wives and establishing responsibility in its practice.
2. Monogamy of the West inherited from Greece and Rome where men were restricted
by law to one wife but were free to have as many mistresses among the majority slave
population as they wished. In the West today, most married men have extramarital
relations with mistresses, girlfriends and prostitutes. Consequently the Western claim
to monogamy is false.
3. Monogamy illogical. If a man wishes to have a second wife whom he takes care of
and whose children carry his name and he provides for he is considered a criminal,
bigamist, who may be sentenced to years in jail. However, if he has numerous
mistresses and illegitimate children his relation is considered legal.
4. Men created polygamous because of a need in human society. There is normally a
surplus of women in most human societies.1 The surplus is a result of men dying in
wars, violent crimes and women outliving men.2 The upsurge in homosexuality
further increases the problem. If systems do not cater to the need of surplus women it
will result in corruption in society. Example, Germany after World War II, when
suggestions to legalize polygamy were rejected by the Church. Resulting in the
legalization of prostitution. German prostitutes are considered as workers like any
other profession. They receive health benefits and pay taxes like any other citizen.
Furthermore, the rate of marriage has been steadily declining as each succeeding
generation finds the institution of marriage more and more irrelevant.
5. Western anthropologists argue that polygamy is a genetic trait by which the strongest
genes of the generation are passed on. Example, the lion king, the strongest of the
pack, monopolizes the females thereby insuring that the next generation of lion cubs
will be his offspring.
6. Institutional polygamy prevents the spread of diseases like Herpes and AIDS. Such
venereal diseases spread in promiscuous societies where extra-marital affairs abound.
1 Russia: 46.1% male to 53.9% female; UK: 48.6% male to 51.5% female; USA: 48.8% male to 51.2%
female; Brazil: 49.7% male to 50.27% female (The New Encyclopaedia Britannica, vol. 17, pp. 34, 270,
244). Exceptions in China and India due to wide-spread infanticide on a national scale.
2 According to the Center for Health Statistics, American women today can expect to live to be 77.9 years
old, while men can only expect to live to 70.3.
7. Polygamy protects the interests of women and children in society. Men, in Western
society make the laws. They prefer to keep polygamy illegal because it absolves them
of responsibility. Legalized polygamy would require them to spend on their additional
wives and their offspring. Monogamy allows them to enjoy extra-marital affairs
without economic consequence.
8. Only a minority will practice polygamy in Muslim society. In spite of polygamy
being legal in Muslim countries, only 10-15% of Muslims in these countries practice
polygamy. Although the majority of men would like to have more than one wife, they
cannot afford the expense of maintaining more than one family. Even those who are
financially capable of looking after additional families are often reluctant due to the
psychological burdens of handling more than one wife. The family problems and
marital disputes are multiplied in plural marriages.
9. Conditions have been added for polygamy in many Muslim countries. For example,
in Egypt, the permission of the first wife must first be obtained. This and similar
conditions are a result of colonial domination. No woman in her right mind will give
her husband permission to take a second wife. Such a condition, in fact, negates the
permission given by God in the Qur’aan.
10. Others have accepted polygamy on condition that it not be for “lust”. That is, if the
wife is ill, or unable to bear children, or unable to fulfill the husband’s sexual needs,
etc., taking a second wife is acceptable. Otherwise it becomes “lust” on the husband’s
part and is consequently not acceptable. The reality is that “lust” was involved in the
marriage of the first wife. Why is it acceptable in the case of the first and not the
second? As has already been pointed out, men are polygamous by nature. To try to
curb it by such conditions will only lead to corruption in society.
11. Feminists may object to this male right by insisting that women should also be able
to practice polygamy. However, a woman marrying four husbands would only
increase the problem of surplus women. Furthermore, no child would accept his or
her mother identifying the father by the “eeny meeny miney mo” method.
12. The question which remains is, “If God is good and wishes good for His creatures,
why did he legislate something which would be harmful to most women?” Divine
legislation looks at the society as a whole seeking to maximize benefit. If a certain
legislation benefits the majority of the society and causes some emotional harm to a
minority, the general welfare of society is given precedence.
                                                                             
