Daʿwah (Arabic:دعوة,Arabic:[ˈdæʕwæ], "invitation", also speltdâvah,daawa,dawah,daawah ordakwah[1][2][3]) is the act of inviting people toIslam. The plural isdaʿwāt (دَعْوات) ordaʿawāt (دَعَوات). Preachers who engage in dawah are known asda'i.
Daʿwah[ˈdæʕwæh] literally means "issuing a summons" or "making an invitation". Grammatically, the word represents agerund of a verb with thetriconsonantal rootd-ʕ-w (د-ع-و) meaning variously "to summon" or "to invite". AMuslim who practicesdaʿwah, either as a religious worker or in a volunteer community effort, is called adāʿī (داعي, pluralduʿāhدعاة[dʊˈʕæː]).
Adāʿī, is a person who invites people to understand and accept Islam throughdialogue and other techniques, who may be regarded as amissionary inviting people to the faith, prayer, and manner of Islamic life.[4]
The termdaʿwah has other senses in theQur'an. Insura (chapter) 30:25, for example, it denotes the call to thedead to rise on theDay of Judgment. When used in the Qur'an, it generally refers to Allah's invitation to live according to His will. Thus, when used in the first centuries of Islam, it usually referred to that message and was sometimes used interchangeably withsharī‘a anddīn.
Daʿwah is also described as the duty to "actively encourage fellow Muslims in the pursuance of greater piety in all aspects of their lives", a definition which has become central tocontemporary Islamic thought.[5]
During theExpedition of Al Raji in 625,[6]Muhammad sent some men as missionaries to various different tribes. Some men came to Muhammad and requested that Muhammad send instructors to teach them Islam,[6] but the men were bribed by the two tribes of Khuzaymah, who wanted revenge for theassassination of Khalid bin Sufyan (Chief of theBanu Lahyan tribe) by Muhammad's followers.[7] A number of missionaries were killed in this expedition, either eight[6] or, according to another account, ten.[8]
Then during theExpedition of Bir Maona in July 625[9] Muhammad sent some missionaries at the request of some men from the Banu Amir tribe,[10] but the Muslims were again killed in revenge for theassassination of Khalid bin Sufyan by Muhammad's followers.[7] 70 Muslims were killed during this expedition.[10]
Mus'ab ibn 'Umair was the first Muslim envoy in September 621.[14][15] He was sent to Yathrib (nowMedina) to teach the people the doctrines of Islam and give them guidance.[15]
After Muhammad's death in 632, from the available historical evidence, it appears that after Muhammad's death Muslims did not immediately embark upon daʿwah activities—during and after the rapid conquests of theByzantine andPersian lands, they ventured little if at all to preach to local non-Muslims. Daʿwah came into wider usage almost a hundred years after Muhammad's death, in the wake of 'Abbasid propaganda against the then ruling Umayyad clan in the 720s. However, the 'Abbasid daʿwah ceased as soon as the 'Abbasids were in power—a fact that attests to its political nature. Daʿwah as a truly missionary activity, albeit still within the MuslimUmmah, appeared in the form of theIsma'ili daʿwah of the 9th through 13th centuries. Isma'ilis, in many ways, can be seen as the pioneers of the organized Muslim missionary activities: their highly institutionalized and sophisticated daʿwah structure has hardly been repeated until today. Moreover, for the Isma'ilis, daʿwah was a state priority. The Isma'ili daʿwah encompassed extra- and intra-ummatic forms and blended both theology and politics.[16]
InIslamic theology, the purpose ofdaʿwah is to invite people, Muslims and non-Muslims, to understand the worship of God as expressed in the Qur'an and thesunnah ofMuhammad and to inform them about Muhammad.
Daʿwah as the "Call towards God" is the means by which Muhammad began spreading the message of the Qur'an to mankind. After Muhammad, his followers and theUmmah (Muslim community) assumed responsibility for it.[5] They convey the message of the Qur'an by providing information on why and how the Qur'an preachesmonotheism. Muhammad saw Islam as the true religion and mission of all earlier prophets. He believed that their call had been limited to their own people but that his was universal. His mission as the final prophet was to repeat to the whole world this call and invitation (daʿwah) to Islam. Muhammad wrote to various non-Muslim rulers, inviting them to convert.[17]
In theHadith ("sayings") ofMuhammad,daʿwah is mentioned to emphasise importance and virtues:
"Whoever directs someone to do good will gain the same reward as the one who does good."[22]
"Whoever calls to guidance will receive the same reward as the one who follows him without any decrease in the reward of his follower."[23]
"For Allah to guide someone by your hand is better for you than having red camels."[24] (Inancient Arabia,camels – especially of a reddish hue – were considered particularly valuable property.)
