My usrahmates and I joined a programme called Da'wah Course today, organised by the Islamic society. It was focusing on communicating Islam to the non-muslims to facilitate and encourage us to do the obligatory sunnah of our beloved prophet Muhammad s.a.w (p.b.u.h.) - that is to do da'wah. Yes, it is a sunnah, but it is a duty of us, muslims. I used to always interpret sunnah as wearing a turban, keeping the beard (both for guys obviously), etc. But it is actually everything that was done, spoken, or undone by rasulullah s.a.w. And one might not realise that things like da'wah to non muslims and bringing back the true Islamic country into the world up to achieving the world orde (ustaziatul 'alam) are also the sunnah. The obligatory ones in fact.
It was only a one day - no, actually, a half day course indeed. 11am -5pm. Let me just share and reflect back a few valuable points that I have learned today.
The course had one practical session where the facilitators acted as a non muslims and the participants had to answer the questions asked by them. Some of the questions might just be "tell me about Islam". As simple as that. Of course we can talk about thousands and millions of thing, but what do we want to focus on first especially if we have only 3 minutes with him/her? There was a quote from a brother: "You are not doing da'wah if you are just discussing about why you don't eat pork, why you don't drink alcohol, why you dont go to pub. But talk about the tauhid." Let them know that Allah is one. The one god that we worshipp. Let them believe that Allah is their god too. That Allah is everyone's god. Easier said than done of course, but we never know if it is through us that Allah wants to grant the hidayah to a non muslim. Let me give you a few more questions or statement that we as a muslim might want to start thinking of.
1. What is Allah? Why is your god different from others?
2. Aren't all the religions the same?
3. Why do good people or muslims still suffer if god exist? I have a friend who is suffering from cancer, she is a good person, the best one I have ever met. Why does god allow her to suffer when she is a good person?
4. Where does evil come from? From god?
5. I am not an evil person. I do good things, and I help lots of people. Would I be condemned to hell simply because I am not a muslim? - Man, this is though!
6. How can you be so sure Islam is true?
7. How do know Muhammad is a prophet? Didn't all sorts of other people claim to be prophets?
8. Why are dressing like that (for women)? Do you not feel oppressed? How do you find a boyfriend then? Do you not have one? (I actually got this one)
9. Do you have to pray five times a day? That must be so hard for you!
10. You are not even allowed to drink when you ae fasting? Hey, that is not good for your health is it?
11. Do you need to be particular about what you are eating? What is these halal meats?
12. You are not allowed to drink alcohol even a small sip of it? But isn't it good for the heart if you take redwine occasionally? You won't get drunk.
Some of these were questions I got from my friends too or from a stranger I met in the metro, or in a shop. It is a good thing they ask us - it means they are interested to know. And we do not even have to go and approach them. In this case, the least thing that we could do is to tell them about Islam. To let them know about Islam. To help them find the truth. Any question. Any statement.
Anyway, we do not have much time to discuss the questions. The key thing to answering these questions is definitely KNOWLEDGE. Sometimes we know Islam is right, any query directed to us will go back to the fact that Allah is fair and that there must be good thing that comes out of bad things because Allah knows the best for us. Many of us might have lots of knowledge, but knowledge without practising it is nothing. Trust me, trying to answer these questions and explain it carefully, trying no to offend anyone is not an easy thing to do especially when you never think of these questions, because you are born muslims. But practise makes perfect, right?
True success of doing da'wah is that you obey Allah and you made the effort. Every time you do da'wah you will be rewarded. If they become muslims, alhamdulillah. If not, it is all in Allah's hand.
It was only a one day - no, actually, a half day course indeed. 11am -5pm. Let me just share and reflect back a few valuable points that I have learned today.
The course had one practical session where the facilitators acted as a non muslims and the participants had to answer the questions asked by them. Some of the questions might just be "tell me about Islam". As simple as that. Of course we can talk about thousands and millions of thing, but what do we want to focus on first especially if we have only 3 minutes with him/her? There was a quote from a brother: "You are not doing da'wah if you are just discussing about why you don't eat pork, why you don't drink alcohol, why you dont go to pub. But talk about the tauhid." Let them know that Allah is one. The one god that we worshipp. Let them believe that Allah is their god too. That Allah is everyone's god. Easier said than done of course, but we never know if it is through us that Allah wants to grant the hidayah to a non muslim. Let me give you a few more questions or statement that we as a muslim might want to start thinking of.
1. What is Allah? Why is your god different from others?
2. Aren't all the religions the same?
3. Why do good people or muslims still suffer if god exist? I have a friend who is suffering from cancer, she is a good person, the best one I have ever met. Why does god allow her to suffer when she is a good person?
4. Where does evil come from? From god?
5. I am not an evil person. I do good things, and I help lots of people. Would I be condemned to hell simply because I am not a muslim? - Man, this is though!
6. How can you be so sure Islam is true?
7. How do know Muhammad is a prophet? Didn't all sorts of other people claim to be prophets?
8. Why are dressing like that (for women)? Do you not feel oppressed? How do you find a boyfriend then? Do you not have one? (I actually got this one)
9. Do you have to pray five times a day? That must be so hard for you!
10. You are not even allowed to drink when you ae fasting? Hey, that is not good for your health is it?
11. Do you need to be particular about what you are eating? What is these halal meats?
12. You are not allowed to drink alcohol even a small sip of it? But isn't it good for the heart if you take redwine occasionally? You won't get drunk.
