Dawah Techniques Workshop

1. Introduction
1.1 What is Dawah Da'wah usually denotes preaching of Islam. Dawah means literally "issuing a summons" or "making an invitation". Daee is a person who invites people to Islam through a dialogical process. 1.2 Whose Responsibility is it Everyone. Dont have to be a scholar, responsibility of each and every Muslim, according to his or her ability:
"Convey from me, even one verse." [Bukhari]

Not conveying the knowledge, hiding the truth, is in fact a sin:

"Verily, those who conceal the clear proofs, evidences and the guidance, which We have sent down, after We have made it clear for the people in the book, they are the ones cursed by Allah and cursed by the cursers." [Quran 2:159]

1.3 What is the Incentive

"And who is better in speech than he who invites to Allah and does righteous deeds, and says: 'I am one of the Muslims.'" [Quran 41:33] "Whoever guides [another] to a good deed will get a reward similar to the one who performs it." [Muslim] "By Allah, if Allah were to guide one man through you it would be better for you than the best type of camels." [Bukhari, Muslim]

1.4 What is the Role of the Daee

"Verily you (O Muhammad) guide not whom you like, but Allah guides whom He wills. And he knows best those who are guided." [Quran 28:56] "Your duty is to convey the Message." [Quran 42:48]

1.5 The Manners of a Daee

"Invite to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom and fair preaching, and argue with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone astray from His Path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided." [Quran 16:125]

1.6 The Intentions of a Daee Our Lord, indeed You know what we conceal and what we declare, and nothing on the earth or the heaven is hidden from Allah. [Quran 14:38] Verily actions are by intentions, and for every person is what he intended. [Bukhari, Muslim]

2. Dawah Strategy
Much like sales, you can divide the entire Dawah process into three stages the 3 Ss:

2.1 Stop
Try to have some sort of message or special catch phrase you use as you hand out leaflets or speak to passers-by. The goal is to make them want to stop and talk so it should be thought provoking. Examples include: Excuse me, do you know what the purpose of your life is? Import message, learn more about Islam. Excuse me, are you a Muslim?

# 1 - Be personable, ask for a name. Use their name often, it makes the conversation less formal and relaxes them. Smile and treat them like you would any guest at your house in order to make the prospect feel comfortable and welcome. I have only been sent to perfect good manners. [Bukhari]

# 2 - How to respond if you are accused of trying to convert them to Islam? Point out that Islam is a beautiful way of life and youd like to share it with them. State that guidance is from Allah alone, and its not even up to them to become Muslim, Allah guides only those that he sees good in. Had Allah known any good in them, He would have made them hear. [Quran 8:23]

2.2 Sell
Al-hamdulillah, the prospect has stopped and is willing to engage in conversation. Now comes the most crucial and challenging step, selling Islam to them. Use the following sales formula:

This represents a framework which is logically ordered, simple and comprehensively covers the major concepts of Islam. The format for the dialog of each concept is as follows:

1. Explain the concept. 2. Once youve finished explaining it ask the prospect if they have any questions. 3. Once youve answered all their questions and you are confident theyve grasped the concept then ask them if they agree with the concept. If they dont then this presents an obstacle to progressing through the rest of the sales formula. You can overcome the obstacle using the Obstacle Resolution Techniques (ORTs). These will be covered in a later section, for the time being dont worry about them and just focus on this sales formula. Once they have agreed with the concept then move onto the next concept and repeat the procedure starting from step 1. The goal is to get the prospect to understand and agree with each of the concepts in the sales formula, putting them in a good state for a shahadah inshaAllah.

2.2.1 Concept # 1 Tawheed

Explain the following key points: Gods existence Oneness Attributes

Proving Gods existence (i). The Teleological argument, or argument from design. According to the argument, there is evidence for the order, purpose, design, and direction in nature: 1. Complexity implies a designer. 2. The universe is highly complex. 3. Therefore, the universe has a designer. Socrates, the Greek father of philosophy, and Newton, one of the greatest scientists in history, both held this position. Explain the bucket of paint analogy. Put every colour into a bucket and throw the contents against a blank canvas. Realistically its impossible that you could ever recreate the Mona Lisa. Mathematicians, however, might argue that given enough throws and enough time it would eventually have to happen. Reality is that the first throw is as probable as the last throw, zero chance. The fact is that mathematics doesnt always reflect reality, example is Pythagoras Theorem:

Obviously in the real world, the length of a side of a right angled triangle can never be negative, and yet mathematics delivers a result which has no connection with reality.