"Convey from me, even if it be only a single verse."[25]
Muhammad sentMuadh ibn Jabal toYemen and told him "You will be going to Christians and Jews, so the first thing you should invite them to is the assertion of the oneness of Allah, Most High. If they realize that, then inform them that Allah has made five daily prayers obligatory on them. If they pray them, then inform them that Allah has made the payment of charity from their wealth obligatory on their rich to be given to their poor. If they accept that, then take it from them and avoid the best part of people's property."[26]
The verse (ayah) 256 ofAl-Baqara is a famous verse in theIslamic scripture, theQuran.[27] The verse includes the phrase that "there is no compulsion in religion".[28] Immediately after making this statement, the Quran offers a rationale for it: Since the revelation has, through explanation, clarification, and repetition, clearly distinguished the path of guidance from the path of misguidance, it is now up to people to choose the one or the other path.[27] This verse comes right after theThrone Verse.[29][30]
With regard to Muhammad's mild nature in preachingIslam, theQuran says:
And by the mercy of Allah you dealt with them gently. If you were harsh and hardhearted, they would have fled from around you. (Quran 3:159).
The Quran says aboutMoses andAaron who preached to Pharaoh, the claimant of God:
So speak to him, both of you, mildly in order that he may reflect or fear God. (Quran 20:44).
Muhammad was reported by his wife,Aisha to have said "Whenever gentleness is in a thing, it beautifies it, and whenever it is withdrawn from something, it defaces."[31]
Muhammad was quoted by Jareer as saying,"One deprived of gentleness is deprived of all good."[32]
Muslims made it a part of their political theory (through relatingdaʿwah to jihad) and life (using the concept ofdaʿwah in their political agendas). Taken in general, the intertwining ofdaʿwah and politics, then, has been a feature throughout the Muslim history, though practical implications of this have been different in different ages.[33]
"Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good instruction, and argue with them in a way that is best. Indeed, your Lord is most knowing of who has strayed from His way, and He is most knowing of who is [rightly] guided ...". (Quran 16:125).
A classical example of diversion indaʿwah can be seen in the case ofYusuf in prison when two prisoners asked him to interpret their dreams. One of them said: "I saw myself pressing wine." The other said: "I saw myself carrying bread on my head and birds were eating from it." They asked: "Inform us of the interpretation of these things. Indeed, we believe you are one of the righteous." He replied: "Whenever food came to you as your provision, I informed you about it before it came. That is from what my Lord has taught me.... As for one of you, he will pour wine for his lord to drink, and as for the other, he will be crucified and birds will eat from his head. This is the case judged concerning which you both inquire." (Quran 12:35–41)
Doingdaʿwah in the right location. For example,Mount Safa in the time of Muhammad was used for announcements. So Muhammad went there to make his point. He chose that particular location because he knew the people who he was inviting toIslam. He knew their nature and characteristics, so he chose Mount Safa. He climbed up to its summit and addressed his people saying: "O people ofQuraysh, if I were to tell you there was an army behind this hill would you listen to me?"[34]
Various Islamic institutions provide elaborate manuals, trainings and workshops todaʿi to prepare them for successfuldaʿwah.
Daʿis are given trainings in the form of physical workshops and training sessions.[35][36]Daʿwah trainings are also provided in the form of online video lessons, webinars, online discussion forums, handouts and quizzes.[37]
Moderndaʿwah movements are varied in their objectives and activities. Examples include:
TheMuslim Brotherhood has focused on a methodology of buildinggrassroots institutions and funding welfare projects, which has helped it survive decades of repression under hostile governments in many Middle Eastern countries, with the group and its many offshoots still enjoying popular support and power.[38][39]
Jamaat-e-Islami has focused on presenting Islam as a complete way of life and on the methodology of buildinggrassroots institutions and funding welfare projects.
Tablighi Jamaat works on trying to bring the Muslims back to the fundamental practices of Islam such as worship; they do this by encouraging members to speak and to teach them the virtues of good actions. The movement has a following of between 20 and 80 million people and, though it originated in India, now has a global following.[40]
Ahmed Deedat was a notable debater who was arevolutionary figure among Muslims for his effort in debating Christian polemics. Many Muslim debaters from popular debaters to grassrootsdaʿwah campaigners use his books and videos as reference material.[41][42]
Zakir Naik was a student of Ahmed Deedat and followed in his teacher's footsteps by debating Christian polemics and by holding Q&A sessions with Christians. Zakir Naik is particularly notable for taking the effort of debating Christian polemics to the Muslim mainstream with his popular channelPeace TV.[43]
iERA is a research institute based in London which seeks to debate Muslim and non-Muslim intellectuals, help new Muslims, train speakers and produce academic research papers ondaʿwah issues.[44] iERA was founded by Abdurraheem Green (Anthony Green) and Yusuf Chambers, British converts to Islam. It developed the GORAP method fordaʿwah: God’s Oneness, Revelation and Prophethood. GORAP is a framework for holdingdaʿwah conversations and conveying the message of Islam in stages.