                                                                                            SOURCE:- DR. BILAL PHILIP                                               ,                                                                                                                               BOOK OF DAWAH

CHARACTERISTICS OF CALLED-2

EDUCATION:-
The second point concerning an individual that must be considered is their level of
education and understanding. Talking to somebody who is a university graduate is
different from talking to someone who is a common laborer. One my quote many things
to a university graduate which the average laborer would not normally understand.
Complicated ideas and philosophical concepts like the trinity, and discrepancies in Bible
manuscripts are not suitable for discussion with people of limited education. A perfect
example of that is Thul-Qarnayn mentioned in Soorah al-Kahf. Thul-Qarnayn went to
three groups of people. One group of people who were a strong nation, according to the
scholars, he conquered and made very clear statements regarding them. He said: “I will
punish whoever does wrong and is unjust, and I will give a reward to whoever believes in
and does righteous deeds.” He talked to them in a precise law-giving manner, because
they were a civilized nation, and a strong community. But when he went to the other side
of the world, he met a group of people who couldn’t understand what Thul-Qarnayn was
saying, and he could barely understand what they were saying; a completely different
group of people. Did Thul-Qarnayn tell them to either believe or suffer punishment? No.
He saw that these people were a mild people. Some scholars said that they were lazy,
because they were not able to build a wall to prevent the Gog and Magog and they had to
ask Thul-Qarnayn to do it. Perhaps they were a materialistic people as they offered Thul-
Qarnayn money. Or perhaps, they were ignorant of advanced methods of construction
and were not educated in the ways of great civilizations. They were used to paying other
people to do jobs for them. So what did Thul-Qarnayn do with them? He told them that
he did not want their money. Instead, he instructed them to help him do the job. This was
not because he needed their help as he had an army with him, but because he wanted to
educate them about hard work. He wanted to teach them about what it means to take
matters into your own hands, to defend yourselves. So he dealt with them in a different
manner than he dealt with the first nation. Consequently, you have to look at the level of
education and understanding of the people you’re talking to and deal with them
accordingly.

MISCONCEPTION:-

The third issue we have to look at is preconceived ideas and misconceptions those being
called to Islaam may have. Of course, that can only be determined if we allow them to
express their thoughts, if we listen first, before trying to teach them. Once we have heard
a misconception, we have to decide whether to spend a lot of time trying to correct the
misconception or to choose another tactic, or another topic. For example, raising the sun
from the west. This is in reference to the story of Prophet Abraham when he went to the
king and said:

“My Lord is the One who gives life and causes death.” And the king said:


“I can give life and cause death.” Obviously the king had a misunderstanding about the
meaning of giving life and causing death, a misconception. What did Abraham do? Did
he spend time trying to explain to the king the correct meaning? No. Instead he chose
another way. He challenged him saying,

“Indeed Allaah brings the sun from the east. Raise the sun from the west,’ and the
disbeliever was dumfounded.” (Soorah al-Baqarah, 2: 258)

He was stupefied and completely unable to respond. Similarly, rather than stopping to
explain each and every time a misconception is raised, and becoming so bogged down in
defensive explanations, the situation may be avoided by raising issues which clearly
demonstrate Islaam’s superiority. For example, when misconceptions concerning
polygamy in Islaam are raised, those raising them may be asked if monogamy is actually
being practiced in the so-called monogamous countries of the West, or if one wife and
innumerable girl-friends, mistresses, etc. can realistically be called monogamy.
Furthermore, it may be noted that Islaam is the only religion whose scriptures explicitly
say to marry only one wife.