You can also give the example of the fine tuning of The Big Bang. That it occurred as it did was crucial for the development of life, because the rate of expansion of the universe, i.e. the speed at which the pieces of matter flew apart, had to fall within certain limits if life was to develop. Had the rate of expansion been fractionally slower one part in a million million then gravity would have pulled all of the matter back together again in a big crunch; there wouldnt have been enough time for life to emerge. Had the rate of expansion been fractionally fasterone part in a millionthen gravity wouldnt have had a chance to pull any of the pieces of matter together, and planets, stars and even gases wouldnt have been able to form; there wouldnt have been anything for life to emerge on. It is highly unlikely that a random big bang would be such as to allow life to develop, and therefore highly unlikely, according to the argument from design, that the big bang from which our universe was formed happened at random.

(ii). The Cosmological argument is an argument for the existence of a First Cause (or instead, an Uncaused cause) to the universe: 1. Whatever begins to exist has a cause. 2. The Universe began to exist. 3. Therefore, the Universe had a cause. Aristotle, the Greek father of logic, held this position. If they deny that the universe has a beginning, then explain the following. If the past were infinite, then it would not just take a long time to the present to arrive; rather, the present would never arrive. No matter how much time had passed, we would still be working through the infinite past. It is impossible to traverse an infinite period of time. Clearly, though, the present has arrived, the past has been traversed. The past, therefore, cannot be infinite, but must rather be finite. The universe has a beginning. But what if they sceptically accept the premise that God is the cause of the universe and then ask, who created God? Point out that God by definition is the uncreated creator of the universe, so the question "Who created God?" is illogical, just like To whom is the bachelor married? So a more sophisticated questioner might ask: If the universe needs a cause, then why doesn't God need a cause? And if God doesn't need a cause, why should the universe need a cause? In reply: God, unlike the universe, had no beginning, so doesn't need a cause. In addition, Einstein's theory of general relativity shows that time is linked to matter and space. So time itself would have begun along with matter and space with the Big Bang. Since God, by definition, is the creator of the whole universe, he is the creator of time and therefore is outside of time. Since He has no beginning in time, He has always existed, so doesn't need a cause.

(iii). The human brain's God spot. A belief in God is deeply embedded in the human brain, which is programmed for religious experiences, according to scientific studies that analyse why religion is a universal human feature that has encompassed all cultures throughout history. This

can be practically demonstrated with the fall of Communism in 1989. After 45 years of living under a regime that banned all forms of religion, people rushed back to Churches in Eastern Europe after it the collapse of Communism.

Proving the oneness of God (i). The ontological argument. God by definition cannot be weak, inferior or compromising. From this, we may say that something that is weak, inferior or compromising cannot be a god. Yet the very fact that there is more than one god suggests two contradictory possibilities; That the gods are of equal power and therefore are compromising, or that their power is uneven resulting in some gods being inferior to others. From this ontological argument one can conclude that there can only be one true god. The existence of at least two gods would inevitably arise between them, at one time or another, a conflict of wills. Since two contrary wills could not possibly be realized at the same time, one of them must admit himself powerless in that particular instance. On the other hand, a powerless being cannot by definition be a god. Therefore the possibility of having more than one god is ruled out.

(ii). Pure monotheism is natural within human beings. Allah has created people with the natural instinct (Fitrah) to affirm His Lordship and Oneness. Human beings have an instinctive distaste for polytheism, for at times of crisis for example even the idolaters forget the false deities and call upon the one true God for help. As soon as they are relieved from the danger, they however start associating other beings with God.

