Introduction

Dawah has many different meaning by Muslim scholars. According to Abdullah Muhammad
Zin, the word dawah originates from the word daa and its infinite noun dua and it is a literally
means desire for Allah.1 Dawah is derived from the arabic word that means calling and has a
wide meaning. However in Islam, it refers to an invitation to the humanity of the Prophets. Each
prophet sent the messages from Allah to mankind and Prophet Muhammad is the last Prophet
with complete message of Islam. He refers to Abd Al-Karim Zaydan quotation:
By Dawah we mean the call to Allah as Allah says:

Say this is my way, I call on Allah with sure knowledge, I and whosoever follow me
(Yusuf:108)
So, what is meant by call to Allah is the call to His religion and that is Islam.

Indeed religion with Allah is Islam (Al-Imran:19)2
Dawah as a message of Islam is an appeal to all human beings to live a good life as a rahmah
from Allah. The call of Islam is to communicate the rahmah of Allah to all men, the backgrounds
of the unbelievers should be interest to the dai. Dai(preacher) refers to one who has
communicated the message to the people. The Prophet Muhammad said: Convey from me, even
if it is one verse.-Al-Bukhari. Prophet Muhammad first revelation was to read which means to
gain knowledge. In giving dawah, it doesnt mean that the person has to gain a great amount of
knowledge, but the condition in giving dawah is to speak with knowledge. If the calling of
giving dawah is based on ignorance and built upon his emotion and passion, then he is not
1 Osman Chuah Abdullah, Preaching to the non-Muslim Chinese in Malaysia, 2009,p.12
2 Abdullah Muhammad Zin, Usul al-Dawah,1976,p.5

permissible to offer dawah. The intention itself must be pure and solely for the sake of Allah, it
must not be with the intention to brag, to fool people, to lie or with any negative intention.
Allah - the Most High - says: And do not say, concerning that which your tongues falsely
put forward, This is lawful and this is forbidden, so as to invent lies against Allah. Indeed,
those who invent lies against Allah will never prosper. (an-Nahl 16:116-117)
Whosoever calls to Allah without knowledge, then such a person will cause greater harm than
good as is evident. So it is obligatory for a person to first acquire knowledge, then to do dawah.
As for the clear evils and that which is clearly good, then the good is enjoined and the evil
prohibited.

Definition of Prophetic Methodology

Prophet Muhammad has his own methodology in giving Dawah. Methodology means a set of
method used in a particular area of activity. Prophetic methodology is the way or method that
been used by Prophets to convey a dawah. Prophet Muhammad is so full of love and used so
much more positive methods in delivering his dawah as stated in the general principle of the
Prophetic Methodology. There is three status or position of Prophet Muhammad in the Quran:
a) Total obedience to the Prophet
Almighty Allah says:

We sent not a Messanger, but to be obeyed, in accordance to with the will of God..
(An-Nisa:64)
He futher says:

Say: Obey God and His Messenger: but if they turn back, God love not those who
reject faith. (Al-Imran:32)
And He says:


And obey God and the Messenger that you may (really) obtain prospers. (AlImran:132)
In the light of these verses it becomes clear that the commands of Allah as well as the
proven commands of the Prophets are binding on a Muslim. He has equally to obey both
of them. The Prophets total life is a good example for all Muslims and ought to be
followed by them. A Muslim should not feel hesitant in carrying out the orders of the
Prophet. Obedience here means full and not half-hearted submission.
b) Expounder of the Quran
The Prophet is the expounder of the Quran appointed by Allah. Almighty Allah says:

and We have sent down unto thee the message; that you may explain clearly to men
what is sent for them and that they may give thought. (Al-Nahl:44)
From the Quran commands, prayer can be the example because the establishment of
prayer in numerous verses, but does not prescribe the details for the method of praying.
The Prophets task was to demonstrate the form of prayer practically as well as orally.
c) Legislator
Almighty Allah says about the legislative power of the Prophet:
. . .
..He will make lawful for them all good things and prohibit for them all evil things..
(Al-Araf:157)
In this verse, the legislative authority is bestowed upon the Prophet. So, he acts as the
society law giver. The Prophet initiates certain things which were later mentioned by the
Quran as the standardized practices of the community. For example, the practice of azan
to which the Quran refers only as the existing practice. This instance proves the
legislatives authority of the Prophet and that his deeds were sanctioned by Allah.3

3 Muhammad Mustafa Azami, Studies in Hadith and Literature,2002,p.9