“And if you fear you will not be just, then marry only one.” (Soorah an-Nisaa, 4: 3)
That statement often stupefies the detractors as neither the Bible, Torah, Gospel, nor the
Hindu Scriptures (Vedas, Upanishads, Gita, etc.) contain such a statement. Instead, their
scriptures encourage unrestricted polygamy. On such occasions it is important to read the
circumstances accurately, to see where the discussion is going. Whether it is a case of
honest misunderstandings which need to be cleared, or deliberate misconceptions being
thrown out to disable the caller.

CHOOSING YOUR APPROACH:-

Choice of Subject:-

Next we have to choose our approach. After reading the situation carefully and correctly,
you must now choose the subject. What are you going to talk about? Prophet Muhammad
(r) told Mu‘aath ibn Jabal, “You are coming to a people from Ahl al-Kitaab, so the first
thing you should invite them to is Tawheed.” Notice the logic. You are coming to some
People of the Scripture; therefore choose to talk to them about Tawheed. When you know
the people, the situation and the circumstance, now you choose your topic.
There was a time some years back when enthusiastic Muslims used to
continuously engage Christians in discussions concerning the Gospel of Barnabus. The
origin and history of the Gospel of Barnabus is a long story. It is enough to note that there
is mention in it that Prophet Jesus was not crucified, and that a prophet would come after
him by the name of Ahmad. Consequently, Muslims spent a lot of time trying to convince
Christians about the authenticity of the Gospel of Barnabus. Was that really important? If
they believed in the Gospel of Barnabus, would it save them on the Day of Judgment?
No. Is everything mentioned in the Gospel of Barnabas the Gospel truth? No. In fact
there are passages and concepts contained in it which are incorrect and go against
Islaamic teachings. Consequently, we must choose our topics wisely. We should ask
ourselves: “What does this person really need to know to fulfill my obligation of
conveying the clear message of Islaam to them? What do I have to give this person so
that on the Day of Judgment I can say to Allaah: ‘O Allaah! I conveyed Your message,’?
The message which I have to give them is none other than Tawheed. We may begin our
discussions by talking about the trinity, but many Christians do not believe in the trinity.
Some believe that there is only one God and that Jesus Christ was a prophet of God. In
such cases, there is no need to go into a long debate about the trinity, since they have
already rejected it. Consequently, we have to find out what their actual beliefs are and not
preach to them based on assumptions. We have to take some time out to listen, as was
mentioned earlier. If we do so, we may find that it would be more beneficial to talk about
Prophet Muhammad (r). Thus, the choice of topic to discuss or share is as important as
reading the situation correctly.

Method of Delivery

The next thing which we need to keep in mind when approaching others is our method of
delivery. We have to decide how we are going to communicate our message. Are we
going to use an emotion approach? Although, emotional arguments are to be avoided in
general because they tend to cloud the issues and the facts, sometimes they are the best
method. On one occasion, the Prophet (r) gave a sermon in which his eyes became red,
voice became loud and his anger increased.3 However, that may be appropriate in a
Friday Sermon, because people are there in the Mosque for a particular religious reason.
It is also important for motivating people for Jihaad, or for giving in charity, etc. At other
times logic may be most appropriate. One of the Companions by the name of
Mu‘aawiyah ibn al-Hakam, mentioned that he came to see Prophet Muhammad (r) after
converting to Islaam, and he found him making his prayers, so he joined the prayers.
When one of those praying behind the Prophet sneezed, so he said, “Yarhamukallaah
[May Allaah have mercy on you],” while praying. The other Companions turned and
stared at him in the prayer and he asked, “What are you all staring at?” So they started
hitting their thighs to make him quiet. When the Prophet finished his prayer he simply
said:
.
“Indeed, the speech of people is not suitable for this prayer.”4
He gave Mu‘aawiyah a simple logical reason for not talking during formal prayers, as
opposed to raising his voice and screaming at him for his error.
Where possible, visual aids should be employed in conveying the message as it
helps get the message across. People today are very much visually oriented. TV, video,
computer, CD, DVD, etc., etc. have become the most popular media for communication.
Consequently, using power point presentations, or charts and over head projectors are
great aids in conveying the message today’s audiences. The Prophet (r) himself
employed visual aids in teaching his companions. On one occasion he prayed on top of
the mimbar (pulpit) and then informed his companions that he only did so for them to
learn his method of prayer.5 On another occasion he drew a straight line in the dirt and
other lines branching of from either side to demonstrate the significance of his straight
path and the abundance of deviant paths leading away from the true path. And on another
occasion he said, “The Last Hour and I have been sent like these two,” and he joined his
forefinger and his middle finger,6 in order to indicate how close the Final Hour was.
Everyone likes to hear information relayed in the form of a story. The human mind
seems to relax and be comfortable in the psychological environment created by
narratives. Consequently, stories from the bards and storytellers of the past to the authors