(iii). The consistency of design. The soundness of the heavens and the earth, the order of the universe, the harmony among created things, all indicate that the Creator is One, with no partner or associate. From the atom to the mountain, there is consistency in design throughout the universe. Were there multiple gods then the universe would be in a state of confusion.

2.2.2 Concept # 2 Revelation

Explain the following key points: Revelation is guidance for mankind o o o o Explains the purpose of life, to submit Reveals that life is a test We will be held to account on the Day of Judgement Heaven and Hell

Quran is a miracle Quran is preserved

Proving that guidance is a necessity for mankind Explain the following analogy. If one was to setup a business without any rules or training for the workers, what would happen to the business? Undoubtedly it would fail. In a similar manner, revelation represents the rules and regulations that human beings need to succeed in this life and the hereafter.

Proving that the Quran is a miracle that could have only come from God (i). The science of the Quran. Here are two nice examples which have only been verified very recently by modern science in the last few years:

Or (the unbelievers state) is like darknesses within a deep sea which is covered by waves, upon which are waves, over which are clouds - darknesses, some of them upon others. When one puts out his hand [therein], he can hardly see it. And he to whom Allah has not granted light - for him there is no light [Quran 24:40] See appendix D for a newspaper article about this miracle. Muhammad (pbuh) lacked the sophisticated diving technology which is necessary in order to do deep sea diving. He was also living in a desert, so there was scarcely any water to even investigate.

Then, when they (Prophet Sulayman and his army) reached the Valley of the Ants, an ant said: "Ants! Enter your dwellings, so that Sulayman and his troops do not crush you unwittingly."

So he (Prophet Sulayman) smiled, amused at her speech; and he said: "O my Lord! so order me that I may be grateful for Thy favours, which thou hast bestowed on me and on my parents, and that I may work the righteousness that will please Thee: And admit me, by Thy Grace, to the ranks of Thy righteous Servants." [Quran 27:18-19] See appendix E for a newspaper article about this miracle. Muhammad (pbuh) lacked the sophisticated audio equipment which is necessary to detect the speech of ants.

(ii). The inimitable language. "Say: 'If the whole of mankind and Jinns were to gather together to produce the like of this Qur'an, they could not produce the like thereof, even if they backed up each other with help and support.'" [Quran 17:88]

(iii). No contradictions. "Do they not consider the Quran? Had it been from other than Allah, they would surely have found therein much discrepancies." [Quran 4:82].

Proving that the Quran is preserved, so can be trusted (i). Only one version. (ii). Ancient copies identical to present, nothing has changed. (iii). Millions have memorised it so impossible to corrupt.

2.2.3 Concept # 3 Prophets

Explain the following key points: Teachers for mankind Muhammad the final messenger

Quran proof of his prophethood

Proving the need for teachers Having revelation, or knowledge, is one thing, but you also need a teacher to provide its correct interpretation and explanation. Give the analogy of a school teacher. If the students were to just be given a book then they would possess the knowledge in their hands but wouldnt know how to correctly understand or apply this knowledge. A teacher is required to perform this function. The knowledge and teacher are therefore inseparable, for you cant be a teacher without knowledge and you cant benefit from knowledge without a teacher.

Proving he is the last messenger (i). Guidance perfected so no other messengers needed. (ii). Quran says he is the last messenger. (iii). Other scriptures such as the Bible confirm this.

