Class: Religion Class
You are writing a reply to forum posts made by my classmates.
2 replies. 200-words in each reply.
The main forum post[1] is at the bottom.
What you are replying to:
First reply:
Major religions or philosophies all require their message to spread in some way, Islam is no exception to the rule. Christians send off missionaries around the world to spread the word of Jesus. Buddhists send monks to expand the teachings of Buddha. Dawah translated to “invitation” in English, but it goes further than just inviting people to practice Islam. Dawah involves a Muslim inviting someone who doesn’t practice Islam, into their home for a meal, or to be generally hospitable to them before engaging in a conversation about Islam. Within Islam, Dawah could be more closely related to giving good advice to fellow practitioners on how to live more closely to the teachings of the Quran. The idea is that before you talk about why that person should practice Islam, you show compassion and kindness to your fellow human. Muslims believe it is not their job to try and convert people to Islam since the fate of each person is in Allah’s hands, Dawah is more like a push in the right direction. When engaging in Dawah, Muslims do their best to promote the true peace of Islam and clear up any misconceptions someone might have, and find common ground when addressing those topics. So, to bring it back to my initial example, instead of a missionary knocking on your door to talk about religion, Dawah is more like inviting people closer to you and talking about Islam through more of a hospitality mindset. An article from Learn Religions states the Quran instructs believers to: “Invite (all) to the Way of your Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching; and argue with them in ways that are best and most gracious. For your Lord knows best who have strayed from His Path, and who receive guidance” (16:125).
P.S. the YouTube video was really helpful in wrapping my brain around Dawah and is worth the watch its only a couple minutes long.
Resources:
Huda. (n.d.). What Does Da’wah Mean for Muslims? Learn Religions. https://www.learnreligions.com/the-meaning-of-dawah-in-islam-2004196.
NAKcollection. (2016, June 18). What is Dawah? | illustrated | Nouman Ali Khan | Subtitled. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKWwdk4cThU.
Second Reply:
Da’wah, translated from Arabic to English, roughly means to make an invitation (Huda, 2018). However, Da’wah is more than just an invitation it is the word that Muslims use to describe how they teach Islam to those outside of their religious community. Da’wah is not about trying to convert people to Islam but more about spreading information and knowledge about their religion and beliefs. There are many different variations on how Muslims may practice Da’wah. It has been used as a tactic in order to force other Muslims to act based on someone else’s view of purity, but among the masses Da’wah is used in a sincere way to encourage discussion (Huda, 2018). Da’wah is especially used when explaining Islam to non-Muslims in order to explain the Quran.
I think that this process is used in many different scenarios throughout religion and secularly. I agree with the use of Da’wah in an act to spread information about something that Muslims feel strongly about and want to help others understand their beliefs. I think there is something quite beautiful about sharing beliefs and taking part in someone else’s culture. However, like many religions do, Da’wah can be used as a scare tactic and I do not agree with that. I think scaring someone into being your version of pure or authentic is proving that you are not pure or authentic.
I think we have all seen versions of Da’wah practiced. While serving in the military I had friends from all different backgrounds and during late nights or long days we would share those different backgrounds. Often finding common ground between cultures or religions. This act is Da’wah being practiced. We were never trying to convert each other but instead giving each other knowledge and sharing something we loved with someone we cared about.
Huda. (2018, July 22). The Meaning of Da’wah in Islam. Learn Religions. https://www.learnreligions.com/the-meaning-of-dawah-in-islam-2004196
————-
[1] Initial Forum Question:
One of the little-known concepts found within the Islamic belief system is the common practice often referred to as, “Da’wah.”
Based upon your studies and research of Islam this week, identify and define the purpose of “Da’wah” and then elaborate upon the process by offering your reaction to it and demonstrate in practical ways how you have witnessed the implementation of it in the world today.