Some of these were questions I got from my friends too or from a stranger I met in the metro, or in a shop. It is a good thing they ask us - it means they are interested to know. And we do not even have to go and approach them. In this case, the least thing that we could do is to tell them about Islam. To let them know about Islam. To help them find the truth. Any question. Any statement.
Anyway, we do not have much time to discuss the questions. The key thing to answering these questions is definitely KNOWLEDGE. Sometimes we know Islam is right, any query directed to us will go back to the fact that Allah is fair and that there must be good thing that comes out of bad things because Allah knows the best for us. Many of us might have lots of knowledge, but knowledge without practising it is nothing. Trust me, trying to answer these questions and explain it carefully, trying no to offend anyone is not an easy thing to do especially when you never think of these questions, because you are born muslims. But practise makes perfect, right?
True success of doing da'wah is that you obey Allah and you made the effort. Every time you do da'wah you will be rewarded. If they become muslims, alhamdulillah. If not, it is all in Allah's hand.
ادْعُ إِلِى سَبِيلِ رَبِّكَ بِالْحِكْمَةِ وَالْمَوْعِظَةِ الْحَسَنَةِ وَجَادِلْهُم بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَن ضَلَّ عَن سَبِيلِهِ وَهُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِالْمُهْتَدِينَ
"Invite (all) to the Way of thy Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching; and argue with them in ways that are best and most gracious: for thy Lord knoweth best, who have strayed from His Path, and who receive guidance."
[an-Nahl;125]
INVITE. It does not say MAKE SURE everybody will gladly be accepting it. But let them know. Give them choice. There are many prophets of Allah who did the preaching for many years, and some of them ended up with very few followers, or even none. But the key thing is, the effort was there. Even rasulullah s.a.w., the habibullah (one who Allah loves) was being tortured and treated so badly when he introduced Islam to the community.
By the way, back to the title of this post. An unexpected, unplanned beautiful event occured in the mosque during the course. I can still hear the announcement very loudly at the back of my head.
"Brothers and sisters, we are about to witness something that doesn't happen every day. We are about to witness a new birth".
There was a Caucasian brother, who wanted to say the syahadah, and admit that Allah is the only god and that Muhammad is the messenger of god. And it was very touched when he said it, that he actually has hearing problems, and he has to read the lip to understand or to know what the other brother was saying. And he said it in front of all of us. And he has just became a new person, who is free from sin, like a newborn. And I wish I can start as fresh as him.
Not only that, a few minutes later a sister came to us, and told us that an 11 years old girl who followed her granny (who is also a revert) to the course, has also said the syahadah after she stated her interest to become a muslim. And only after that, she began to think about her mother's acceptance.
11 years old girl and a guy with hearing and speech problems. Two in a row. It is so amazing how Allah can open their heart to accept Islam. Even when the media is currently busy reviewing the July 7 tragedy and keeps relating it to muslims as terrorists. Even when the channel 4 had just commented and created misconceptions about Islam in Undercover Mosque.
11 years old girl. What did I do when I was 11? Playing galah panjang with boys, talking and obsessing about KRU and the musics, what else? If I was not a muslim at time, I doubt that I would have achieved that high level of thinking to make decisions about religion or even to care about my religion, and obviously not even try to find out the true religion. And a guy who has to read lip to communicate? Who uses sign language to talk to others? Very amazing. Seriously. There are so many of us, muslims or not, who are so perfect as a human being, having ears and eyes to see His "ayat", yet we keep them shut and do not use them wisely.
Some of us could not control ourselves from crying happily. Everyone was so touched. It was so beautiful. It was like a miracle. It is something that I never thought I would have witnessed.
By the way, back to the title of this post. An unexpected, unplanned beautiful event occured in the mosque during the course. I can still hear the announcement very loudly at the back of my head.
"Brothers and sisters, we are about to witness something that doesn't happen every day. We are about to witness a new birth".
There was a Caucasian brother, who wanted to say the syahadah, and admit that Allah is the only god and that Muhammad is the messenger of god. And it was very touched when he said it, that he actually has hearing problems, and he has to read the lip to understand or to know what the other brother was saying. And he said it in front of all of us. And he has just became a new person, who is free from sin, like a newborn. And I wish I can start as fresh as him.
Not only that, a few minutes later a sister came to us, and told us that an 11 years old girl who followed her granny (who is also a revert) to the course, has also said the syahadah after she stated her interest to become a muslim. And only after that, she began to think about her mother's acceptance.
11 years old girl and a guy with hearing and speech problems. Two in a row. It is so amazing how Allah can open their heart to accept Islam. Even when the media is currently busy reviewing the July 7 tragedy and keeps relating it to muslims as terrorists. Even when the channel 4 had just commented and created misconceptions about Islam in Undercover Mosque.
11 years old girl. What did I do when I was 11? Playing galah panjang with boys, talking and obsessing about KRU and the musics, what else? If I was not a muslim at time, I doubt that I would have achieved that high level of thinking to make decisions about religion or even to care about my religion, and obviously not even try to find out the true religion. And a guy who has to read lip to communicate? Who uses sign language to talk to others? Very amazing. Seriously. There are so many of us, muslims or not, who are so perfect as a human being, having ears and eyes to see His "ayat", yet we keep them shut and do not use them wisely.
Some of us could not control ourselves from crying happily. Everyone was so touched. It was so beautiful. It was like a miracle. It is something that I never thought I would have witnessed.
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