2.2.5 Obstacle Resolution Techniques (ORTs)

An obstacle represents anything that is hindering a prospect from embracing Islam. It could be a question, a misconception or personal issue. Removing obstacles will inshaAllah bring the prospect closer to Islam. I favour teaching techniques over fixed, memorised scripts as its virtually impossible to have a preplanned response for every conceivable scenario as each prospect is different. Techniques empower you because they give you the tools for answering/refuting/convincing in any scenario. These are the different types of techniques you can use to resolve obstacles: 2.2.5.1 Facts and stats Quoting verses from the Quran falls under this technique. Example: Obstacle Religion is the biggest killer in the world. Resolution Statistically hunger and preventable diseases actually kill more people. So too does Alcohol. 2.2.5.2 Question the premise Dont accept the premise of a question, question the question before diving into an answer. Example: Obstacle Why were people forced to convert to Islam by the sword? Wrong resolution Because it is the true religion of Allah and truth must prevail over falsehood... Correct resolution Actually, the religion itself was not spread by the sword. The Quran says that there is no compulsion in religion. Today Islam is the fastest growing religion in the west and yet no one is spreading it by the sword. The most populous Muslim county is Indonesia, which is non-Arab. Which army ever went to that country to spread Islam by the sword? 2.2.5.3 Flipside of argument, turn the situation on its head Example: Obstacle I dont believe in organised religion. Resolution Are you saying you believe in disorganised religion? 2.2.5.4 Quantify Ask them to quantify, makes them reflect on their question/statement which they may just be parroting from some random source. Example: Obstacle I dont believe God is good because evil exists in the world. Resolution How would you define good and evil?

2.2.5.5 Analogies with dunya A person may be perfectly logical and rational in all aspects of life except when it comes to their faith. Giving analogies to dunya can force them to re-consider their illogical religious viewpoint by analysing it from a logical perspective, make them step out of their box.

Exercise Take some of the points listed in Appendix A and apply the above ORTs to them.

# 1 - Try to memorise a short introductory speech which you will use with every prospect to initiate conversation, this will help you to get into your Dawah flow when you are selling. The one I use is: We are here today to tell people about Islam. As Muslims we believe in one God, Allah, the creator of the heavens and the earth and everything between. We have been created for a purpose, to worship Allah on his terms. He has sent many messengers throughout history, including Abraham, Moses, Jesus and his final messenger Muhammad, peace be upon them all. Although they were sent at different times in history and to different nations, they all had the same message worship Allah alone. # 2 - Keep the conversation focussed and relevant, try not to get side tracked. Dont get involved in useless arguments. I guarantee a house in Jannah for one who gives up arguing, even if he is in the right. [Abu Dawud] # 3 - Do not over emphasise your 'shahadah count', a dangerous concept which may jeopardise your sincerity, places unrealistic (and unnecessary) expectations on yourself and may make you question your own competence as a Da'ee when your targets fail to materialise. A far more beneficial mindset is one of 'planting seeds' - try to plant as many seeds as possible each time you do Dawah. If you've cleared up a misconception about Islam then you've planted a seed. If you've inspired someone to read the Quran then you've planted a seed. If you've made someone feel more comfortable being around Muslims then you've planted a seed. # 4 - Keep it simple, dont use unnecessarily complicated language. Try to avoid Arabic phrases like al-hamdulillah or inshaAllah, instead use their English equivalents. If you do use them then ensure you translate their meaning into English so that the prospect understands what youre saying. The people whom I hate the most and who are the farthest from me on the Day of Judgment are those who talk uselessly, and those who put down others, and those who show off when they talk. [Tirmidhi] # 5 - Diagnose, be a doctor. Ask them if they have any issues with Islam, this allows you to tackle any problems immediately. Want to maximise what little time you have. # 6 - Dont make any assumptions about them. If they say they are Christian dont jump into a long speech about the absurdity of the Trinity, find out which denomination they are. If for example they are a Jehovas Witness then they dont believe in the Trinity to begin with.