3 Sahih Muslim, vol. 2, p. 410, no. 1885.
4 Ibid., vol. 1, pp. 271-2, no. 1094.
5 Sahih Al Bukhari, vol. 2, pp. 18-9, no. 40 and Sahih Muslim, vol. 1, pp. 274-5, no. 1111.
6 Sahih Mus,im., vol. 2, p. 410, no. 1885.


of fiction of the present are held in high esteem by societies throughout the world.
Oftentimes, social criticisms have found their widest audiences through the vehicle of the
story. For example, in David Copperfield, Charles Dickens attacked the exploitation of
children by Victorian society; likewise, in 1984, George Orwell commented on state
interference in the lives of its citizens. The 90’s movie, Primary Colors, taken from a
book by Joe Klein, was a thinly disguised account of President Clinton’s philandering
while campaigning for office of the president.
Stories about people and civilizations of the past are especially interesting because
they represent mysteries to the people of the present. Hence the Qur’aan and the Sunnah
has, in a number of instances, employed the narrative (qissah) format in order to convey
its message to human beings in a most intriguing manner. It should be noted, however,
that while many of the most popular narratives are made up by their authors, the
Qur’aanic and hadeethic stories are all true. They are not made up by Allaah and His
Messenger () to convey His message, but are in fact true historical examples of the
message. This fact has been emphasized in the Qur’aan in numerous passages. For
example, Allaah refers to the Qur’aan as truth:

“I revealed the Book to you in truth.” ( Soorah al-Maa’idah (5):48)
Likewise, Allaah repudiates the idea that these narratives are invented. At the end of the
story of Prophet Yousuf (Joseph) and his brothers, He says,

“It is not an invented story but a confirmation of the previous
(scripture). (Soorah Yoosuf (12):111)
Consequently, it is not surprising to find that the use of examples from human life to
illustrate points in the message is very effective.
Figurative speech is generally a more moving and effective method of
communication than direct commands and detailed explanations. Hence, Allaah has also
used them frequently in the Qur’aan:

“Certainly I have made all kinds of comparisons (mathal) in the Qur’aan for
humankind that perhaps they would reflect.” (Soorah az-Zumar, 39: 27)
There are also numerous examples in the statements of the Prophet (r) where he relied
on the mathal to get his message across.7
Gradual Progression
Read your progress by analyzing the level of your audience’s internal motivation. This is
a technique used by motivators to assess where somebody is relative to the point they are
7 They are too numerous to begin to list, but just as a tiny sample, refer to the simile of the people who
observe the limits set by Allaah and those who do not as people on the upper and lower decks of a ship
(Sahih Al-Bukhari, vol. 3, p. 406, no. 673). See also Sahih Al-Bukhari, vol. 1, p. 278, no. 468, for a simile
of the believers as a structure whose bricks support each other.
trying to get across and to gradually get the person to agree with their point. By reading
the person’s body movements one can assess the person’s response position and his or
her progress according to the scale. At the bottom of the scale is “neglect – indifferent.”
If you are talking and somebody is ignoring you, it means that they are completely
indifferent to what you have to say and to the topic on which you are speaking. This is
what is known as a “difficult person”, because they just do not care about your point of
view. Convincing them is virtually impossible, because they have no interest in what you
have to say. They are simply out of your reach. So rather than trying to convince them to
agree with you, you have to find something emotional to get them into the discussion.
The ten-point scale show how a person can gradually evolve from being indifferent to
being hostile, to being neutral, to being curious, to finally agreeing. You have to take a
person based on where they are and gradually get them to a point of agreement. What
happens is, for instance, you meet somebody who is very hostile. You know the person is
hostile because they continually interrupt you saying, for example, “No, I don’t agree
with you.” Having read their language and assessed their hostile stance, do you then
argue back insisting that they have to agree with you? Will such a response produce a
positive result or simply degenerate in a shouting argument? You cannot change
somebody from feelings of anger and opposition to agreement immediately. In such a
circumstance, the method which should be used is called the PAR (Probe, Align, Raise)
method. Probe your adversary, meaning, ask them why are they so hostile? Find out the
reasons for their hostility. Then align yourself to their level. See the situation through
their eyes. Empathize with them. Then try to raise them to a point of neutrality. Say to
them, for example, “Would you mind if I tried another point with you? Is that ok? Can I
try another point?” “Ok, yes?” Once they respond positively, you have brought them to
neutral. So, rather than confronting their negativity with negativity and ending up in a
wrestling match, try to think instead how you can get the hostile audience to a neutral
point. Neutral is the same as saying, “I’m willing to listen.” He may be reserved, but at
least he is now listening. The next step is to get them interested and then to get them
excited, before they finally agree.
If somebody is fearful, saying, for example, “I’m very afraid of Muslims. You’re
all terrorists,” will you be able to get them to believe in Tawheed in five minutes? You
have to first remove the fear, you have to get them to be willing to listen, then you have
to get them interested, then you can finally get them to agree. This process may take days
or weeks before you raise the person above their negative feelings and emotions. It is a
skill requiring that we read the situations and the people, respond to their needs
appropriately. Like a doctor who does not start prescribing medicine for the patient as
soon as they step in his office, but, instead he listens patiently to the patient’s complaints
and assesses their illnesses, which my require further tests, then and only then, does he
prescribe the appropriate medicine. We should also have long-term goals, one month,
three months, and six months, before expecting people to commit. Human beings have to
grow through these emotional stages and levels. Humans cannot, like a light bulb, go on
and off immediately. Anger to happiness and back to anger, joy to sadness and back to
joy all take time.
Gradual progression can also be seen in the declaration of faith itself. First false
gods are negated, then the One True God, Allaah is affirmed. This principle is applicable
in many da‘wah situations. Where, for example, a Christian says that he believes in the
divinity of Jesus because his prayers to Jesus were answered. Logical arguments about
Jesus’ divinity do not work because he has practical experience which is enough to win
his emotional commitment. If we ask him about the prayers of a Hindu to his god of stone
being answered, the Christian will agree that the stone god did not answer the Hindu’s
prayers, he will affirm that it was the true God who did. However, by doing so, he has
also cancelled the basis of his argument for the divinity of Jesus and we can then affirm
that it was the One True God who answered his prayers and not his imaginary god, Jesus.
Gradual progression in Islaamic law is usually illustrated by the gradual prohibition of
alcohol. Similarly, if a person drinks alcohol, fornicates and worships idols, we should
not try to get him to quit everything all at once. We prioritize and work our way from the
most important to the very important and from there to the important.
                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                          SOURCE:- DR. BILAL PHILIP                                               ,                                                                                                                               BOOK OF DAWAH
             

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CALLED-1

KEEP OBJECTIVES FOREMOST:-

Conversion or Clear Communication?
Before entering into our main topic, I would like to make three introductory remarks, the
first of which is that we have to keep in mind that our primary objective in da‘wah is not
to convert the individual whom we are inviting. Conversion is in the hands of Almighty
Allaah. He said in the Qur’aan:

“Indeed you cannot guide whom you love, but Allah guides whom He wills.”
(Soorah al-Qasas, 28: 56)
Our job is the same one that was given to all the prophets and messengers, and given to
the Prophet Muhammad (r). It is to convey the message clearly, as Allaah said:

“The only obligation on the messenger is to give the clear message.”
(Soorah an-Noor, 24: 54)
Therefore, we have to constantly remind ourselves whenever we are in a discussion with
an individual or giving a lecture to a group, that we are not there to win the argument or
the debate. Our goal is to make sure they properly understand the true message of Islaam
in its pristine purity. It may be impossible to convince them in an hour or a day to change
the course of their whole life, but at least they should understand the reality of what you
are calling to, the Oneness of Allaah, the finality of Muhammad’s (r) prophethood, the
certainty of the Day of Judgment, etc. Therefore, what is most important regarding those
being called to Islaam is that the message should be crystal clear.

Listen Before You Speak:

The second point is that we should strive to listen before we speak, to understand the
other party and the other side, before we explain our points of view. If we care about the
person that we are giving da‘wah to and if we care whether they receive this message or
not, then we should take care to listen to them. Many times when we are in a da‘wah
situation, we are more interested in getting our point of view across than in hearing their
opinions. Either because we have already heard their arguments before, and or we know
their opinions are wrong anyway, so what is the point in listening to them? “Jesus is not
the son of God because of reasons one, two, three, four, and five. Furthermore, the Bible
says this and the Qur’aan says that, and this Christian scholar said this and Paul said that,
etc., etc.” But the person you are telling that may not be interested in it because he does
not believe that Jesus is literally the son of God, or he or she may be interested in some
other issue. They may have some confusion about formal prayers in Islaam, why
Muslims have to pray five times a day? So, we should take some time out and listen to
1 This chapter was delivered as a lecture by Ubayd Qadhi and edited by Dr Bilal Philips.
the person before we begin our discussion, and allow further time during the discussion
listen to them.
Put Yourself in the Other Person’s Shoes:-

The third and final point is to put ourselves in their shoes. After discussions, people
generally do not remember what was actually said, the particular words that were used,
the precise issues which were discussed, but how it was said, they way the words were
used and the issues presented. They do not really remember what we say, yet we spend so
much time bringing points and explaining proofs, because this is the style we have
developed in learning Islaam. Consequently, we want to use texts from the Qur’aan and
hadeeth to prove our points. However, if we stop and think for a moment, we know that
most of the non-Muslims whom we give da‘wah to do not understand this style of
speaking. They do not understand, “Allaah said,” “The Messenger (r) said,” “The
Companions said,” “Shaykh so and so said,” etc.” They do not understand this type of
terminology, nor its significance. So, we should put ourselves in their shoes and be gentle
with them. We should try to be conscious of the impression we are giving them.
Let us try our level best to keep these three critical points in the back of our minds
whenever we are in a discussion with somebody else.

READING THE SITUATION:-

When you find yourself in a situation, you have to read that situation in a way similar to
the way you read a book. When you enter a room and find yourself in front of a group of
people, or you go to a shopping center and you see somebody interested in Islaam, you
have to read that situation carefully before making any statements. Meaning, you have to
be conscious of the unique elements of the situation and tailor your approach accordingly.
We must be conscious of two main things: first the environment, and second the actual
individual.
TIMING-THE MOST VALUABLE THING:-

When it comes to the environment, the first thing to be remembered is the timing, finding
the appropriate time. Is it a suitable time to talk about this subject or not? The Prophet
(r) used to select certain times to give his lectures. On one occasion one of ‘Abdullaah
ibn Mas‘ood’s students came to him and said: “We love your lectures and sermons.
Please give us more!” as he only used to give one lecture a week. He replied: “I wish that
I could give more. The only thing that prevents me is the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad
(r). He used to take care of us in giving sermons by selecting a suitable time, so that we
would not become bored.”2 From this incident we can see that the Messenger (r) knew
the characteristics of the called better than they knew themselves. People, in their
enthusiasm and excitement, usually want more lectures in the beginning of any new

