First Da’wah Workshop

2/23/09

Sheikh Ali Leyla

• • The minimum we have to do is practice Islam. This way people will learn from our example.

    • We should be the best ummah

      • Being the best ummah means that “we are the message, we live the message, and we display the message.”

  • “Who is better in speech than the one who invites to Allah?” – Quran

  • People can see Islam through the actions of a true believer.

  • Mecca and Medina are such special places (i.e. reward for prayer is multiplied)

    • Yet, most of the sahabah did not die there

      • They realized the obligation of da’wah and traveled to other places.

      • Without their initiative, we would not have Islam.

Dr. Altheimer

• We all know that da’wah is important. But we usually stop when we hear that we (each of us) have to call people to Islam.

• Getting out there does have risks but that is a challenge we have to accept.

• Da’wah Tips:

• • 1. Take time to learn the deen.

    2. Talk about the main message of Islam/the Quran.

       1. i.e. Tawheed and Akhira

       2. Abu Dhar was a sahabi that only spent a little time with the Prophet (S). Yet, the Prophet (S) sent him back to his people. What could Abu Dhar have taught them but the basics? His people became Muslim because of those basic beliefs.

    3. Put in the effort.

       1. We work so hard on academics and we get so far. How far could we go if we put that much energy in Islam?

       2. The number one thing that is stopping us is … US.

Dr. Abdurahman

• Acronym for da’wah tips:  Ikhbar (as in news)

  • • I – invitation

    • K – knowledge

    • H – humbleness

    • B – belief

    • A – appreciation

    • R – respect

  • Da’wah is an invitation, but you need to know what you’re inviting people to and how to invite them.

  • We often invite people to our point of view of Islam, and not what Islam really is.

  • We cannot look down on people – arrogance is so hard to work with.

  • Don’t beg people to come to Islam

    • Don’t sell it to them cheaply – show its value.

    • Respect has to do with respecting yourself as well as others.

  • Remember that people will not change their way of thinking overnight.

  • There is a big difference between accepting and agreeing.

    • i.e. homosexuals

Q/A Discussion Session

• It is important that we make sure we have the right information.

• Question:  why is weed/heroine haraam?

  • The Prophet (S) said that whatever harms you is haraam, so drugs fit into this category.

  • It would have been impossible for the Prophet (S) to list every single thing that was haraam. It is more efficient to have categories so that if anything comes up we can decide for ourselves (from the sunnah) whether it is allowed.

• Question:  how do we explain fate/free will?

  • One point to make > if we are programmed then there is no point in sending a messenger to help guide us.

• Question:  what is the difference between sunni and shia?

  • The answer should go back to the basics.

    • Both groups believe in one God, Muhammad (S) as the last messenger, all of the previous Prophets, the Quran as the holy book, Heaven and Hell, etc.

    • So emphasize the unity and the fact that it is still the same religion.

      • Don’t go into the small differing details.

• Question:  do all non-Muslims go to Hell?

  • We are not the ultimate judge.

    • Make this point clear from the start.

  • Muslims believe that those who believe in God and do righteous deeds will go to Jannah.

    • This is a general statement.

  • For whom the message was made clear to but rejected it (because of arrogance, sticking to their forefathers’ traditions, etc.) he is not on the right path.

    • *Important point to make – you can’t point at a specific person and say that that person is going to Heaven/Hell.

      • The difference in what we should say is that we are talking about types of people and their actions. Because ultimately we don’t know what is in a person’s heart.

  • Mention that is a responsibility for everyone to search for the truth.

• Tell someone to read the Bible and they will come back saying “I am confused.”

  • That’s when you “make your move.”

• The first thing to do is to show people how Islam will give them happiness.

  • If they don’t see that we are happy, then why would they even look into Islam?