# 7 - Remain calm in the face of irritation or abuse. Assume that the prospect is speaking out of ignorance, try not to get offended. If the prospect becomes aggressive and you dont think you can calm the situation down then simply walk away. This attitude can be Dawah in itself! The strong man is not the one who is strong in wrestling, but the one who controls himself in anger. [Bukhari] # 8 - Always tell the truth, lying does harm in long term. Speak the truth even if it be against yourself. [Ahmad] # 9 - Be aware of the most common questions asked by non-Muslims so that you are not taken by surprise (see Appendix A). Bear in mind that no one knows the answer to every conceivable question a prospect may ask, we are not scholars. If you dont know the answer be honest and admit it, say you will investigate and get back to them on it. He who speaks about the Qur'an without sound knowledge of it would find his abode in Hell fire." [Tirmidhi] # 10 - You will most likely encounter many Christians, especially from the Afro-Caribbean community. Memorising just a few key verses from the Bible can help you a lot with refuting their false doctrines. Use these sparingly though, as you can easily end up getting into an endless cycle of refutation and counter-refutation if the prospect knows their Bible. # 11 - Try to learn the fundamental differences between the various denominations of Christianity. This will enhance your Dawah because you can avoid wasting valuable time asking them to explain their denominational beliefs, thus allowing you to dive straight into the Dawah. # 12 - Try not to use the wisdoms behind Allahs rulings as a means of justification for those rulings. Rather, say we do so and so because Allah commands us to and then follow this up with wisdoms. For example, when asked about prohibition of pork dont say it is prohibited because science has discovered that pigs harbour a lot of harmful bacteria on their skin, because they could rebut this by saying that I only eat pork which comes from pigs farmed in clean conditions. You are now stuck! Rather, say that it is prohibited because Allah commands us to avoid it. Since He is our creator he knows what is good and bad for us, one of the wisdoms behind His command is that pork is harmful for humans, as has been proven by modern science. "We hear and we obey." [Quran 2:285]

# 13 - Every once in a while you may hear something very bizarre from a prospect, so bizarre that it is very difficult to respond to using the ORTs. I find the best approach here is to ask them to prove their source. # 14 - Generally Quranic science should be used to supplement Dawah and not be the focus of it. A prospect may acknowledge all the science but then reject Tawheed, in which case you are no better off than when you started. # 16 - The Theory of Evolution is usually only raised by atheists. The best way to tackle evolution is to try to avoid discussing it, these are my reasons. We want to avoid the situation where evolution becomes the major focus of the discussion. If you get into an argument about the validity of evolution then Tawheed goes out the window, as most likely you will spend the majority of your time arguing back and forth with them about evolution. They will keep putting forward their evidence for evolution, and you will keep denying that their evidence is valid. As a result they will leave your Dawah table with the same false assumption that they came to it with, namely that Islam is like all other "backward" religions that go against modern science. You will feel frustrated as you never got a chance to discuss Tawheed. How to avoid this undesirable outcome? Very simple, when the issue of evolution is raised by the atheist, make the following undeniable factual statement: "Evolution does not disprove God's existence". Then ask them "Do you believe in God?". You can now resort to the standard Sales formula to convince them about the concept of Tawheed. Tawheed is now the focus of your talk!

2.3 Shahadah
Al-hamdulillah, you have overcome the challenging task of selling Islam to the prospect. You have explained the key concepts of Islam using the sales formula and they have agreed with all of them. Point out the fact that they now have the beliefs of a Muslim and that they just need to confirm with their tongue what they already believe in their hearts, so invite them to take their shahadah.

2.3.1 How to deal with hesitation

Any hesitation again, be a doctor, diagnose. What is holding them back? Try to address it. Try to use different approaches until you find one that works: Encourage - remind them about rewards of becoming Muslim (sins forgiven, Paradise etc). Warn - never know when were going to die. Sign - the fact that you met me here is proof of the Qadr of Allah and that you are being guided to Islam.

Be direct. Ask them, what is stopping you from becoming a Muslim right now? There are many possible obstacles preventing them: Family rejection. Misconception or a problem with a specific issue. Dont want to give up a desire e.g. pork, alcohol.

Use the ORTs from section 2.2.5 to overcome these obstacles and inshaAllah bring them closer to a shahadah.

2.3.2 Deadlock Resolution

What to do if the prospect likes Islam but is fixated on a single issue that is holding them back from taking shahadah? For a man this could be giving up a specific desire e.g. alcohol, for a woman it could be the perception that they are inferior because men can have four wives. A person afflicted with one of these issues may be stubborn and cant be reasoned with using the ORTs from section 2.2.5, no matter how hard you try. An effective technique for dealing with this is as follows: state that Allah, being the creator of the human being, knows whats best for us, and if they believe in him and believe that the Quran is from him then they have to acknowledge that he is right about this issue and that they are wrong, and that they therefore now have to concede this issue and submit their will to his,