2 Sahih Al-Bukhari, vol. 1, no. 68. Ibn ‘Abbaas also said, “Lecture the people once per week, if you must,
then twice, and if you must be frequent then thrice. But, do not make the people bored of this Qur’aan. Do
not let me catch you going to people when they are in conversation, and you relate some story to them, cut
their conversation and make them bored. Instead be silent and if they request that you speak to them, talk to
them while they desire it. And beware of rhyming supplications and avoid them, for I was used to the
Prophet () and his companions not doing that.” (Fat’h al-Baaree, vol. 11, no. 6337, p. 151 [Kitaab ad-
Da’awaat, Baab: Maa Yukrahu minas-Saja‘).
program. However, the reality is that if you give too much or you speak for too long, they
will eventually become bored. It is the nature of human beings to become lazy with time.
Thus, the common saying “Familiarity breeds contempt.” Yes, there will be a few who
are keen and will remain enthusiastic due to their sincerity and high level of commitment.
However, in such cases, we have to consider the norm and not the exceptions.
Consequently, we have to consider our timing. We must ask ourselves, “Is this the right
time? Am I giving them too much?” In another hadeeth, the Prophet (r) said, “Among
the signs of an individual’s understanding of his religion is the length of his prayer and
the shortness of his speech.” Therefore, we have to think about the length of our
discussion, to insure that it is not too long, and we also have to think about the time we
wish to engage in discussion, to insure that it is not at an inappropriate time. So read the
environment, look around you. If you are in a busy market place, is it a suitable time to
talk about the reality death, will you get your point across concerning punishment of the
grave when everything around him is reminding him of the material world? Perhaps
another topic would be more appropriate, or if you need to talk about reality, then take
him alone in a room and have that discussion.

AUDIANCE:-

The second principle governing the environment is the audience. We have to read the
audience as we read the circumstances and the situations. Are we talking to a group or an
individual? There is a difference. Remember that when you are in a group of people you
cannot convince them. Look at the example of as’haabul qaryah (People of the Village),
mentioned in Soorah Yaaseen. Allaah, Most High, sent a messenger to the village, and
village people rejected him. Then he sent another messenger, and they also rejected him.
The scholars of Tafseer say that they imprisoned them and tortured them. So, Allaah sent
a third messenger to support them against this group, but still they would not listen.
Later, Almighty Allaah said:
\
“A man came running from the farthest corner of the village, [saying], ‘O my people
follow the messengers!’ ” (Soorah Yaaseen, 36: 20)

“Follow those who do not ask any reward from you, and they are rightly guided.”
(36: 21)

“And what is wrong with me that I do not worship the One who created me and to
Him I return.” (36: 22)

The story continues, with another person from the village who accepted the message
trying to convince the villagers. Although he used logic and emotion to convince them,
they remain unconvinced because they were a group. The scholars say that he was killed
and he has his reward with Allaah Almighty.

“He said: ‘If only my people knew that my Lord has forgiven me and put me
among the honored.” (36: 26-7)

The point here is that there is a difference when you are talking to a group and
when you’re talking to an individual. This is why Allaah Most High advises humankind:

“I advise you with one thing to stand before Allah alone or in pairs and reflect.”
(Soorah Saba, 34: 46)

