NECESSARY QUALITIES OF A DAI 1. The intention of the dai should be to please Allah Taala and not for any other reason e.g. riya (showing off). 2. The da i should have as broad a base of knowledge as possible. (S)he should read the Quran and the Hadeeth with commentary, also the Ihya Uloom ad-Din by Imam Hamid Muhammad Al-Ghazali (D 505 A.H). (S)he should understand not only why we should believe in Allah but also why Allah has sent prophets down. Comparative religion books are also of great benefit. These are just some pointers. 3. When the dai begins dawah(S), he should be constant in it. Results often take place only after some time, and so one should be aware of the stamina and efforts that are required. 4. The dai should be aware that dawah will test them with many situations that will demand patience, politeness and kindness. 5. When the dai contacts the madu, (One who is invited), (S)he should keep up the contact. The power of supplication (dua) should also never be underestimated. The dai should persist in dua, that Allah keeps the madu upon the Sirat al-Mustaqim and gives the madu strength to face all challenges during this period. The Muslims in general should always pray to Allah that non-believers will embrace Islam. The dai should also be able to recognise the abilities and qualities of the madu. Praise of their abilities and qualities will soften the madus heart and make them readier to listen. 6. The dai needs to use wisdom and tact, for example, when informing someone not to continue in a prohibited act. This is not as easy as it seems, particularly today, when many people have come to regard some of the disliked or prohibited actions as simply ordinary so cannot understand any objection to them. Hikma (wisdom) is required to make people see the error of their ways. It also takes hikma to recognise who will want to or be able to stop immediately and who will need a more gradual approach. 7. When the dai approaches the madu, (S)he should find out what their interests are and make conversation with them around that point. The conversation can be supported by the provision of appropriate pamphlets, books and videos. Many people are very interested in sport - Islam can easily be introduced into the conversation since many sports personalities have embraced Islam, (such as Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson), although few actually know that their sports heroes are Muslims! If the dai recognises that the person who they are talking to has a scientific mind, the dai could refer to the writings of Maurice Bucaille and Harun Yahya who have done much service to Islam in this area. If the dai is speaking to people belonging to the Afro-Caribbean community, he can link his conversation to Islam by talking about Malcolm X. If the madu is a woman, the dai should provide them with the boklet Why British women are turning to Islam?. If one reflects, there are many ways to begin a conversation before easing Islam into the discussion. The above are just a few examples for consideration not a fully comprehensive list. 8. The dai should provide literature to the madu according to their interests: - A doctor could be given Maurice Bucailles The Bible, the Quran and Science; - A lawyer could be given books on Islamic Law; - An interest in comparative religion could be met with the videos of Ahmed Deedat, Jamal Badawi, and Hamza Yusuf; - A spiritually minded madu could be given The Way of Muhammad of Shaikh Abdal Qadir al-Sufi and the literature of Shaikh Nuh-Ha Mim Keller and their videos. A number of organisations provide free literature on a wide variety of subjects, including those mentioned above. For example: - IPCI in Birmingham; - The IIC in Bristol; A more complete list of books appears at the end of this booklet, after the glossary. 9. A dai approaching a madu should have the intention to convey the message of Islam not the intention to debate/embarrass/insult the madu. It is not a matter of winning or losing since if it were, the madu would spend more time concentrating upon defending himself rather than listening to the message that is being conveyed. Sometimes a dai can win the debate but lose the madu. One day, Imam Abu Hanifah came across his son Hammad debating with someone. After he had finished, Imam Abu Hanifah approached his son and informed him that it was not permissible to debate. Hammad was very surprised and asked his father: I see you every day debating with non-Muslims. If it is not allowed why do you do it? His father replied: There is a difference between the way I debate and the way you do. The way I debate is permissible because my intention is to please Allah and convey the true message, not to please myself. When I saw you debating, you were not delivering the message but were trying to win the argument. You were pleasing yourself and not Allah Tala. When I am debating, I do not make eye contact with the person, since if the person is struggling to provide answers to my questions, I do not want them to feel any shame as this might be a barrier to them taking in the message. (Preface of The Hidaya, by Mulla Ali Qari) 10. When the dai approaches the madu, he should correct misconceptions. For example: when talking to a Christian, he could mention how the Quran makes numerous references to Mary and Jesus. Indeed there is a whole chapter on Mary in the Quran, the only woman who is mentioned with such a high status. This would make them curious and want to read the Quran to see for themselves what Allah has revealed concerning it. If necessary, he could talk about the points where there are disagreements between Islam and Christianity - such as the Bible being the word of God, the trinity, the crucifixion of Jesus, atonement etc. He should then provide literature that contains answers to these areas, such as the Izhar al-Haq of Maulana Rahmatullah Kairanvi (may Allah be pleased with him) or the videos or pamphlets of Sheikh Ahmad Deedat. 11. The dai should be generous and hospitable, not miserly and reclusive. Hospitality is a very effective way of performing dawah. If you have been very hospitable but the madu has not yet accepted Islam, the dai should not become angry or disheartened because it is only Allah Taala who has the power to change the hearts of people. It was the custom of Prophet Ibrahim to eat with a guest. One day, while sitting with a guest, he began talking about the oneness of Allah to which the guest remarked that he did not believe in this. This made Ibrahim so upset, he asked him to leave - before they had eaten the meal. Soon after, the angel Jibreel came to him with a message from Allah Taala: Ibrahim, why did you become upset, and prevent your guest from eating the food? I have been providing his food for 60 years and he has not listened to me but I am not upset. At this Ibrahim went out to find the guest and reinvited him for a meal. The guest questioned his motives and Ibrahim recounted the visit of Jibreel. The guest returned for the meal and was so impressed that he embraced Islam. (Qasas al-Anbiya, chapter on Prophet Ibrahim) 12. The dai should talk to the madu according to his intellect and understanding, without overloading the madu with information but at the same time making steady progress. 13. The dai should be friendly and easily approachable so that the madu feels at ease around him/her and not afraid to ask questions. The madu should never feel under personal attack. 14. The dai should not be afraid to say, I dont know, but I will find out for you. No-one is expected to know everything. 15. If the madu becomes a Muslim, it is the responsibility of the dai to teach him/her the basic teachings of Islam and to bring them into contact with other Muslims............
Posted on: Mon, 03 Nov 2014 13:09:20 +0000
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