submission being the essence of Islam. Otherwise if they still insist that they are right on this issue and Allah is wrong then their arrogance has no bounds and they have uttered blasphemy against their Lord. If they are still hesitant then give them a translation of the Quran to take away and read. Ask them to approach it sincerely and to take away the following analogy: theres a person addicted to alcohol and he wants to investigate Islam. There are two approaches he can take, one is sincere and one is not. The insincere approach would be for him to not read the Quran cover to cover but rather go straight to the index at the back of the book and lookup references to the word alcohol. He then reads only these verses, and upon seeing that these verses forbid alcohol he then rejects Islam as it does not conform to his desire that alcohol should be allowed. The alternative approach is the sincere one, this man decides to put to one side his preconceived notion that alcohol should be allowed and reads the Quran from cover to cover, pondering its signs and reflecting on whether he truly believes this book is from his creator. He comes to the conclusion that it is, and although he desires alcohol he concedes that Allah knows best what is good for him so he embraces Islam and hopes that his new faith will help him to conquer his addiction, seeking the pleasure of his creator. # 1 What to do if the prospect doesnt think its necessary to take their shahadah? A good technique is to give them the analogy of a contract. Point out that the shahadah, like any legal contract such as a mobile phone contract, has terms and conditions that are binding. Tell them that Allahs terms on the contract are I Allah promise to eventually enter you into paradise if you submit to me and worship me alone and that by them saying the shahadah they are accepting Allahs terms and signing the contract. This is a metaphorical piece of paper that they will take to their graves and possess on the Day of Judgement. But, if theres no shahadah, then theres no contract so theres no chance of ever entering paradise! It is narrated on the authority of Mu'adh b. Jabal that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: Mu'adh, do you know the right of Allah over His bondsmen? He (Mu'adh) said: Allah and His Apostle know best. He (the Messenger of Allah) said: That Allah alone should be worshipped and nothing should be associated with Him. He (the Holy Prophet) said: What right have they (bondsmen) upon Him in case they do it? He (Mu'adh) said: Allah and His Apostle know best. He (the Holy Prophet) said: That He would not punish them. [Muslim] # 2 - If they seem genuinely interested in Islam but are not quite at the shahadah stage then give them a translation of the Quran and try to get their contact details (phone number or email) so that you can follow things up and continue to give them Dawah. # 3 - So, the prospect is happy with Islam and has taken their shahadah, al-hamdulillah. That was the easy part, the hard work begins now to ensure that they stay in Islam and become a practising Muslim. Shaytan will come at them like a ton of bricks, bringing doubts into their hearts. They need us for their support - invite them to come to the mosque, offer to teach them how to pray etc.

Appendix A Common Questions / Misconceptions

Why did Muhammad (pbuh) marry Aisha so young Why does Islam preach violence Why are women oppressed/inferior to men Why do women have to wear hijab Shariah is barbaric Why is apostasy punishable by death Why is pork/alcohol/smoking/drugs forbidden Why can men have 4 wives Islam was spread by the sword Halal slaughter is cruel Why are there so many sects in Islam Can you prove that Muhammad (pbuh) is a prophet? What makes you think the Quran is from God?

Appendix B Recommended Literature

Recommend the following from IDCI: SALAH: The Muslim Prayer ISLAM: A Brief Guide Muhammad the Prophet of Islam (pbuh) The Life of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) The Quran and Modern Science (by Zakir Naik) Concept of God in Major Religions The Position of Women in Islam The Truth about Jesus 3 Men 1 Mission Moses, Jesus, Muhammad (phut) Concept of God in Islam Shahadah Confession of a Muslim Answers to Non-Muslims Common Questions about Islam What the Bible says about Muhammad (pbuh)

Recommend the following from Islamic Vision: A Brief Illustrated Guide To Understanding Islam

Recommend the following from Discover Islam: The True Message Of Jesus Christ (by Bilal Philips)

Recommend the pocket-sized English translation of the Quran from Saheeh International.

Appendix D Scientists Confirm Wave Miracle in Quran

Appendix E Scientists Confirm Ants Miracle in Quran