If you really want to convince someone about something, you need to talk to them one on
one or maybe two. Once I went to a church, and I began addressing my audience about
Tawheed and the realities of Laa ilaaha illallaah. After the talk, I realized from their
questions that they were not interested in Tawheed. No one asked any questions about
Tawheed, instead all their questions focused on what Islaam had to say about
homosexuality. And in the course of their questions I came to realize that I was in a
homosexual church and the members of my audience were mostly homosexuals and
lesbians. Consequently, the time was not appropriate for the subject of my lecture. I was
giving them the message of Tawheed and they were interested in what Islaam says about
homosexuality. However, once I have read the audience and found myself in a group of
homosexuals, do I tell them that the punishment for homosexuality is death, or should I
inform them that they are to be thrown off the highest mountain? No. This is neither the
appropriate time nor the suitable circumstance. They are in a group, so it is likely that
they will not listen properly. Instead, I gave them a general answer, and after the talk and
the answer session, I went to them and talked to them individually about purity, about
relations with a wife, and about the blessings of having a wife, or a spouse, etc. As
individuals they listened for another hour, but as a group they just wanted a quick answer
then they left. So we have to carefully read the situation and determine if our topic is
suitable for a group of people or if it is more appropriate for individuals.

LOCATION:-

The third thing is to look at is your location. For example, Mount Safaa in the time of the
Prophet (r) was used for announcements. So the Prophet (r) went there to make his
point. He chose that particular location because he knew the people he was inviting to
Islaam. He knew their nature and characteristics, so he chose Mount Safaa. He climbed
up to its summit and addressed his people saying: “O people of Quraysh, if I were to tell
you there was an army behind this hill would you listen to me?” He used his location to
make his point.
As one calling to Islaam must choose the most suitable time to address a given
audience, he or she must also choose the most suitable location. The location may be a
public hall, a university auditorium, a school classroom, a mosque, an Islamic center’s
hall, etc., or it may be a restaurant, a coffee shop, a park, the beach, out on the desert, etc.
One must choose the appropriate location for the type of message one intends to deliver.
What may be said over lunch in a restaurant may not be suitable for a university
auditorium and vise versa.

INDIVIDUAL:-

Demographics
Almighty Allaah said:

“I did not send any messenger except that he spoke the language of his people to
explain to them.” (Soorah Ibraaheem, 14: 4)
There is great wisdom in this principle. In general, the best person to talk to
people is one who shares a similar background with them. I, as an American, understand
the American society and culture in general, but, because I am descended from Indo-
Pakistani emigrants to America, I know that I have limitations in addressing certain
American audiences. It is better to get a reverted or converted Muslim from America to
go give certain talks. Similarly, here in Qatar there is a wide mixture of people. Although
it is good to give da‘wah to any and everybody, we should know our limitations. At
times, some people would only feel comfortable to listen to certain things from somebody
of the same background. Someone from Philippines or one who has visited Philippines
and has intimate knowledge of their culture can make their talks more effective and
relevant to a Filipino audience by giving local examples. Similarly, someone from
England, or from Germany, etc. will likely have a greater impact on Brits and Germans,
respectively. Their impact may be far greater than a very knowledgeable foreigner.
There are three elements that we must keep in mind when giving da‘wah:
Islaamic knowledge of the Qur’aan and the Sunnah is one element you may use to talk to
somebody. However, a great scholar quoting Allaah and His Messenger (r) not touch
the heart of the person being called. Besides knowledge, one needs a degree of
eloquence. Evidences and proofs are important, but for them to reach the audience, you
need to have a good speaking manner. Even if you can quote the whole of Saheeh al-
Bukhaaree, you still may not reach that person unless you can speak to them in an
eloquent manner. The Prophet (r) was given jawaami‘ul-kalim (concise effective
speech), to convey his message. However, even that is not enough, you also need to build
relationships and that is where it becomes important to get someone from the same
background as the person being called. To build a relationship with somebody, you have
to have some common background. Perhaps you do not come from the same culture, but
you speak their language or you work in the same profession. Wisdom becomes manifest
when you are able to link your knowledge to eloquence in speech and your ability to
build relationships. That is true wisdom.
                                                                                                          SOURCE:- DR. BILAL PHILIP                                               ,                                                                                                                               BOOK OF DAWAH