Hikmah Times of Singapore there is a significant impact of the Islamicdaʿwah movement. There are many local/international organisations (e.g. Hikmah Times).
Discover Islam Centre[45] established in Cape Town, South Africa, 2005 by Dr Abdullah Hakim Quick from Canada. Conveying the message of Islam to people of all walks of life. Building bridges in communities through knowledge, breaking down misconceptions about Islam. Offering classes to Non Muslims and New Muslims to learn more about the fundamentals of Islam.
Uplift Dawah[46] is a Dawah non-profit based in Seattle, Washington with chapters in Seattle and Africa.
Northwest Dawah Foundation[47] is adaʿwah non-profit based in Portland, Oregon with activities in Southwest Washington and Oregon.
Al Furqaaan Foundation[48] is adaʿwah non-profit based in Chicago which focuses on distributing Qur'an through partnerdaʿwah organizations across the United States.
Youth Club[49] a non-profit, non-sectarian, non-political organization, which provides a unique platform for the youth and provides them avenues to channel their potential in accordance with Islamic values. Since its inception in 2011, Youth Club is working to create well-balanced individuals, who are not only skilled in their respective fields but also recognize and fulfil their religious obligations and participate actively in their communities.
TheLatino American Dawah Organization is a grassroots organization founded in 1997 to propagate Islam within the Hispanic American community. LADO frequently makes references to the history ofIslamic Spain in their works.
Methods may also depend upon specific creeds. For instance, among Ismailis,al-Naysaburi's Code of Conduct depicts the values in which dais should spread the word of Islam to Muslims and non-Muslims.[50]Idris Imad al-Din's work presents us with an indigenous account of the traditions of thedaʿwa in Yaman. His account of theNizari–Musta'li succession dispute reflects the official view of theTayyibis.[51] Similarly, modern-day platforms designated for open-air public speaking in the western world also provide platforms for debate between different denominations in Islam, with documented instances of dialogue being reported between demographics such asQuranists and Mahdi'ist based creeds such asMahdavia.[52]
There are also Da'wah inspired movements that do not focus on the dissemination of Islamic creed, but rather on the promotion of secularism. Termed by Maya Mikdashi as evangelical secularism, these evangelical secularists in Lebanon attempt to encounter the sectarian state of their country by increasing the space of robustSecularism in a sectarian Lebanon. During theLaïque Pride, the organizers of the pride, referred to the Islamic Da' wah to describe the tactics of expanding their ideology.[53]
^abWatt, W. Montgomery (1956).Muhammad at Medina. Oxford University Press. p. 33.ISBN978-0195773071.The common version, however, is that B. Lihyan wanted to avenge the assassination of their chief at Muhammad's instigation, and bribed two clans of the tribe of Khuzaymah to say they wanted to become Muslims and ask Muhammad to send instructors. (online)
^Tabari, Al (2008),The foundation of the community, State University of New York Press, p. 151,ISBN978-0887063442,Then in Safar (which began July 13, 625), four months after Uhud, he sent out the men of Bi'r Ma'unah
^abMubarakpuri, The Sealed Nectar, p. 188. (online)
^abSafi ur Rahman Al Mubarakpuri (2002).Ar-Raheeq Al-Makhtūm. Darussalam, 2002. pp. 187, 338–.ISBN9789960899558. Retrieved7 August 2012. Note: Author says it happened before theSecond pledge at al-Aqabah which happened in 622. Therefore this event happened in 621
^[Racius, Egdunas. "Blending of Politics and the Islamic Da'Wa." Politologija.2 (2005): 91–122. ProQuest. Web. 5 Dec. 2016.]
^Sookhdeo Patrick, and Murray, Douglas. 2014. Dawa: The Islamic Strategy for Reshaping the Modern World. Isaac Publishing.
^Malik, Adeel (14 February 2019)."Dawah Training Workshops". Muslim Council of Hong Kong. Archived fromthe original on 30 October 2020. Retrieved16 October 2020.
^Klemm, Verena, and Walker, Paul E. 2011. Code of Conduct: A Treatise on Etiquette of the Fatimid Ismaili Mission. I.B. Tauris.
^Farah, Caesar E. "The Fatmids and their Successors in Yemen: The History of an Islamic Community." Domes 12.2 (2003): 100. ProQuest. Web. 3 Dec. 2016.
^Abdullahi, Aminu A. "A Season of Monotheism: Muslim response to humanist cyberactivism in Northern Nigeria." (2020)
^Mikdashi, Maya (2022).Sextarianism : Sovereignty, Secularism, and the State in Lebanon. Stanford University Press. p. 126.
